Finding a Ghost Writer

[la321]

what about writers that you have to hire do they get paid upfront or do they get paid out of the deal?

[thothguard51]

Writers are generally paid in advance...

[ralf58]

If you're not the writer, what is your role? Are you supplying an idea?

This really, really sounds like a scam. My husband is an independent film producer and script writer, and I can tell you that this is NOT how the industry works.

[la321]

its something that happened to me i was tortured and abused in school and i want people to know about it it's my idea and it happened to me i'm not a writer i need someone to help make the movie for me

[la321]

Are there any agencies that have writers?

[Theo81]

You'd probably be better off asking that question in the script and screenwriting segment.

You can't sell an idea for a book to a literary agent, but I honestly don't know if it's possible to sell a treatment without an accompanying script.

To be honest, although I'm sure what you went through was terrible and would make a "good" story, I suspect you'll find it very difficult to sell it as an idea. You've got the same problems as somebody querying a memoir has - unless you are somebody interesting or important, people don't really care.

Unless you have the money to pay somebody to write this for you (which will cost a lot), you will need to learn to write it yourself. Ideas are ten a penny - it's the execution which makes it worthwhile.

[la321]

I talked to another person from talent source he said to hire a writer i would have to pay $20,000 to $100,000 but some writers i could make a deal with they can take $50,000 now and $50,000 after it's sold

[victoriastrauss]

Even assuming you found a highly qualified writer (which might not be so easy; there are plenty of scams and charlatans out there), this would be an extremely expensive gamble, because there's no guarantee the script would ever sell.

Either way, you never pay your agency to provide such services for you. Agencies earn a percentage of what you are paid, on the theory that if their success is dependent on yours, they'll work harder to make a sale.

- Victoria

[la321]

i found talent source under the writers guild of america he was saying he represents existing written works to producers, studios and investors that are complete and ready to sell. if i want to hire a writer he could found a writer for me but it would cost money and asked if i would be willing to spend that much and it would cost that much to have a writer write a decent script i've seen people talk about talent source on here that they are a legit company

[victoriastrauss]

If you do decide to hire a writer, don't go through a third party--find the writer yourself and deal with him/her directly. With a third party, you can't be entirely sure there's not some sort of conflict of interest involved--for instance, the third party could be getting some kind of kickback.

I really think it's a bad idea to spend thousands of dollars to get someone to write a script--not just because of the possibility that you'll wind up dealing with a scammer or an incompetent, but because the odds against it selling--no matter how good it is--are huge. Book publishing is hard to break into, but the film world is far, far worse.

- Victoria

[la321]

i've been trying to find a writer i don't know where to start and i've been trying to get my story told as a book as well

[waylander]

Originally Posted by la321

its something that happened to me i was tortured and abused in school and i want people to know about it it's my idea and it happened to me i'm not a writer i need someone to help make the movie for me

It may be hugely important to you, but is this really going to make an interesting enough story that people will pay money for it?

[Theo81]

Originally Posted by la321

i've been trying to find a writer i don't know where to start and i've been trying to get my story told as a book as well

This thread is not the place to advise you on that - this thread is for information pertaining to the Bonnie Black Talent Agency.

If you have more general questions, it would be better to ask them in the appropriate sub forum.

As Victoria has said, hiring a ghost writer is very expensive and it is money you are unlikely to see back. It is also no guarantee of publication.

[la321]

i think i found me a writer just talked to her and victoria said it would be a bad idea to spend that much money on a writer and yes i do think it would be an interesting enough story because people have been telling me it is a good story once i told them the whole thing what happened and this is real what goes on in life in some school systems death is not something to play with

[Terie]

Originally Posted by la321

i think i found me a writer just talked to her and victoria said it would be a bad idea to spend that much money on a writer and yes i do think it would be an interesting enough story because people have been telling me it is a good story once i told them the whole thing what happened and this is real what goes on in life in some school systems death is not something to play with

(Please note that I am the co-ghostwriter of a miz-lit (misery literature) memoir that's done really well in both the UK and the international markets, so I have verifiable experience in this area.)

First of all, just because someone tells you your story is interesting (and I have no doubt that it really is) doesn't mean it's marketable. The miz-lit market is currently over-saturated and on a down-swing and extremely difficult to break in to. It can be done, but the story has to be remarkably extraordinary.

Have you done the research to know whether there is demand for stories like yours? (Again, demand is what publishers are looking for, not simply interesting.) How many miz-lit memoirs have you read? How many miz-lit memoirs in the subject area of bullying have you read? Do you have a compelling 'unique selling point' that makes your story stand head and shoulders above the bullying miz-lit memoirs that are already out there?

If you've done this research and know that you have something extraordinary and unique on your hands, you can proceed with great caution.

If you haven't done this research, you need to stop looking for a writer and start reading every miz-lit memoir you can get your hands on before going any further.

Please don't think I'm being dismissive of your life story. I'm sure you have very interesting things to say. But right now, we're talking about the business of selling a life story, which is very distinct from the living of a life story. It is often hard for memoirists to separate discussion of business from the discussion of life.

[la321]

Yes i have read stories of bullies they were bullied by students i wasn't these were teachers who tortured and abused kids they used restraint techniques on us and locked us in rooms that were smaller than a cell this didn't happen to other kids that were bullied in the school system because it would have been all over the news and they caused us to think of killing ourselves some did kill themselves in the other programs which is why i think it's different from what's out there and not many people know these programs exist and some of them telling us we would not succeed in life this program was for mental health which is why it doesn't get much attention so i know it will sell

[Mac H.]

Instead of a film - why not a blog?

It is within your budget (free) and is as simple as writing out individual stories from your life in very small, bite sized pieces.

It's probably the ideal medium for this.

Some blogs have even been made into successful films (eg: 'Julie & Julia') so even if you have your heart set on a film ultimately it might be a good thing to do.

I wish you the best,

Mac

[la321]

Is it alright to include real names when writing to tell what happened?

[victoriastrauss]

Unless it's a public figure, don't use real names without getting permission first (in writing). Otherwise, you run the risk of being sued if the person discovers what you've written.

- Victoria

[James D. Macdonald]

Preceding posts in this thread were moved from here.