How to test out a freelance executive ghostwriter for 1,000 smackeroos

/ Red Sail Writers/

Hiring a freelance executive ghostwriter is fraught with difficulty, uncertainty and irritations. And making the wrong decision means repeating the process, like a Groundhog Day for executives and marketing managers.  

The first 7 irritating steps of finding an executive ghostwriter are:

  1. Searching for one online or asking around.

  2. Reading her website.

  3. Looking for clues about whether your budget and her prices jive.

  4. Figuring out if she can write (see step #2.)

  5. Scheduling a conversation.

  6. Figuring out if you’d like to work with her or she’ll make you want to gouge your eyes out.

  7. Starting an executive ghostwriting project.

These 7 steps are mostly inevitable, though you can skip a few if your executive ghostwriter comes to you through a trusted referral.

But going through these steps doesn’t mean you’ve found the right fit. And you might not want to start the relationship with a $5000 white paper.

Instead, limit your financial (and emotional) risk by hiring your new executive ghostwriter for a starter project. For $1,000, you can get to know your new copywriter’s work ethic, likeability factor and capabilities.

Get to know your executive ghostwriter with these $1,000 copy and content marketing projects:

  • Ghostwritten blog (short)

  • LinkedIn profile

  • A package of LinkedIn posts

  • Executive bio

Once this 1,000-smackeroo project is done, you’ll likely have enough information to decide if it’s smart or dumb to work with this person again. You’ll know if your ghostwriter has a work process, what kind of writing she submits by the deadline and what your gut tells you about hiring her again or running for the hills.

But make no mistake, picking a loser costs more than $1,000. Unless you’re working for free, which I hope you’re not. Because every executive ghostwriter you find and discard costs you time, money and effort. You can’t eliminate the risk of picking the wrong fit, but you can minimize it.

5 ways to increase the likelihood of finding the right executive ghostwriter for you and your organization:

  1. Get a referral from someone you know, like and trust.

  2. Read your potential executive ghostwriter’s website and LinkedIn profile.

  3. Download any free goods on her website.

  4. Subscribe to her newsletter.

  5. Have a ‘get-to-know-you’ chat. That’s right—with the telephone.

Finding a reliable executive ghostwriter who takes the time to know your business isn’t easy. But having this ghostwriter as a business partner makes your work life easier.

So easy that after a few projects done right, you’ll want to put a ring on it with a retainer agreement.

I'm Andrea Bassett, an executive ghostwriter who specializes in helping benefits executives get their thought leadership out of their heads and onto paper.

To talk about how I can help you build and expand your thought authority platform, call me at 647-502-3187 or send a note to andrea@redsailwriters.com.

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