A ghostwriter needs more than a topic and a deadline. They need to understand what the reader should gain, whose voice belongs on the page and which decisions remain yours. A useful brief makes those expectations visible before either person commits to a full manuscript.

This guide offers a practical planning method, not a contract or a promise of a publishing outcome. In PocketAuthor, you can prepare an invite-only request linked to a book. Saving it does not hire someone, process payment or grant access to your manuscript.

Start with the reader, not the word count

Write one sentence identifying the intended reader and the problem your book helps them understand. Then describe its boundaries. A memoir about rebuilding a business is different from a handbook teaching every aspect of entrepreneurship, even if both draw on the same interviews.

An unclear brief says: “Write my story and make it inspiring.” A more useful version says: “Help first-time shop owners understand three decisions I made during a difficult expansion, using my recorded interviews and financial records that I approve for sharing.” The second version creates questions the writer can answer without inventing your experience.

Inventory the material you can share

• List interviews, notes, existing chapters and reference material.
• Identify a short writing sample that sounds like you.
• Separate factual sources from recollections that need checking.
• Flag confidential stories and material requiring another person's permission.
• Describe missing material and who will gather it.

Begin with a limited sample. Do not upload private customer records merely because they might contain useful anecdotes. Agree what the writer needs and how sensitive information will be handled before widening access.

Define a small first milestone

A staged brief could ask for an outline, a sample chapter and a review conversation before planning the remaining chapters. Specify the expected deliverable for each stage, who approves it and what happens when the direction changes. These are suggested planning steps, not compulsory industry terms.

For example, an outline might need chapter purposes and interview gaps, while a sample chapter might need comments explaining where evidence is still missing. Distinguishing those outputs makes approval more useful than simply asking whether the draft “feels right.”

Separate scope, money and rights

Record the proposed fee range and currency, interview responsibilities, revision rounds and delivery schedule. Credit, ownership, confidentiality and reuse of material require their own discussion. A blank or zero budget is unresolved compensation, not permission to assume free work.

The Editorial Freelancers Association provides a professional directory and a separate job-list service. Its hiring guidance explains those routes and asks job-list clients to supply a rate or range. Use that guidance as a useful comparison when preparing a clear request; it is not evidence that every freelancer follows identical terms.

Put the brief beside the book

Open PocketAuthor's ghostwriting request workflow, choose your project and insert the role-specific prompts. Replace every prompt with your own details before saving. You can also read the ghostwriter role guide to distinguish writing responsibilities from editing and publishing decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a finished manuscript first?

Not necessarily. Your brief can describe interviews and an outline rather than a finished draft. Be explicit about how much development and research you expect the writer to perform.

Does saving a request send my manuscript to professionals?

No. Saving records the brief against your book. Invitations and manuscript permissions are separate decisions, and public gig posting is not available yet.

Can a ghostwriter guarantee a publishing deal?

Do not treat a writing engagement as a publishing guarantee. Define the work you can review: interviews, outlines, drafts and agreed revisions.