1. Set up your expectations. The first thing that you need to do is to list down all the things that you expect to get from this endeavor. How many articles do you expect to get per day or per week? What will be their keyword density? Of course, you would want to get articles that are of high quality and very interesting to read and engaging. Knowing what you expect early on can help you plan ahead of time. For example, if you need 100 articles per week, you will need to seriously consider hiring more than one ghostwriter.

2. Go to freelancing sites. Personally, I find these sites more reliable compare to those sites that are directly being run by the ghostwriters. Why? Freelancing sites allow their buyers to leave feedback for their service providers so you can make well-informed decision when choosing the best candidate. Plus, they offer escrow service so you can be assured that your ghostwriter will not run away with your money. Go with freelancing sites that have already built a good reputation in the online arena and those that charge minimum commission per project.

3. Post a detailed project description. Take all the time you need when creating your project on freelancing sites. Make sure that you give all the details that service providers need to know before they place their bid. Tell them how many articles you need, your required word count and keyword density, the required amount of research, your preferred writing format and tone, etc. Be very detailed so you’ll get exactly what you’re looking for.

4. Review all the bids. Take time when reviewing the bids that you receive and determine the best offer that you can get. Of course, you would like to go with the ghostwriter who have proven track of record and who charge fairly. Short list at least 3 candidates that you think might have what it takes to address your writing needs.

5. Verify skills. Ask your potential service providers to write a sample article for you. It’s best if you ask them to write the topics of your choice so you can gauge the depth of their knowledge in your chosen niche. This will also give you an idea about their writing skills. You would want to hire that person who has high level writing skills, who understand your chosen niche inside out, and who charge no more than $8/article.

6. Communicate with your service provider. Encourage your ghostwriter to email or call you up should he has questions or if he needs to clarify something. Also, it will help if you ask him to send the first couple of articles as he finish writing them just to make sure that he’s on the right track.

Sean Mize teaches coaches, consultants, and small business owners how to package their knowledge and sell it at a high price.