Types of Content

Usually your content needs will extend to articles for websites or blog posts for blogs. The basic difference is the length but the concept is the same. but, sometimes, you may need the occasional press release, special report or email templates.

1. Press Release – A press release is a self-promotional tool that highlights a new product you are introducing, a new website or even a new program.
2. Special Report – This is a short report of 5-10 pages that focuses on one subject. There is an introduction, body and conclusion.
3. Email Templates – This is a tool that can be provided to members of your affiliate program to use for email marketing your product. All an affiliate has to do is plug in their name and website.

Terminology for Ghostwriters

1. Voice – This pertains to how you want the article to sound. Some choices are: instructive, relaxed, informational or humorous.
2. Point of View – This is the article’s perspective in relation to the subject matter. It can be written with the audience as the focus by using “you” “we” and “us” as the subject. If the article is to sound as if it was written by the client, you can use “I” and “me.”
3. Sub-headlines – They divide the article into smaller sections. You have your title, or headline, but sub-headlines are used when you talk about a new aspect of your subject.
4. Bullet Points – Instead of listing things with commas in one sentence, use bullets to separate important facts for easier viewing.
5. Transitioning – This is the process of going from one paragraph to another smoothly. The last sentence of one paragraph logically leads to the first sentence of the next. Transitioning words include “next” “secondly” “then” and “also.”
6. Rewrite – This is the process of taking one article and writing it again in a different way to create another unique article. There are a couple of techniques that can be used for rewriting.
7. Target Audience – Who you are writing the article for. Knowing this helps with capturing the voice and choosing point of view for the article.

8. Keyword Articles – Highlighting a specific word or phrase in an article that search engines can use to rank the article among others of its type. Most search engines look for a keyword density of 1-3%.
9. Keyword Density – This refers to how many times a specifically highlighted word appears in an article of known word length.

These are only a few of the terms you can use to communicate your needs to your ghostwriter. Start here and add to your glossary as you move along.

When it comes to your business, there is no such thing as being too “Type A” in my opinion. No matter what work gets delegated to others, ultimately you are the one who must answer to the client at the end of the day.

To cover yourself and your ghostwriter, lay out a set of general guidelines for them to follow when working on your projects. Include such topics as:

• How to give credit to sources (“According to the Harvard Research Study in 1991…”)
• Using statistics (“7 out of 10 moms…” can be written as “70% of moms…”)
• Using general knowledge information (No need to cite, but use synonyms to say the same thing in a different way)

Hopefully you will never encounter people who purposely steal another’s property for their gain. Much of the time, plagiarism is simply an oversight or a rookie mistake. Shifting around a few words in a sentence will not cut it. That won’t really change your piece enough to say that it is different from the original.

It reminds me of reading comprehension in school. You read and re-read for understanding. Afterwards, you can intelligently write an article in your own words, or at least your ghostwriter can. Those same areas mentioned above for your general guidelines are also the ones that will send up “red flags” for you when reviewing your ghostwriter’s work.

How to Check for Plagiarism

Use an online tool. There is always an online tool for just about anything you want to do. Here are a few places to check out:

• Copyscape (www.copyscape.com)
• Article Checker (www.articlechecker.com)

Copyscape charges a nominal fee for a certain number of searches. Once you get to know your ghostwriter and they get to know what you expect, you may not need to do this at all. As for Article Checker, the service is free. You have space to check a couple thousand words of text which is more than enough for most standard website content.

Here’s how it works. You can copy and paste a selected text into the box provided. The program then checks the work against other sites, looking for verbatim phrases and such. For Copyscape, you will have to sign up first, but that won’t take long and is okay especially if you plan on using it more than once.

Plagiarism is a serious issue today especially with so many content producers on the Internet looking to stand out from the crowd. When working with ghostwriters, especially new ones, checking their work periodically can avoid legal situations.

Why Rewrite Articles?

People rewrite articles for different reasons:

• Purchased PLR articles
• Submission of articles to article directories
• Need blog posts

Regardless of the reason, rewriting articles is the quickest way to produce more content in less time. With PLR, you are paying a low price for article packets on different subjects. Now, you have a stockpile of articles to work with and none of them were written by you.

Article directories assist you with article marketing for your business. Posting your work in different places where it is likely to be seen can increase the traffic to your website.

Many businesses now have blogs to accompany their websites. You can interact with your customers and hear feedback from them in a separate setting. Tweaking the articles that you post on your website can give you new content to work here.

Tips for Rewriting Articles

Use a ghostwriter to rewrite the articles. You probably don’t have the time. Choose someone who has experience rewriting content for websites and blogs.

If you have purchased PLR articles, you will want to rewrite them. The chances are great that someone else is also using that same article packet and has not taken the time to rewrite them. The “let it ride” approach can hinder your rankings with the search engines.

Instead try these ideas:

• Go paragraph by paragraph. This way you keep the essence of the original article. For article software that “spins” new articles, usually the same number of paragraphs are needed and there may be word count requirements.
• Use synonyms. The words that we seem to have the most trouble with are the verbs. Using the same action words but different nouns keeps your content too similar to the original.
• Avoid simply rearranging the sentences in each paragraph. If you are doing more than one rewrite off of each article, you will run out of options in a 3 or 4 sentence paragraph. Read and then interpret what is there in a new way.

Rewriting articles is one way to get the content you need for your purposes. In most cases, even then you don’t have time to do it yourself. Give your ghostwriter the helpful tips above and let them handle this project.

No, this is not a setup for one of those “Fear Factor” scenes. It is real life and your business. Despite your best efforts, people will prove to be unreliable at times, i.e. your ghostwriter.

In the business realm, you have probably experienced this once or twice. When I first began seeking publication for some of my fiction stories I got “had” at least once or twice. But, I digress, so back to the subject of the disappearing ghostwriter. The one thing that you don’t want to do is panic.

Damage Control

Hopefully, you didn’t wait too terribly long before you realized that your ghostwriter was in the wind. One of the best things to do is give your ghostwriter a shorter deadline than needed to give yourself a few days to mull over their work. When this deadline is missed, you still have a few days to come up with Plan B. Just like in the movies, there always needs to be a Plan B.

First, contact your client with an update. Simply tell them that you may need a couple of extra days and ask if that’s okay. When they have hard and fast deadlines, you may not be able to extend it out. But, it never hurts to ask.

If you are new to ghostwriting services, it is wise to have at least two of them even if you need only one. This gives you a chance to critique their work and see who’ll better suit your needs. Call on that other ghostwriter to handle the project that is most critical and then the others.

From This Point On…

You have just learned another valuable business lesson. Like the others, it was probably no fun. Now it’s time to prevent this trouble from happening again. I’m not talking about giving up ghostwriters, but changing your tack.

1. Hire a ghostwriting service-The advantage of a service is the stable of writers (sorry for the horse comparison). When one drops out, there are others to take up the slack so your work is still delivered on time. A good example is allcustomcontent.com.
2. Assign projects to two writers-This goes along with having a spare (tire analogy this time). That person is familiar with the project and can sweep in and finish the work remaining work.
3. Ask for project confirmation-I’ve mentioned this one before. If a writer doesn’t confirm within 24-48 hours that they received the project post or email, assign it to another ghostwriter.

Ideally, you want to build a solid relationship with your ghostwriter. Sometimes, things happen, but you can turn it around as a point in your favor.

Before we go any further, first things first. If you are not the kind of person who has a head for grammar and the like, it would be a wise idea to have a proofreader/editor on your payroll. They can be added to Basecamp just like the writers. Giving them access to each project allows them to go ahead and do their thing right away. They can forward the finished product on to you for final approval.

For the rest of us who have at least written content before, here are a couple of tips if you want to give editing the old college try.

1. Provide your ghostwriter with a set of guidelines for your content.This will make like easier for you in the long run. include information like: formatting requirements (spacing, font, and etc.), grammar rules to follow (such as AP Stylebook) and what type of document to use for delivery (Word, plain text).

2. Ask them to do a self-edit first.It usually goes without saying for professional writers, but you will get some newbies. Don’t be afraid to offer them a chance because everyone needs someplace to begin. Simply using spell checker eliminates most of the simple grammatical errors that will drive you crazy.

Beyond the basics of grammar, there are other editing errors that can become a point of contention if you let it. Remember that this is a business relationship and one thing that keeps businesses strong is communication.

Here are a few issues that would need to be addressed right away:

• The “voice” is not being captured consistently
• No command of the subject matter
• Unfocused content
• Client instructions not being followed to the letter

Each of these situations is even more important than the grammar piece. You can use spell checker if you have to, but to correct the above examples, you’d have to rewrite the content and that is what you are paying the ghostwriter to do.

Solutions at Hand

You didn’t think I would leave you holding this hornet’s nest did you? There are ways to handle each one, but you will need a professional attitude to do so.

1. Whenever you assign a project, have the ghostwriter turn the work in three to four days before the due date. This allows time for them to revise their work if they need to without blowing your deadlines.

2. Tell the writer specifically what is wrong with their work. They are professionals and they can take it. If they didn’t follow directions, tell them that and ask that they reread the information.

3. Ask clients for samples that demonstrate what they want. Samples are guidelines that you can pass on to the writers. Most clients will be happy to help if it means getting their work done correctly the first time.

Editing is necessary if you want your clients to receive the clean, composed work that you desire to be known for. To that end, addressing editing issues with your ghostwriter  in the beginning, makes the job easier for you.