United Arab Emirates, with its multicultural environment, strong publishing industry and high demand for quality content, is the best place to find yourself a ghostwriter. However, before you pick one, ensure that he or she understands your vision and is capable of capturing it with originality and attention to detail.

Let alone a fresher reader of the literary industry, not even professional and experienced authors know how to choose the right ghostwriting talent in the UAE. So, here is a guide for everyone who needs tips on hiring a wordsmith.

In this blog, we will also be discussing how to establish clear contracts and maintain good communication. Are you ready? Let's have a chat about the search you are about to begin.

Choosing the Finest Ghostwriter of the UAE

First things first, to pick the finest talent from the market, you need to know the qualities of an ideal co-author. Being aware of them will help you make an informed decision, and you will end up finding the perfect match for your projects, such as Wikipedia page creation or novel writing. So, an expert wordsmith must be:

• A good listener to acknowledge your ideas and understand your vision clearly
• A writer strong enough to compel and engage the reader without losing the original essence
• Collaborative in terms of openness to discussions and feedback
• Sufficiently professional to adhere to deadlines, without reminders, on their own
• Detail-oriented enough to pay attention to tiny details and ensure accuracy with quality
• Trustworthy so that you can trust him with handling your ideas with confidentiality
• Passionate, genuinely interested and excited to work on your project

Six Steps to Find and Hire an Emirati Co-Writer

Define Your Needs

The foremost thing to do in this journey is to be unambiguous about what your goals are and what you expect from the co-writer. You may ask yourself questions like –

• What are my deadlines and budget for the book?
• What tone and style am I looking forward to delivering?
• How involved do I want to be in the writing process?
• What specific skills or expertise do I need in a ghostwriter?

Answering these questions will help you know your needs and find a suitable person for them. For example, if your script is about a historical event in UAE, then you will want the writer to have expertise in the region's culture.

Research & Identify

Step two is to look for potential service providers around you through various methods. The primary and quickest way can be through the online platforms through Instagram posts, Facebook ads and tweets on the X app. Other than that, you could go for local literary agencies or the Emirati writing communities.

Furthermore, you can also look for the right candidate by attending literary fests and workshops that take place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Such meet and greets are beneficial for creating powerful connections and networking. Imagine meeting a person who refers you, an ideal match for your novel genre.

Evaluate Portfolios

By now, you will have found at least or more than one potential writer to work with. Hence, it is time for you to start reviewing the portfolios carefully. Out of all the choices that you have, you need to pick only a few. Then, after you have shortlisted everything, look at their former work to get a rough idea of what they have been doing in their career so far.

In those efforts of the potential co-author, you can find enough clues to determine if he or she matches your style, such as the writing tone, the creativity, the complexity, the passion and ability to convey ideas clearly. Moreover, reviewing the work will also reveal if they will be genuinely interested in your vision.

Conduct interviews

Enough of the stalking; you should now directly communicate with the ghostwriter and tell him that –

'Hi [ghostwriter's name], I have been following you for quite some time now, and I should inform you that I am impressed. Hence, I would love to discuss how we can collaborate on my new book idea. Can we set up a time to discuss your ebook ghostwriting services and explore philosophies together?

As soon as the writer reads your message, they will connect to you (if they want to), and you get the prime chance to talk and dig into things like their writing process and compatibility.

Check References

After you have asked them several open-ended questions and gauged their enthusiasm for your book, you must be at least 80% sure about your final decision. The rest of the twenty per cent confirmation will also settle in once you run a background check on them. Of course, why not? You need to know if whatever they claimed is factual or just an exaggeration.

You must not skip this step of verifying their achievements, as the results of this research will leave you with the confidence to hire or reject the potential co-author. So, go talk to their former clients, and colleagues (if any) to ask for honest feedback on the candidate's professionalism, reliability and work quality.

Negotiate Terms

Lastly, with all the valuable insight that you possess as a result of an in-depth investigation of the candidate, it is time that you announce your decision. Tell them that you are sure of hiring them and then have a detailed discussion about mutually agreed terms and conditions.

The conversation should include topics like the book's theme, deadline, payment structure and ownership rights. However, once the discussion is over, you need to make sure that everything is inked and signed by both parties adhering to lawful enforcement.

Questions You Were Too Shy to Ask

Q. Do ghostwriters write the whole book?

Yes, sometimes they do write the entire book, but it generally depends on the client's ideas and outline. So, if the client wants, they might use the services as a co-author, too.

Q. How much do they charge for a script?

Writers based in the United Arab Emirates typically charge between AED 10,000 to 50,000 for a script. The price varies due to factors like complexity, length and writer's experience, so it is best to discuss beforehand.

Q. What are the signs that help you spot if a book is co-written?

You can barely spot a difference between a ghostwritten and the original author's work. They are too good at doing it. However, rare clues such as stylistic inconsistencies can give you a little hint. 

Q. Can a ghostwriter steal my story?

Most probably not as reputable co-writers work under strict contracts to ensure that confidentiality is not compromised. So, look for and hire only professional, credible writers and use legal agreements to protect your intellectual property.

Wrapping Up the Ghostwriter Finding Guide

When you decide to choose a ghostwriter in the UAE, it is important to find someone with both – experience in your book's genre and strong writing skills.

Initially, you can start by reviewing their previous works and reading their client reviews. This will help you find the right guy that matches your required level of proficiency. Then, after having a conversation when you are sure that a writer is suitable for your project, you can both discuss the legal matters. Other than that, talk about project details, your copyrights and the mutually agreed clauses of the contract.