Frequently Asked Questions

If you have never worked with a freelance/ghost writer before, you probably have a variety of questions. Below is a sample of the kinds of questions I usually answer on a regular basis to help you.

I really need your help but I’m on a tight budget. Are your rates non-negotiable?

I am always willing to entertain offers which divert from my rates. There are a lot of factors I will consider before coming to a final offer with a client. Also, I am willing to establish a payment plan if needed for certain projects. No project is cut and dry. As my clients are unique, so are their needs and projects, so I am always willing to put something together which is mutually advantageous for my clients, their readers and my business.

What is the difference between a freelance writer and a ghost writer?

Basically, a freelance writer IS a ghost writer. A quality freelance writer is a contracted wordsmith who examines your problems, your needs, your audience and comes up with a project(s) to provide a solution. Only in special cases does a freelance writer, especially for Web-based content, end up with credit for the work when it is published. A ghost writer also does your writing for you but works closely with the client to capture his or her voice and vision usually in more creative formats like novels, non-fiction books, scripts and guides. However, in both cases, I am hired to produce the project and compensated with the agreed stipend, but my clients maintain 100-percent of the credit, the full intellectual copyright and the responsibility of marketing and publishing the work.

I really want to work with you on this project but I live in another part of the country, or the world. How do we make this work if we aren’t in the same area? 

Technology has brought us closer together and this is the same for meetings with my clients. Most freelance writers work remotely anyways. Most of the time, the need for a freelance writer is born from a problem of time. My clients don’t have the time to do the research, the sourcing nor the writing of their projects, thus they hire me because they are constantly on the go doing what they do best for their businesses and families. Many of my clients also travel quite often. So when we need a meeting to review a project’s progress and go over next steps, there is a wide variety of apps for devices which allow us to meet including Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Marco Polo to name just a few.

What makes you different than other freelance writers?

While there is a ridiculous amount of freelance writers out there who will simply generate a “listicle” or “click bait” article for pocket change, I refuse to offer this type of writing. I offer a legitimate journalistic approach to every project of which I am involved. I offer a unique value of high quality content which is researched, sourced, written to AP style and revised as needed with images and/or photos if my clients feel it’s needed. My voice connects with readers and inspires them to return. I offer discount for revolving content since all Web content needs to evolve to stay fresh. Coming from a background of journalism, knowing my clients inside and out to appropriately represent them and their needs is of high priority for me. What makes me different than many other freelance writers is I take the time to achieve this to ensure what I’m delivering to my clients is going to solve their problems.

How do you determine your rates for a project?

I determine my final stipend for each project individually, although I use my listed rates as a guide. I have determined a value of my time and a value of my work which I use to put a price tag on projects with prospective clients. The value of my time is usually non-negotiable. This is a base hourly rate I use to ensure the time I am taking to put your project together and solve you needs are going to provide for the basic needs of my family. The value of my work, however, that is what I am always willing to negotiate and entertain offers from clients who are on a budget or offering some sort of contingent payments. Payments on contingency come in a variety of options i.e. payment plans, royalties and profit shares. I am open to all ideas as long as they are fair and my family is taken care of as we work together.

Why would I not just hire a writer from one of these freelance service sites? Aren’t they more affordable?

I’m sure everyone has heard the phrase “You get what you pay for.” When you hire a writer through one of these freelance services sites, I can tell you what you may not get. The full commitment of your writer. Freelance sites market to your needs and provide you a variety of writers who may be able to help you. Writers can sign up for these platforms with little to no vetting or demonstration of previous work. Writers also usually have to pay the service to contact clients through the service and present proposals for consideration. Even when a writer from these services are hired by the client, the service usually takes a portion of the money for which the writers invoice, sometimes as much as 30-percent. So, if a client spends $150 for a writer from a service, or what we in the business call “content mills,” that client is getting a non-established writer who is earning only 2/3 of the project. My clients know when they work with me, they get quality equal to the entire value of their investment, not 2/3 of it.