If you search the web for a book writer, odds are you will be facing thousands of organizations and individuals advertising their services. Knowing which to choose can be a daunting task. To make things a little easier, here are some red flags that you should be aware of:
Agent/Editor/Publishing House Connections
I can’t tell you how many times aspiring writers have asked me if I have industry connections. I explain it to them like this: “Sure I do, but my connections aren’t going to do anything for you or your book. Your book will be picked up by an agent, read by a publishing editor and published based on its own merits, not anyone’s connections.”
If you are interviewing writers or writing organizations, which suggest their connections will help you sign an agent or get published, don’t waste any more time interviewing them. It just isn’t so, and the fact that a writer would try to pull you with this is a warning in itself.
We Write Books in 90 Days!
If your book is over 150 pages in length, taking two or three months to write it just isn’t feasible. These kinds of short timelines are a warning that the writer is a not a professional writer and doesn’t know what “a quality book at literary standard” is. This is also an indication that the writer will plagiarize. This literary crime happens far too often today, and it puts you, the author, in jeopardy of being sued. Actually, you can be sued by every source your writer uses illegally, even if you were totally unaware that the content in your book wasn’t original.
A well-written book normally takes at least a year to write. From concept to print-ready, the timeline is generally 30 months or more. Good books take time. You and your writer will pass the work back and forth numerous times before it is completed. That is how the process works. Each pass entails a slow read, suggestions, changes and improvements. Cutting these steps out is detrimental to the quality of your book.
Remember, professional writers are paid by the word or the page, not by the hour. Make each word count.
We’re New, But We’re Good
I don’t know about you, but hiring a new writing company would scare me, especially with the time and money that’s invested. Statistics show that most new businesses fold within the first few years. That means your books folds too.
Verify the longevity of the writer or writer service you hire. Longevity is proof of stability, ethics, and in this industry, quality. Even better is a book writing company that also belongs to entities like the Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce. If you can find this in a book writing company of age, marry it.
If you are hiring an individual, verify how long they have been writing full-time professionally. And make sure that time has not been a few hours on the weekends and/or evenings. You want to know, for a fact, that the person is a full-time professional book writer, not just an out-of-work hack looking for survival income.
Virtual – As in “No Office”
The commitment of erecting a brick & mortar establishment is a sign of stability and a true business. Therefore, you need know whether you’re speaking to someone who is basically untraceable, can pack up overnight and disappear. It happens more than you might imagine.
You owe it to yourself to consider a few things:
- Does the company have a brick and mortar office?
- Do they have a P.O. Box or real street address?
- If you MapQuest the address, is it in a residential area or business district?
- Who answers the phone when you call? The Writer? A Secretary?
- If you call after hours do you reach an answering machine or get an answering service?
- Does their website look homemade or professionally built? Does the site include their address and phone number?
Because the Internet makes it simple to hang up a virtual shingle and call yourself an expert, it becomes all the more important to know you are dealing with a professional. Look for signs of professionalism and heed those warning signs that scream otherwise.
Low-Cost Services
This is really where everything will become clear. If a writer charges less than $100.00 a page — or worse yet, no upfront fee in exchange for royalties – you are not dealing with a professional writer. I am amazed when I see writing companies advertising book writing services for pennies per word!
Professional writers make their living writing. They are working with an author for months, if not years, at a time. They can’t afford to charge pennies.
You can expect to pay between $100 per page, and much higher for a book writer with literary accolades (like having written best sellers, received awards, etc.) for good book writing. And such a book, from such a writer, will give you the greatest potential for immense and long-term success.
Bottom line is, don’t just look for a bargain book writer. Bargains are for grocery shopping and shoe hunting. There are very few people on this earth who are skilled at professional writing. And when you hire one, you create the greatest potential for not only getting back your original investment but increasing it to actually earn a living from your book.
