If you are someone who is planning to hire a ghostwriter for a book or any other kind of content need then this blog is perfect for you.
This is because if you want the best kind of value for your money when it comes to hiring a ghostwriter then you need to convey your vision to the ghostwriter in the best way possible.
The only way you can do that is with the help of an outline that you can present to the ghostwriter regarding your vision of the project.
The thing about creating an outline is not just about helping them understand your vision but it is about so much more like helping the ghostwriter understand your taste and the theme you want them to follow.
That is generally why reputed ghostwriting agencies are going to send you an outline form with a lot of questions which are going to be enough to guide you to showcase your vision to them.
But that is not always the case because sometimes ghostwriters will not send something like that that will help you guide them.
That is exactly when you can create an outline for a ghostwriter that will make your job easy and their job easier.
So, let’s get in-depth about how to create the ideal blueprint for a ghostwriter in the form of an outline to guide them.
But before we do that, let’s understand when it’s necessary to send out an outline.
Should You Send Out a Ghostwriting Outline?
When you finalize the contract with the ghostwriter, you must ask them about their policy regarding forms because not all ghostwriters send out forms.
Situations When You Do Not Send Out an Outline
The Verbal Form
Often times ghostwriters are going to conduct interviews and meetings with you and they are going to ask questions from their outlines.
This format of interviewing the client is a very natural way of understanding the vision of the client and this is easier for the client who simply does not have the time to fill out a large form.
This is also an excellent opportunity for the ghostwriter to understand the client and to create a form of synergy with the client.
Nature Of the Content
Sometimes the nature of the work might be too brief to send out a detailed form because you might need them just to write a few social media posts or maybe something smaller and in order for that to happen you don’t need a complete form.
This is usually the case with online web content where the ghostwriter might just ask you for a few example links as a suggestion on the type of content you want written and, in that case, there is no need for a form.
The Ghostwriter Takes the Initiative
The only other situation where you do not have to send out a form is when the ghostwriter explicitly states that they are going to send out the form.
That form is probably going to contain every question they might have regarding the kind of work you want them to do.
If that is the case then you do not have to send out the form to them.
However, we would still suggest you send out an outline no matter the situation because if you take the initiative to send out an outline then it will just clear things up regarding your vision of the project.
Let us understand the kind of details you need to send out in your own outline so that the ghostwriter gets the best kind of idea regarding the project.
Creating An Outline for A Ghostwriter
State The Nature of The Project
When you are creating the outline of the ghostwriting project for the ghostwriter, the first and the most important thing you need to do is to mention the type of project to them.
This means you need to mention the nature of the project to the writer whether the project is about fiction or non-fiction content and along with that you also need to tell them whether it is a different kind of project.
We are talking about projects that only require editing or proofreading services.
Additionally, you must also mention the nature of the project if you need a different kind of service in the form of humanising AI content.
This will set the stage for the writer to understand your exact need so that there is no confusion later on.
State The Genre
Once you have mentioned whether you want fiction or non-fiction content, you need to tell them about the genre of the content.
If it is fiction content then there are a lot of genres to explore.
Romance.
Science Fiction.
Children’s Book.
Short Story.
Memoir/Biography.
If it is nonfiction then again there are different types of genres for you to choose from.
Travelogue.
Cook-Book.
To-Do guide.
Mythology/Spiritual.
Astrology.
Instructional Content.
Research Paper.
Along with that, you must also make sure to provide an idea of the project to the writer whether the project is going to be a novel or whether it is going to be something shorter.
The deeper you go into detail regarding the specifics of the project, the better your results are going to turn out and it is also going to be easier for the ghostwriter to follow.
One of the best things you can do in this situation is to also provide different forms of examples of similar works that can help the writer get an idea about the project.
For example, if you want the ghostwriter to write a novel that is similar to Sherlock Holmes, you can provide Sherlock Holmes as an example when it comes to the type of project and your vision.
Mention The Themes
We now come to the theme of the project because talking about the theme will help the writer understand your vision even better.
It is something deeper than the plot and it is something that is much deeper than the genre of the story.
When you talk about the theme of the story, you need to mention what is the kind of message you want the story or the content to reveal.
For example, if you want the ghostwriter to write a novel about a boy living in a village, you should mention the kind of theme you want the story to reveal. You can mention human nature as the theme of this story.
Likewise, if you want them to write your autobiography then you can mention themes such as ‘the struggles of life’ and ‘the overcoming of hardship’ and ‘the triumph of perseverance over failure’.
You should not hold back when it comes to mentioning the theme or the themes.
Mention The Location/Setting
Mentioning the setting of the story is relevant when it comes to fiction as well as nonfiction but it is much more relevant when it comes to fiction.
This is because you can only have a proper story if the writer understands where the story is situated because the setting is not just something as simple as outer aesthetics, the setting of a story is directly related to the culture you want to portray.
That is why if you want the writer to write a story about something in the past then you should also provide them with study materials regarding that time in the form of antique film footage videos or older documents.
The thing about creating an outline is that if you are successful in creating the best kind of outline with very in-depth details, the outcome of that project is also going to be closer in resemblance to your vision.
If your story is situated in contemporary times then the ideal thing to do would be to sponsor a trip for the writer to visit the places where the story is situated.
But that might not be something very practical and in that case, you can make the effort of sending them video material from that location.
Mention The Vision About Characters
One of the other important details that your ghostwriting project outline should contain is details about the kind of characters you want in the story.
Every story is different and every character has a certain level of depth because you do not want side characters to have too much detail and you do not want the primary characters to lack depth.
That is why this is the ideal moment to specify the kind of vision and aspiration you have regarding the characters.
For example, if your story is about a childhood friendship between three friends then you should mention that and specify to your writer that the primary three characters are the three friends. They should have the best kind of detail when it comes to character creation.
Express Your Narration Style
After you have mentioned the project specifics in the form of the characters and the setting as well as the themes and everything else, it is time to talk about the narration.
Mentioning the kind of narration you want is very important because without mentioning narration specifics, the end result and your vision might not match.
That is why you should understand and do your own research regarding the kind of narration you need.
There are different kinds of narration to choose from because you can choose from options like first-person narration which is a very popular style of narration when it comes to genres like autobiographies.
You can also choose third-person omniscient narration.
Writing with the kind of narration you want is important, you can also mention the pace of the narration and the pace of the story.
Additionally, you should also mention the tone of the content whether you want the tone to be conversational or formal
Mention Project Specifics
And finally, we come to the project specifics because this is going to cement the idea of your vision into the minds of the ghostwriter.
This is when you specify exactly what you want for the project and this includes things like the length of the manuscript to the completion timeline of the project.
You can be as specific as you want and you can even specify things like collaboration and the kind of project updates you might need and you can specify other important things like project budget etc.
You should mention every kind of detail you want regarding the vision of your project in this section of the outline.
When it comes to the outline for the project, this is also the section where you need to mention examples of similar projects that will help the ghostwriter understand the kind of project they are working on.
If your project is about an essay then you should attach examples and if it is a novel then you should mention similar novels and the names of those novels as well as links on how to get those novels.
The most important thing you need to understand about the outline of the ghostwriting project is that the more detailed you are in specifying your needs in the outline, the better results you can expect from the ghostwriter.
However, if you are dealing with a professional then you do not need to create an outline most of the time because the writer is going to send you an outline.
And if you are someone who simply does not have the time to create a physical outline then all you need to do is to simply record all the specifics within a voice note and send it to the ghostwriter.
If that is not possible then you should get on a video conference with them and simply explain to them your needs.
It is very important to have a conversation regarding the outline with your writer because if you do not specify things right before the start of the project then it will lead to misunderstandings later on.
We hope this blog has been helpful for you in understanding everything related to creating an outline for a ghostwriter.
And if you are in need of the finest ghostwriters in the industry and you feel like creating an outline is too much of a hassle then you do not need to worry.
We are Ghostwriting India and we send out our very own detailed outline form so that you can specify all your needs in that outline as we take the initiative to understand your vision exactly as you want it to be.
We welcome you to visit our website and check out everything we do related to ghostwriting.
