March for The Arts Group

I'm excited to hire help for my stories, but I keep hearing horror stories about people getting scammed by fake ghostwriting services for stories. What are the most common scams I should watch out for when looking for a ghostwriter? Are there specific red flags, like demanding full payment upfront, refusing to sign contracts, or promising unrealistic turnaround times? How can I verify if ghostwriting services for stories are legitimate before I hand over my money and ideas? I'd also love to hear from anyone who's been targeted by a scam what happened, and how can others avoid the same fate? Please share your warnings and advice so first-time authors like me don't get taken advantage of.