Need advise: Crediting a ghostwriter as a co-author

Thank you Frank. I have not discussed it with a ghostwriter. I clearly stated that no credit goes to the ghostwriter after completed job. She agreed.

So far, the monetary bonus would be the best one. Let's wait for more opinions.

I've got an idea to credit my ghostwriter by mention her as a collaborator after reading an article about ghostwriting in Huffington post.

I want to clarify that I always gave excellent reviews to deserving writers on Elance. If they did an excellent job I gave them 5 stars and wrote up a 1-2 paragragh review praising them and pointing out their strengths. Since I only hired new writers, this helped them immensely. I also had them doing the smallest projects possible so I could test their work and train them to do things the way I wanted them done. This resulted in them getting even more excellent reviews, if they deserved it.

My point is that once that's been done, it's over. You're under no obligation to promote their services on products or articles they've written.

Regarding bonuses, yes, if a project is well written, is delivered in a timely manner, etc then if the buyer "feels like" offering a bonus, or if they can afford it, by all means, do so.

On the other hand, if a buyer is just getting started in business or is just getting started on a new project where they have no idea of the outcome and need to watch their budget, I don't see the need to give a bonus. An agreement was in place for a certain amount of payment and that should be honored by both parties. If the work becomes profitable, then the first thing I'd do is offer more work. If it continued to be profitable, then I'd begin to offer bonuses.

The buyer needs to get as much work done as possible while working on a budget. Many buyers have no idea whether the project will be successful or not. There's no way that they can until it's tested. Product reviews, ebooks, etc have to have to be tested to see if they convert into profit streams. In the meantime, the buyer needs to get these things written for as little as possible, but still maintain quality. It's just part of doing business.

That being said, always give the writer their due. If they've worked for me before and do great work consistently then of course they'll receive more money over time, but to just give away money because writers think it's good ettiquette isn't a good enough reason. It doesn't make sense from a business standpoint.

There are two different mindsets going on here. This argument has been made multiple times in the past and everyone is going to have their own opinion. You just have to agree to disagree.

Hi Kay,

I think you misunderstood me. I didn't say I was going to leave the ghostwriter without a feedback on a freelance website. Sure I will write a glowing review. She deserves all five stars.

When I said I would not recommend her to anyone, that meant that if someone would ask me to share contacts of a good ghostwriter, I would keep silence. I have a reason for that. I've been waiting for another writer to become available for two month when I decided to post my job on Elance. Everyone who tried to find a good ghostwriter, especially for the very first project and being on a tight budget, knows how difficult it is.