how do i protect my story from a ghost writer?

A ghostwriter is not just a typist. They write the story for you - sometimes from a detailed outline, sometimes from a statement like, "It should be a romance, where the heroine owns a dog and the hero hates dogs."

There are two things that stop them from stealing it -

1. You're paying them about $20,000 to write the story for you. (That's not a typo, it really does say twenty thousand dollars.)

2. Most novels don't sell enough copies to bring in anywhere near $20,000 for the author (or whoever's getting his royalties if someone stole the manuscript). That means the extra money the ghostwriter could make (on top of what you've already paid him) if he stole your manuscript isn't worth the risk of getting caught. And the more copies the book sells, the greater the likelihood that you'll find out. (This is why literary theft is so rare - to succeed at it, you have to do it in full view of the public - or that section of the public that reads books, anyway.)

Really, this question is another form of "how do I know so-and-so won't steal my awesome idea for a book?" The answer is they won't, because they don't need to.

I think it is best to get a written contract with your ghost writer but you may need to give them something in return of course. Make sure that you have both of yours signature on it. If you can get a copyright then that is even better.

If you want, I could be your ghost writer... :)

Hope I helped!

Go to the library and use Literary Marketplace - the author's bible. You will find lists there. Just make sure you check out anyone through the proper sources before you make any agreements and have a lawyer check out all contracts. I am a ghostwriter myself in addition to writing novels myself. I ghost children's books for a major sports figure as well as other clients. It is a very personal relationship between the ghostwriter and the person with the story. Just make really sure it is a person you can work closely with. I have had to turn people down because we didn't "match". You might consider an unabridged editor/book doctor situation, where you actually write your story down and they make it workable. I do it that way, too. You have to find what is comfortable for you. One clue I will give you. If you can't pick up the phone and spend an hour or more just talking with your ghostwriter, having them ask you questions and discussing your story, they probably aren't for you. I talk to my clients for hours sometimes! It makes me feel like I know them, and I get to know their "voice" so I can write like they talk. Pax-C

You need to work on your problem with typing. A ghostwriter is for a professional and it's clear you're not.

Now stop flattering yourself, thinking you have such an awesome idea that it will be stolen. If you want to write, then you need to do the work. It's called PAYING THOSE DUES. Get over your little fear of typing, put on your big-kid pants and start typing.

Don't worry about it. If you don't understand the absolute basics of copyright and the process of contracting a ghostwriter, I sincerely doubt you can afford to hire a proper one.

If you meant a typist/expert at dictation/editor or what not, then the same rules apply: get a contract, get it notarized or whatever you think will protect both your interests.

Regardless seek references ( their clients not glowing praise on a piece of paper) and check the usual forums to check up on any of them if possible.

A typist and a ghost writer are two very different things. The typist just takes your handwritten or typed work, and gets it into shape for sending to a publisher. A ghost writer is a stand-in who writes a book over someone else's signature. Celebrities and politicians often hire ghost writers when they want to have a book published but don't have the time or talent to write it themselves.

They won't copy it and disappear. Most ghostwriters have a good reputation and a long line of authors who have used them in the past - they would not sacrifice that for the sake of one story.

Don't worry.

Ghostwriters ghost write to make a living. If they stole books that they were asked to ghostwrite, their livelihood would end. In any case, a contract is the norm.

If someone ghost writes for a living, they don't steal stories. It would be quickly noticed and no one would use them.