Each week, while researching freelance job listings to feature in WritersWeekly, I see “employment ads” from folks who have a “great book idea,” but don’t want to write the book themselves. Some of them offer an hourly rate (that’s fair, as long as the rate is respectable), while others offer promises of future fame, glory, and a small percentage of the royalties.

There are more than a million books published each year now and, for each of those, there are a few million more book ideas floating around in folks’ heads. I have published 13 of my own books and I have a running list of book ideas that contains thousands of additional titles I’d love to publish. Unfortunately, I will never find the time to write them all.

If I did hire a ghostwriter or a co-author, I would NEVER insult them by only offering them a percentage of future royalties. One recent ad I noticed wanted the writer to not only write and edit the novel, but also to land a publishing contract. The offer? A lousy 15% of future royalties. So, the idea-maker (who wanted to be listed as the “author” on the book) wanted 85% simply for coming up with the idea for the book. They only wanted to share a pitiful 15% with the person who would be doing ALL the work. Insulting!

The way some of these “employment ads” are written makes it appear these “employers” are narcissists who value their idea so much that they think people are going to be lining up for the chance to, in most cases, end up earning no money at all.

If you are tempted to ghostwrite or co-author a book with someone whose idea will be used, demand a fair hourly rate AND 15% (or more) of future proceeds. Do not do the project for a flat fee. Why? Read about that HERE.

Some elderly folks say they don’t have enough money, and need their life story written before they die. Unscrupulous people may lie about their finances in order to convince you to do the work now, and “get paid later.” If you’re a soft-hearted/sensitive individual, it may be tempting to assist them. But, remember, you’re freelance writing business is not a charity and your chances of earning back your investment on these types of projects are nil to none.

Got questions about Print On Demand and Self-publishing? Ask Angela Hoy.

About The Author

Angela Hoy is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the author of 19 books, and the co-owner of BookLocker.com (one of the original POD publishers that still gets books to market in less than a month), PubPreppers.com (print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish), and Abuzz Press (the publishing co-op that charges no setup fees).

Angela has lived and traveled across the U.S. with her kids in an RV, settled in a river-side home in Bradenton, FL, and lived on a 52 ft Irwin sailboat. Angela now resides on a mountaintop in Northwest Georgia, where she plans to spend the rest of her days bird watching, gardening, hiking, and taking in all of the amazing sunrises.

WritersWeekly.com - the free marketing ezine for writers, which features new paying markets and freelance job listings every Wednesday.

BookLocker.com - According to attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print, BookLocker is: "As close to perfection as you're going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I've ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and have put together a package that is the best in the business. You can't go wrong here. Plus, they're selective and won't publish any manuscript just because it's accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors' books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know."

Abuzz Press offers FAST and FREE book publication, but only accepts a small percentage of submissions, and only works with U.S. authors.

PubPreppers.com - "We Prep, You Publish!" Print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish. Offers formatting and design services only, and then provides simple instructions for authors on where to sign up to have the print and ebook editions printed/listed/sold. Cut out the middle man. Keep 100% of what bookstores pay for your book!

Angela's POD Secrets Revealed Series can be found HERE.

Have a POD Book with another publisher? See if BookLocker can give you a better deal. (BookLocker offers "disgruntled author discounts" to those who want to move from other POD services.)

See BookLocker's publishing packages HERE.

ANGELA ON TWITTER https://twitter.com/AngelaHoy

BOOKLOCKER ON FACEBOOK - Provides links to free excerpts!
https://www.facebook.com/booklockerbooks

ANGELA ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/angela.hoy.750

ANGELA ON LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahoy/

Angela is the creator of the Original 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
https://24hourshortstorycontest.com/

Read More Of Angela's Articles HERE