The person who wants to write a book, but whose writing skills are, uhh, challenged, has a dilemma. How to choose a great writer before spending thousands of dollars? A solution is: Run a test. Here's what I suggest....

That prospective client's poor storytelling skills presents an interesting opportunity. Write a story, say, 500 to 1,500 words. Any story will do. The worse it is, the more valuable it is as a comparative tool. A poorly written story increases the challenge for the writer.

You will need to pay for this service. It won't be much, compared to the cost of writing a book. Send your story to ghostwriters of interest. Ask them to edit or rewrite to effectively and clearly tell your story.

Send your story to a few ghostwriters. Then sit back and wait.

When the writers send the finished work, compare your original story to theirs. You'll be able to easily evaluate the quality of their storytelling skills. Choose the one whose work you like best. Then all that remains is to discuss writing the book, price, terms, the non-disclosure agreement, revisions, and sign the contract. Easy-peasy.

Why bother with this process instead of just hiring based on a writer's educational claims or assertions about literary accomplishments? Ignore claims. You're risking a lot of money. Run this test and avoid a disaster.

Best wishes and good luck with your ghostwriter evaluations.