GHOSTWRITING WITHOUT A PUBLISHING CONTRACT. I can only ghostwrite a book without a publishing contract if I am paid during the course of the writing. Please do not ask me to work on your project without payment or in the hope of royalties in the future. I make my living as a writer and don't have the luxury of working for free. For payment, I can also edit or book doctor a manuscript for you to prepare for submission to publishers or for self-publishing, or I can assist you in writing a book proposal. But bear in mind that hiring a writer to ghostwrite an entire book is expensive.

FIRST TIME BOOK AUTHORS - WRITE A PROPOSAL, NOT YOUR ENTIRE BOOK.  If you are a first-time book author who wants to find a publisher, please search the internet to learn how the industry works. Rather than write your entire book right away, it is advisable to prepare a book proposal to submit to literary agents and publishers in order to receive an advance of monies prior to finishing the book. There are many books on the market about how to write a book proposal, and you must learn the format for a proposal - it's an art in itself! If you need a writer to help you with your proposal, you can contact me about helping you with that for hourly payment. Otherwise, the cost to you up front for me to ghostwrite an entire book would be substantial, and publishers and agents only want to see a proposal at first anyway. They don't like to see an entire manuscript. In fact, even if you have a completed manuscript, you need to do a proposal as well! Plus, publishers like to have a say as to how the final book is written.

NO WORK ON SPEC. Please do not ask me to work "on spec" or provide work for you as a sample. There are numerous samples on this website, and I have several books available on the market. Additionally, there are testimonials on this site and my LinkedIn.com profile, and I can provide references for you. If you want to see my work more specifically, I will sometimes agree to do a sample for you for payment.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. Beware of writers who are willing to give away their work or work for very low pay. These are non-professionals who are "hoping" to make their writing and editing a business. While these people can occasionally be talented, they are inexperienced. No experienced writer/editor will give away their work or work for excessively low wages. More often than not, you get what you pay for!

I DO NOT PUBLISH BOOKS. Please understand that I am NOT a publisher or a literary agent. I do not publish YOUR books, nor can I help you find a publisher (you need a literary agent for that.)

I DO NOT PAY SOURCES. If you have a book or article idea, note that writers do not pay you. You may be paid by a publisher if the piece is sold, but writers make a living by SELLING, not buying.

NEVER PAY A LITERARY AGENT UP FRONT. Beware of literary agents who charge a reading fee. This is not a reputable way to do business. They receive a percentage when they sell your book to a publisher! Any literary agent who charges you a fee will get you absolutely nowhere because anyone can claim to be a literary agent! In short, reading fees are a scam! Here is a website where you can find a reputable literary agent: http://www.aar-online.org/

SELF-PUBLISHING. I recommend self-publishing to public speakers, physicians, and very successful Internet marketers. Otherwise, I consider it a last resort. Why? Because most people end up spending a lot of money and selling very few books. Self-published memoirs, for example, are usually a waste. If you want to print just a few for your family, that's wonderful, but don't expect anyone other than friends or family to be interested in your life story. Non-fiction books can sell if you have a market and a way to get the word out, but I always suggest that you have a marketing plan before you work on your book. Otherwise, you need a very large garage!