Ghostwriting Contract Template Used Professionally * Reviewed Legally
Whether you're a professional ghostwriter or you're looking for a ghostwriter to develop a book on your behalf, one thing's for sure: you need a thorough and specialized ghostwriting contract.
I've been a ghostwriter since 2001 and, in the early days, I had a simple contract that I whipped together myself. After all, I'm the kind of guy who would prefer to just shake hands on a deal, knowing that everyone was in it together.
What never really crossed my mind, though, was that a contract isn't just about the handshake agreement -- you pay me this much and I'll write you a book of this length. A contract's there to protect everyone in any kind of situation. So, what would have happened if I were in an accident and unable to finish the book? Would the client be stuck with an unfinished book and a lot of wasted money? Or would my estate have to pay the client back???
I was lucky that, when I finally did run into situations not covered in my contract, I was able to work things out with my clients. But we all know that not everyone is ready to do that. I could have gotten myself into a lot of trouble.
Later, in fact, I would have gotten into trouble with someone who decided that things weren't going fast enough for him, even though I clearly laid out the pace for him ahead of time ... and in the contract. He wanted me to do all sorts of impossible things to make it up to him, so thank heavens I'd spelled things out in the ghostwriting agreement. That contract saved me, because I was sticking to it!
Of course a contract isn't just for the ghostwriter. A contract is for the client too. For instance, I've heard of people paying ghosts who ended up providing hardly a thing. That client has to be able to remedy the situation, because they've invested time and money in the ghostwriter. They need something legally backing them up!
Over the years, with input from other ghostwriters and developing a lot from scratch, I've put together a thorough contract that I believe covers everything that needs to be covered in a ghostwriting agreement. And of course I've had it reviewed by my own lawyers as well.
My contract covers such critical topics as:
The legal nature of the working relationship.
An overview of the financial and timing terms.
A description of services and a guarantee of either no conflicts of interest or a listing of any potential conflicts.
A description of any research required and details on revisions provided.
No guarantee of publication.
Specifics on cost and payments.
Legal and financial responsibilities of both parties.
Ownership of rights and authorship.
Confidentiality agreement and ownership of all materials.
Details regarding termination by death, disability, or written notice.
Details of legal written notice, severability, arbitration, and location for legal disputes.
In all, my contract is six pages long (single-spaced) organized under 25 headings that are crucial for ghostwriter and client both to know what's expected of them and for both to be protected. In the end, I believe this is the best way to start off a great working relationship.
Now having developed what I think will benefit anyone out there entering into a ghostwriting agreement, I am making my ghostwriting contract TEMPLATE available to you.
Granted, you could have your lawyer work up one of these contracts from scratch, but that would likely cost you several hundred dollars at least. (I've even had lawyers purchase this template and work from it for their clients.)
You could also simply work up a contract on your own and hope that you've covered all the necessary details ... but if you do, make sure you're THOROUGH. I've seen the kind of trouble you can run into this way. (And at LEAST use my list of points above to make sure they've all been addressed.)
OR, you could make a very small investment right now in your own safety and peace of mind. Considering the investment of time and money in a ghostwriting agreement, it makes a whole lot of sense.
The protection normally afforded by a lawyer's work, but at a savings of hundreds of dollars!
Before you invest, however, it's important that you understand: this is a THOROUGH template, aimed at giving you everything you need to work up a solid contract between ghostwriter and client. But it is still a TEMPLATE.
In other words, you will have to look through each paragraph and modify details regarding payments, revisions, research, etc., as well as personal information like names and addresses. In the end, I still recommend that you have a lawyer review your work before signing everything.
But you'll still be saving several hundred dollars since the bulk of the work will be done by then.
So, if a ghostwriting contract template sounds to you like the best approach for developing your ghostwriting agreement, then I encourage you to purchase this template right now. For YEARS I sold this for $97, but I have cut that rate by nearly 70%, and today you can get it for ...
Just $27 ...
Ghostwriters, that one-time fee gives you something that you can work with over and over again.
Ghostwriting clients, you might point your ghostwriter here and have him or her include the cost of this template in the overall fee ... just to make sure you're both covered.
The contract, by the way, is provided as an MS Word file so that you can modify it however you like. Although you cannot redistribute or resell the template, it is yours to change and use for yourself as you like.
Click below to make a secure, one-time payment and you will have immediate access to downloading the template on the page you're taken to. You will also get a receipt by e-mail that includes my contact information in case you have any problems whatsoever with getting your contract.
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Thanks for your interest and, once you've got a solid contract in place, I wish you all the best on your ghostwriting project.
Sincerely,
Steve McCardell (972) 836-6639
P.S. (The Refund!) I know this template gives you everything you need to quickly develop a solid contract. Just modify the details appropriate to your ghostwriting arrangements and you're all set.
But if you find that this template doesn't include everything I've talked about, or you find that it doesn't include something that's necessary for a solid ghostwriting contract, write to me through the contact info on your receipt and I will be happy to arrange a FULL REFUND within 30 days of purchase.
