Do you have a book idea, but you don't have time to write it yourself?

Are you not sure where to start?

Put our experience to work for you. We can ghostwrite your book, assist you in developing an outline, guide you through chapters, write your query letter and synopsis, develop a proposal, and format your book for publishing.

"I was overly impressed with how Ms. Ortiz came up with the article that she did for my company. She did all of the research, wrote the article and did it very timely. I will use her over and over again." TBJ

Use the contact form for a free quote. Any uploaded documents will be kept confidential and you retain all rights.

Hiring a Ghost Writer
by Jody Ortiz

You may be nervous about hiring a ghostwriter or editor for your manuscript. Allow me to let you in on a little secret - everyone is. The majority of books and e-books on the market today have been ghost written, critiqued by a third party, or edited by someone other than the publishing house or author. It's a sign of the times.
However, hiring a ghost writer for your project doesn't mean you give up full creative license. The level of input from the ghost writer can be as much or as little as the author desires.

Experience
Following is an overview of current and past clients along with how I worked with them to complete their projects:

• I worked on a novel with a client for approximately one year. The client wrote five to seven pages per chapter of what should be included, and I expanded those to 20 or so pages. I then emailed the author for approval of each chapter. I did a final edit, made several changes to the characters and storyline the author originally envisioned, and worked directly with another editor the client hired. I also created the query letter for the book to issue to agents.
• I wrote a how-to book for a client with only the first paragraph in each chapter as a guide to what he wanted in the book. I completed the 250 page book in a nine-day period.
• I wrote a book for a client with only a broad topic from which to work, prayer. I was given full creative license and completed the book within two months, the client's time frame. I formatted the entire book for self-publishing, and completed all the final editing.
• I transcribed audio for a book, did basic formatting for the publisher, and completed all of the editing. The book was completed in a two week period.

These are just a few examples of my experience in assisting others with their projects. I'm very flexible, and can adjust to whatever makes the author feel comfortable with the ghost writing and/or editing process. 

Timeframe
The length of time it takes to complete a project is up to you, my client. We can move as fast or as slow as you would like. Plus, the best thing about choosing me for your ghost writing project is that you'll work with me and me alone. Although some of the wording on my site refers to "us" or "we," the wording is just to give the site a professional feel. When a ghost writing project is turned over to me, it's seen by my eyes only, versus some of the other services you may find. That means your project is much more secure than if you were to have several people working on it within an organization. I only bring in extra help with the client's approval and my assistants sign a confidentiality agreement to ensure you never lose the rights to your project.

Fees
My fees are dependant on the project at hand. My time spent on your project will depend on the amount of time you need me to devote to it, your timeline, and your budget for my services.

I can devote my time solely to your project until completion, or I can work on a part-time basis. How much time I devote to the project is up to you, your budget, and my current schedule at the time of hire.

Writer's Digest suggests a fee of approximately $36,000; that's the average price with high being $100,000 for a ghost written project. Most ghost writers charge around $20,000 for a 250 page manuscript. My fees are WAY below that price. However, I charge for the services I believe I render to you, which is a reasonable price for the level of quality you will receive by choosing me. If you find a ghost writer who is willing to write a 250 page manuscript for a ridiculously low price—less than $5,000--beware! Remember, you get what you pay for and with ghost writing, you're paying for trust, security, and hopefully a best-seller.

Confidential and Secure
I sign a confidentiality agreement that turns over all rights of the project to you, the client. The agreement lists the terms of the project, how payment will be made, and when your project will be completed.

Payment plans
I accept 50% of the project fee in advance for quick, one day to two week projects. For longer projects, I require a $500 non refundable "good faith" deposit up front. I need to know the client is as invested in the project as I am and that he or she has the means to pay me. For the balance, I can work out monthly payments if you're on a budget, or split up the payments over the estimated amount of time the project will take.

You will find that I am very affordable compared to my competition. However, I believe in the "get what you pay for" scenario, therefore, my services aren't bargain basement prices. I don't gouge my clients just so I can collect a few extra bucks. My pricing is fair. I work by the Golden Rule that was so prevalent in Mary Kay. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

I do not partner with authors for payment. Your project is your own and I do not accept half the potential future profits to ghost write a book. Although I’m easy to work with, this is my business, and I treat it as such.

Scheduling
My schedule stays full; I typically have a waiting list. If you are considering a project in the future, keep in mind that I usually am booked a month in advance. That's not a hard and fast rule, but for the past six years, it stays consistent. Therefore, if you think you'll be ready to begin next month, it's best to contact me today to find out about pricing and how we can work together. I generally work on one large project and two or three small projects at a time, unless you specify you want my exclusive attention.

Tell me about your Project
In the initial contact--preferably over the phone--I will ask about your project: what type of writing you need, length of the manuscript, timeline, how it will be published, amount of research completed, amount of research I'll be required to do, and when you expect it to be finished. Although I have a price list I use for every client, regardless of how well the book will sell, I base the final cost on all of the aforementioned factors. Because each client will work differently with me, and I've found that no two clients are the same in terms of expectations, I don't have a figure that's set in stone that I use for writing a book. Basically, the longer your project will take to complete, the more it will cost. Before contacting any ghost writer, make sure you know what it is you want, how you're hoping to publish it, and when it needs to be finished. This will help to determine how much to charge.

Get to know your ghost writer
Hiring a ghost writer is putting a lot of trust and faith in someone you don't know. Therefore, it's imperative to develop a relationship with the writer and to find out who they are and a little about their lifestyle before you begin.

There are many professional writers who are willing to create a manuscript and not get any credit for it, but there are even more "fly by night" writers with little experience, or those I like to term "farmers" who take on a project and hire another, less experienced writer, for a discounted fee. (My first ghost written book was written this way. I was hired by a "farmer.” He was pleasantly surprised at the quality and speed in which I did the job.)

This is why I develop professional, working relationships with all of my clients. I can be reached almost any day of the week by phone or email, and I’m here for my clients. If you query a writer about a project and you don't receive some type of response within 24 hours, you can just imagine how your communication will progressively worsen if you hire him or her for a project.

Although I don't always have the answer my client wants to hear, I do answer their emails, and I’m honest and straight-forward about my progress. I know what it's like to be in the dark.

Several months ago I personally hired an editor for a project I'm working on for my husband. She has a degree in law, is a retired English teacher, and works as a freelance editor and ghostwriter. I was excited about working with her on my project, and thought with her experienced eyes my book would turn into a masterpiece, but instead, it became a nightmare. She did fine for a week or two, but then I started noticing that she was spending only about 30 minutes a week, or less, on my book and after about four weeks into the project she wouldn't answer the phone or return my emails. After not hearing from her for about two months, she finally surfaced and said she had gotten busy. That's understandable, but communication is the most important ingredient in ANY relationship. So if your editor or ghost writer isn't communicating with you in the very beginning, there is a problem. They are already too busy to take on the project, they have some alternative lifestyle that distracts them, or they're just not a professional.

Some projects I take on require a lot of focus and research, and I am not perfect, but I've heard so many stories of writers and editors who don't communicate, and that's not good business.

Ghost Writers and Agents
Although I do prepare proposals for my clients and gather lists of agents and publishers, I'm not a literary agent. I can't promise you'll get published if I take on your project, and I can't represent you as an agent. (I'd run for the hills if a writer makes that offer!) However, I will be here for you throughout the life of your project, and I will do whatever I can do to assist you in learning the publishing process. I charge a reasonable fee for an in-depth proposal, and along with that I create a custom list of agents and publishers. If there is representation out there for your project, I will do my best to help you find it. I can also create custom web sites and videos to help promote my client’s books. I usually work just as hard as you on your project, so I am willing to go the extra mile to see you get published.

Genres and Topics
There are very few things I won't write about, so let's cover that ground first. I won't write anything that adds to the degradation of the moral of society. I am Catholic, but I'm not prudent, and I believe in living in the real world. Therefore, language, sex, and violence, do not bother me if they add to a storyline and are done tastefully. I steer away from erotic books, adult content that is distasteful, and anything promoting abuse, drug usage, prejudice or violence. The book can have those scenes if they add to the story and the main character is fighting against it. As long as it's not promoting those things, then I'll write about it. Is that clear as mud??

Following is a list of genres I do write and have written about in articles, web sites, or books. There is a (*) beside the genre I have experience in and a (!) by the genres I personally enjoy.

Obviously, I don't have experience with every genre or topic, but I'm an awesome researcher and I can learn about anything. For instance: I've never been able to stand up on water skis, unless you count the time that I got rope burns on both of my thighs--OUCH! But I ghost write articles with in-depth instructions on how to wake board. I have never worked in the insurance industry, but I’ve written a test for a large insurance company for their licensed agents to renew their insurance licenses.
Like I said, I can write about anything...

Fiction Genres:

• Action*
• Adventure*!
• Gay/Lesbian
• Gothic
• Historical
• Horror*!
• Humor
• Juvenile*
• Literary
• Mainstream/Contemporary*!
• Military/War
• Multi-Cultural*
• Mystery*
• New Age
• Paranormal*!
• Regional
• Religious*
• Romance*
• Science Fiction*
• Short Stories*
• Spiritual*
• Suspense*
• Western*
• Young Adult*

 Nonfiction Genres:

• Agricultural*
• Americana*
• Animals*
• Anthropology/Archeology
• Art/Architecture
• Biography/Memoir*!
• Business/Economics*!
• Child Guidance/Parenting*!
• Coffee Table Books
• Computer Electronics*
• Contemporary Culture*
• Cooking/Food/Nutrition*
• Creative Nonfiction*
• Education*
• Ethnic*
• Fitness*
• Fashion/Beauty
• Gardening!
• Gay/Lesbian
• General Nonfiction*
• Government/Politics
• Health/Medicine*
• History*
• Hobby*! (Knitting, Sewing, Sailing, Chickens...my favorites)
• How-to*** (I've written 24 how-to books)
• Humor
• Military/War
• Money/Finance*
• Multi-Cultural*
• Nature/Environment!
• New Age
• Paranormal*!
• Psychology (Any topic)*
• Recreation*
• Reference*
• Regional/Real Estate*
• Religion (Any religion)*!
• Self-Help*!
• Sex
• Sociology
• Software*
• Spirituality*!
• Technical*
• Textbook
• Travel
• True Crime*!!! (My very favorite!)
• Women's Issues/Studies
• World Affairs

As you can clearly see, I've pretty much covered everything. The topic I don't have a lot of experience in is sports. But I do some sports writing. It's just not something that comes natural to me. (I guess I'm too tall and clumsy.)

If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me. I will answer any questions you may have about my services, my experience and my fees.

Get Published
Many authors today experience a virtual shut-out when it comes to seeking publication. Agents and publishers are inundated with queries and proposals on a daily basis. Therefore, many books that would otherwise be highly marketable are turned away.

Those who desire to become authors give up on their hopes and dreams of becoming published because of the mountain of rejection letters they receive. We've seen it happen time and again.

Don't give up on your dream! Jody Ortiz is here to help! Through our expertise in the world of publishing, we can take your manuscript to an entirely new level through our editing services, and then develop a query and proposal, or revamp the one you're currently using. We keep current contact lists of hundreds of agents and publishers, and can pass what we know on to you, our client.

Since our company owner has been an editor with a New York publisher, once your manuscript is at its best, we can put you in contact with the right people so that your dream can become a reality. Contact us today! jo@jodyortiz.com