What should i charge for ghostwriting

There are only about ghostwriters in the world who can command these prices. They usually work with Authors who have traditional publishing deals already lined up. Think famous actors, musicians, politicians, and people like that.

The most common way ghostwriters charge is a flat fee. The smartest ghostwriters will ask for their fees to be broken into installments. These ghostwriters will ask for a big chunk upfront, usually non-refundable. Some examples of common milestones include the delivery of:.

Most ghostwriters will set a maximum of either hours worked or word count for their flat fee, then charge a set rate for anything over that amount. This is widely practiced and a sign of an experienced ghostwriter. But you know what is a red flag? A ghostwriter who charges by the word for the whole book. Paying a ghostwriter a by-the-word fee creates the wrong kind of incentives. Your book could end up wordy, difficult to read, full of asides, boring, or all of the above.

Run as fast as you can from anyone that proposes these terms. In fact, we try to help clients write the shortest books possible, and this saves money on fees. There are also ghostwriters who charge by the hour. Most ghostwriters who insist on only charging by the hour are likely bad at estimating how long it will take to write your book.

Working at an hourly rate also creates the wrong incentives. The more hours they work, the more they get paid, which encourages them to take their time. While you can find a good ghostwriter who charges hourly, you should vet them very carefully before working with them. You have to understand that freelance writers take on significant risk. Because of that, they need some insurance to protect themselves in case the working relationship goes bad.

Upfront payment incentivizes the client to stay involved in the book writing process and protects the freelancer from financial trouble. Experience is key. In ghost writing, you really do get what you pay for. A ghostwriter with one, or several, bestsellers under their belts will naturally command a far higher fee than a newbie. A skilled and experienced ghost knows how to structure a plot, build characters and grip the reader from the very first page.

There is no guarantee that your book will be a bestseller if you pay more for an experienced ghost, but it will certainly lead to a very high quality book of the standard publishers would want and expect. Experience and quality are or at least should be everything in book writing.

It is virtually impossible to cut corners, do it on the cheap and still expect a readable book. There are other variables that will impact the price too. Poetry Prompts. Poetic Forms. Interviews With Poets. Why I Write Poetry. Poetry FAQs. Get Published. Build My Platform. Find a Fiction Agent. Find a Nonfiction Agent. Write My Query. Sell My Work. Business of Writing. Breaking In. Be Inspired. Writing Prompts. The Writer's Life. Writing Quotes. Vintage WD. From the Magazine.

Book writing is almost always charged per project. But getting a book out there involve other actions as well, many of which the ghostwriter can also get involved in. As such, writing a good ghostwriting quote entails taking the whole publishing process into account.

From writing to editing to submitting to publishers, here are important things to keep in mind when creating a ghostwriting quote for a book. These are all services you can offer in addition to writing the manuscript.

As the writer, you're probably the best person to introduce the book to publishers and readers. These extra tasks can be grouped into a packaged deal with a higher quote. If you do decide to include them in your freelance proposal , remember to break things down. You need contractual ways to mitigate this and save time and headaches. I always try to be as specific as possible in my contracts.