Ghostwriting
How does it work? And what does it cost?
The Process
Ghostwriting is an accepted part of the publishing process.
There are so many people who have important messages to get out into the world, yet don't have the time (or writing credentials) to write a whole entire manuscript themselves. Frankly, even if they did, as successful people, their time is so much better spent focusing on doing what they do best - on what has made them successful.
Consumers and the publishing industry alike know this.
Essentially, ghostwriting helps people who are too busy to write a book get their much-needed messages out into the world.
That's why so many successful business people and celebrities use ghostwriters, as it takes a professional proficient author 4-6 months full-time to write a good book, whereas it would take them far longer and eat into their precious time. Everyone knows how busy successful people are, so it's deemed as acceptable when ghostwriters have been used.
The ghostwriter is there to help craft a book that is the absolute best it can be within a shorter timescale than you would be able to write a book yourself. And that's it.
The result is that:
- your book hits the shelves sooner than it would have and, (if you hire a good ghostwriter with strong credentials)
- your book is well-written and significantly compelling so that many people want to buy it (and, crucially, tell others all about it).
Hiring a ghostwriter enables you to get a better book into the marketplace sooner and frees you up to focus on doing what you do best.
Ultimately, success in business and in life is frequently about plugging the gaps in your own knowledge and skills base and uncovering a network of people who can help you to achieve your goals. Ultimately, it's about effective collaboration.
As such, people hire ghostwriters either because they don't have the necessary skills to write a book of their own, or they are well seasoned in the art of writing, yet they don't have the necessary time or inclination to write an entire manuscript.
That's where I come in.
My job is to translate the expertise of my clients into a book that they can be proud of. I do this by combining interviews with the client with my own research, plus additional case studies and interviews, where necessary.
As well as enabling you to become recognized as an authority in your field of expertise, a book can become one of your best lead generating tools. For some, the motivation for authoring a book comes from the wish to contribute their ideas to the wider world and leave a legacy. Others use a book to gain or sustain credibility and promote their business.
The Cost
From 200 words written in an afternoon to 100,000 words in eight months, ever project and its value is unique. I generally work on a fixed fee basis, based on the nature and size of the book, your own profile and whether the job is speculative or has been commissioned by a publisher.
My fixed fees are charged in line with the NUJ (National Union of Journalists) recommended fees structure and based on proposed word count.
The books I write are generally between 70,000 to 80,000 words in length (between 200 and 240 pages.) Pocket size guides of 150 pages amount to around 40,000 words.
Fixed fees are split into three payments with the first payment payable on project go-ahead, the second payment payable halfway through the book writing process and the final payment on completion of the manuscript. I ask for an up front payment because your project may be speculative without a publishing deal in place i.e. there may be a good deal of work required to create a significant proposal and sample material to send to publishers.
Ultimately, we both need to be confident of the book's success. The fees I suggest will be fair based on a number of factors, decided on a per-project basis. Please do get in touch via the links below if you'd like to discuss your project in more detail.
© 2016