Ghostwriting
your book, your way
Ghostwriting is a path to authorship in which the author hires a professional writer to craft the text for their book. It is a a collaborative creative process with excellent results.
Authors work with ghostwriters for drafting or revision for many excellent reasons. Many simply want to know that their book is in experienced hands and will be completed on a predictable schedule. Ghostwriting is a useful and expeditious way to get your book written.
A ghostwritten work is considered a work for hire. The author(s) retain full control and copyright of their manuscript. The ghostwriter’s name does not appear anywhere on a ghostwritten book. I provide a comprehensive nondisclosure agreement for my ghostwriting clients.
What Ghostwriting Includes:
1:1 consultation to determine if ghostwriting is right for you, and if I am the right ghostwriter for your project
1:1 strategy meeting to discuss your vision and goals for your book
content transfer: the Author provides the ghostwriter with all necessary materials for the ghostwriter to construct an outline and write your book. This might include writing you’ve done on the project, interviews you do with the ghostwriter, books and other materials the ghostwriter will read, and other ways of getting the content of your book to the writer.
book plan and detailed outline
draft of the first chapter for review and refinement of tone, approach, etc.
completed manuscript draft
two rounds of revision
final manuscript delivery
What Ghostwriting Doesn’t Include: Ghostwriters are only responsible for writing the manuscript they are hired to write. They aren’t responsible for finding agents or publishers for those books. Authors — regardless of whether they use ghostwriters or not — are fully responsible for those aspects of the publishing process.
How Much Does Ghostwriting Cost?
A good ghostwriter will not be cheap and a cheap ghostwriter will not be good. Experienced, high-quality ghostwriters who create effective, memorable, and publishable manuscripts charge accordingly. Quality ghostwriters will not use AI tools in writing your book, and the manuscript will be 100% original content that you can be proud of.
Depending on the length, complexity, and nature of your project, a ghostwriter may charge $15,000-$50,000 for a nonfiction project. If a project must be completed quickly, a rush fee may be added. A resource you might want to consult in regard to possible rates for the project you have in mind is the Editorial Freelancers Association Rate Chart, which gives median rates for a variety of literary services including ghostwriting (2024, note that rates may have risen since this information was compiled).