If you need a complete manuscript in order to publish it yourself, price range is even more extreme. Experienced ghostwriters typically charge between $7500 and $75,000 to write a book. But again, a freelance writer may charge you less, typically $3000 to $5000, in order to publish her first book. And I have had talented students offer to write entire books as a college internship, for as little as $500.

Where To Find Ghostwriters

For more established ghostwriters, try:

The American Society of Journalists and Authors — This is nation's leading organization of over a thousand independent nonfiction writers. They have a Writer Referral Service at (212) 398-1934, fax (973) 257-1851, or mailto:writers@asja.org. They charge $75 to $150 to help you find a writer, depending on how much they help with your search.

The Editorial Freelancers Association — They are a national, nonprofit, professional organization of self-employed workers in publishing and communications industries. EFA has a job board where you can post your need for a ghostwriter at http://www.the-efa.org/forms/jobphoneform.html

The Authors Team http://www.AuthorsTeam.com - Has experienced writers who have written about every topic imaginable. Some have ghosted for bestselling authors, others have worked for Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur and L. A. Times. For more information, call 866-7-AUTHOR.

To find inexpensive freelance writers, try http://www.writersmarket.com. A subscription costs $3 per month. Look up magazines in your state, call editors, and ask them for recommendations.

Or you can post a free ad in ezine WritersWeekly.com. You can also search for writers on http://www.elance.com, http://www.moonlightmedia.com, and http://www.writerfind.com.

If your budget is better suited to hiring a college student, call English or Creative Writing department of your local university. Ask administrator to send an e-mail to students in her department about your need for a ghostwriter. You can also try students who write for their college newspapers. There is a comprehensive web site that lists most college newspapers at: http://newsdirectory.com/college/press/

With a little effort, you can find a ghostwriter who will work within your budget. Make sure you check references, especially if you plan on having her come into your home. Put together a contract that includes how much you will pay, whether you will offer royalties, and how ghostwriter will be credited. Make sure you include a sentence that says that you will be exclusive owner of copyright for your work. It’s a good idea to have a lawyer check over your contract before you sign it.

For more information, read Write a Book Without Lifting a Finger, available at http://www.writeabooktoday.com. For a free ezine with tips on how to find an agent, get published, publish your own book and get publicity for it, go to http://www.AuthorsTeam.com.

The next few years of Ted's life have since become subject of much biographical speculation. However, simple facts are that he and Plath had two children and moved to Devon in 1961. Their marriage began to disintegrate shortly thereafter and Hughes started an affair with Assia Wevill. He split from Plath and she committed suicide in her London flat in 1963. In 1969 Wevill also killed herself and their child. He married Carol Orchard in 1970 and spent rest of his life trying to protect his and Plath's children from media. Hughes published only children's poetry and prose in years following death of his first wife.

His next major work was “Wodwo” (1967), which took its title from a character in medieval romance “Sir Gawain and Green Knight”, and highlighted his increasing interest in mythology. He travelled to Iran in 1971, where he wrote verse/drama “Orghast” in an invented language. Some of his other collections include “Crow” (1970), “Cave Birds” (1975), “Season Songs” (1976), “Gaudete” (a long poem on fertility rites, 1977), “Moortown” (1979), “Remains of Elmet” (1979) and “River” (1983). Hughes was also one of originators of Arvon Foundation and was awarded an OBE in 1977. In 1984 he was appointed Poet Laureate and went on to publish “Rain-Charm for Duchy and other Laureate Poems” (1992). Then in 1995 he composed a poem about Elizabeth, Queen Mother, for her 95th birthday, likening her to a six-rooted tree. He also wrote many reviews and essays, some of which were collected in “Shakespeare and Goddess of Complete Being” (1992), “A Dancer to God: Tribute to T.S. Eliot” (1992) and “Winter Pollen: Occasional Prose” (1994). In addition to all this he also wrote many wonderful plays and books for children, including his remarkable fantasy “The Iron Man”. And when, just months before his death, Hughes released “Birthday Letters”, a collection of poems about his life with Sylvia Plath, it became an immediate bestseller throughout English speaking world and was widely praised for its searing honesty.

Ted Hughes died of cancer on 28th October 1998, having just been appointed to Order of Merit. Andrew Motion followed him as Britain's Poet Laureate.