10 Questions to Ask a Ghostwriting Service Before Paying

Every ghostwriting website promises a dedicated writer, a smooth process and a beautiful book. The differences — and there are big ones — only show up when you ask precise questions. Here are the ten we'd ask before paying anyone, including us.

1. Who exactly will write my book

Not the company — the person. Ask whether your writer is a native speaker of your book's language, what they've written in your field, and whether the person you talk to in the sales call is the person who writes. At Bookspert you're matched with a dedicated native-English writer who stays with you from first call to final page.

2. Can I test the collaboration before committing

The single best de-risker in this industry. Some firms offer paid trial chapters; many don't. Bookspert structures the whole engagement around it: the first month is a pilot — 10% of the price for the book's structure and the first chapter — so you judge the writing before the remaining 90% is ever due.

3. How is the payment structured

Large upfront packages concentrate your risk. Instalments tied to delivered work protect you. Ask what happens to your money if you stop the project halfway — and get it in writing.

4. Who owns the rights and the royalties

The answer should be 'you, fully'. Some publishing packages retain a share of royalties or rights. Bookspert publishes under your name, you own the copyright, and 100% of first-book royalties are yours.

5. How many revision rounds are included

Per-round billing gets expensive exactly when you're unhappy. Look for unlimited proofreading within the project scope — that aligns the writer's incentive with your satisfaction.

6. What does the timeline actually look like

White-glove programmes run 6–15 months; lean teams ship in weeks. Neither is wrong — but the timeline must match your goal. If the book supports this year's positioning, a 15-month process delivers it for next year's.

7. What happens after publication

A book without distribution is a very expensive business card nobody sees. Ask what promotion is included in the quoted price — press, newsletters, podcasts, interviews — and what's billed on top. Bookspert's higher tiers include PR across 300+ outlets, a 90,000-reader newsletter feature, influencer reviews and an online-TV interview, because our parent company Xraised runs that network anyway.

8. Can I speak to a past author

Portfolios can be curated; a fifteen-minute call with a real client can't. Any service proud of its work makes the introduction. Browse our published books and authors — every one is on Amazon under the author's real name.

9. Where will the book be published and in whose name

Confirm the book appears under your name (or your own imprint), not the service's. Confirm which marketplaces it ships to and who controls the publishing account afterwards.

10. What's NOT included

The quiet question that prevents loud surprises. Extra pages, extra languages, audiobook versions, paid bestseller campaigns — ask for the full list of paid add-ons before signing, and compare quotes line by line, not package name by package name.

The short version

A trustworthy service answers all ten without flinching, puts the answers in the contract, and lets you test the writing before you commit serious money. If a provider resists the pilot question or the rights question, keep looking.