There is no definitive guide or set rules to ghostwriting. It depends on the ghost and the author how the relationship works and develops.
But, there are questions that most would-be authors would like to know the answer to before they start a conversation. These tend to be the ‘deal-breaker questions’, so let’s jump right in…
What is Ghostwriting?
On any given week, up to half of the books on any nonfiction bestseller list are written by someone other than the name on the book.
The New York Times
Ghostwriting is when you hire a professional ghostwriter to write a book on your behalf. Hiring a ghostwriter can be the perfect solution for authors who are time-poor or don’t enjoy writing.
Mainstream publishers also use ghostwriters to ensure the timely delivery of a quality manuscript. One of the challenges for publishers is that whilst an author may have a really great idea or enjoy a high profile that could translate into higher sales they might not be able to write or have the time to write to a production schedule. In this scenario, a ghostwriter is also a smart solution.
How Does Ghostwriting Work?
A ghost who has only a lay knowledge of the subject will be able to keep asking the same questions as the lay reader, and will therefore open up the potential readership of the book to a much wider audience.
Robert Harris
I work with you to understand your idea, topic, methodology or whatever it is you want to share in your book. This is usually achieved via recorded Zoom discussions where I can ask questions and seek to better understand your approach or outlook. You can also send me any video presentations, articles, blogs or podcasts you have created on your topic or anything else you feel is relevant.
Once I am familiar with your thinking and what you want to achieve I will suggest a suitable structure that will do justice to your thoughts and form the backbone of the finished manuscript. We tweak and finalise the structure together and I interview you about each chapter in turn. Depending on the book length and topic complexity, one call per chapter is usually enough to get a first draft of each chapter. Essentially you talk me through your book, covering the main points you want to cover in each chapter. Those interviews are transcribed and I write the book, working closely with you at every stage of the process so that you get the book you want.
The book is still very much your book because it contains your ideas, your content, your expertise and your IP. Your name appears on the cover and you receive the considerable business benefits that being an author can bring.
Ghostwriting in it’s purest sense is a collaboration where together, we create a book that neither of us could have written without the other.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Professional Ghostwriter?
I want to do something splendid… Something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead… I think I shall write books.
Louisa May Alcott
I charge a fixed fee of £3500 plus 17 pence (GBP) per word. Smaller books of 40,000 words, which might be around 100 pages, similar to the length of the One-Minute Manager series cost £10,300. More substantial books of 80,000 words or 250 pages like Simon Sinek’s Start with Why cost £17,100.
This is, however, just a guide. That fee can decrease if the client has done a lot of good quality work on their own and are very clear about what they want. The fee can also increase if there are more than one author, I need to interview multiple people or if you want me to project manage the book through production including writing a publishing proposal through to liaising with the chosen publisher, checking their edits and the final proof.
This price also assumes that you are happy to acknowledge my involvement in the ‘Acknowledgement’ section of the book and I can list the book on this website for marketing purposes. If you prefer that my involvement stay anonymous then you can opt to pay an additional anonymity fee of £2,500 and your secret will be safe with me.
Clearly, hiring a ghostwriter is not an insignificant investment. The only commercially viable reason to hire a professional ghostwriter is to achieve the business and brand development goodies found far outside prospective royalty income. Once you are an author you are considered an expert in your field, you crystallise your intellectual property, increase your profile which can increase your client base and fee structure. A well-written content-rich book still opens doors – even in a digital world. Authors have kudos which can, in turn, lead to additional opportunities as a speaker or in the media.
According to BookStatistics.com it takes 725 hours for a first-time author to write a standard-length non-fiction book (80,000 words). If you currently change an hourly rate you might want to take a moment to consider the opportunity cost to not hiring a professional ghostwriter.
How Long Does it Take to Ghostwrite a Book?
If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.
Toni Morrison
Three to six months.
Obviously, there are some contributing factors such as how long the book is and how clear you are about what you want. How much additional research I will need to do and how available you are to deliver feedback and edit what I create. But, in my experience I can write just about anything in three to six months.
As a result, I schedule in three-month blocks and I’m usually booked six months to a year in advance. If you are considering hiring me to help you with your book, it’s best to have a discussion as early as possible as I may not be able to start your book as quickly as you hoped.
Finding 80,000 words to fill the pages of a non-fiction book is not always as easy as it sounds. Starting a conversation early can help to flag any content shortfalls and allow extra time to identify additional topic areas. Consider where the ‘pockets of content’ are coming from in your book. What are you actually going to say? What research are you going to refer to? Have there been any relevant breakthroughs from the scientific world that you want to add? What case studies are you going to include? What theory, models or hypothesis are you going to present and what evidence are you going to include to verify your ideas? Where are those 80,000 words coming from? What articles or news stories link to your topic?
If you are unsure, let’s discuss it. I’ve picked up a lot of information over the years across multiple topic areas. This means that I can often suggest areas of exploration that you may not have considered. I am a great believer that two heads really are better than one.
Do you Use AI?
Yes but not the way you might imagine… I have AI software that researches Amazon bestseller lists and uses those insights to make suggestions around target audience, core message and a bunch of other variables.
Selling books when millions are published each year is tricky. AI has not changed that. Your book should always be a business development tool, first and foremost. In other words, it should deliver business benefits regardless of sales. However, AI is allowing us to look behind the sales curtain and make some assessment on demand. It therefore makes sense to do this research up front so you put yourself in the best possible position to also sell more copies.
There are two ways to write a book. You can write your book and hope there is a market for it or you can figure out what people are looking for, what solutions they are searching for and write to that audience. I recommend authors do a bit of both.
In other words, work out what you want to say. Then use AI to identify the cross-over between your message and the value propositions that can help ‘cut through’ for that audience. This is not about changing what you write about, it’s about gaining pre-writing insight into what your audience is looking for to help you craft your message (and pre-launch social posts). AI is making that research possible.
I have been contacted many times by would-be authors who have tried to use AI to create their book. Not only is it very easy to spot when AI has done the writing, what they ended up with is a mind-numbingly tedious collection of words. There is no narrative arc. No unfolding of the argument or methodology. AI is genuinely astonishing. But it can’t write books. At least not yet. It can however be an incredible research partner. Once the book is written it is also possible to use AI to come up with some fantastic social media content to help the author promote their book.
Realistically, What Are My Publishing Options?
To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.
Charles Caleb Colton
Most people start from the assumption that they want to secure a mainstream publishing contract – a deal with John Wiley & Sons, Bloomsbury, Harvard Business Publishing or Harper Collins etc. But there are a couple of important caveats you need to know upfront. First, mainstream publishers want the author to have a ‘platform’. This is code for a strong social media following (10,000+ followers on X or LinkedIn) or some type of celebrity status they can leverage to sell more books. Second, the copyright of your book transfers to the publisher. That means you can’t repurpose that content for blogs or social posts or even a course.
Clearly, traditional publishing is still highly sought after and it’s still valid – especially for busy professionals who don’t necessarily want to get involved in the production process. It is still possible to secure contracts with mainstream publishers and I can certainly write the publisher proposal if that is something else you would like. But, it’s not the only route.
Self publishing is now often the preferred option. First, the author retains the copyright, keeping full control over their book and how they use their content. Second, it’s now virtually impossible to tell the difference between a traditionally published book and a self published book. Third, it’s much faster. If you have a book with time sensitive content, you don’t want to wait the 12 – 18 months for a traditional publisher to bring that to market.
If you want to use your book in other ways, for example you are considering converting it into a webinar or training programme or you would like to re-use parts of the book as blog posts – you may be better to self publish, so that you own the rights to your work. Few people realise that if you sign a publishing deal with a mainstream publisher they own the rights. If you plan to write more than one book and/or you are a speaker or have a large following on social media then you will almost certainly make more money selling your book yourself to your network. Plus, securing a publishing deal is not the end of the story. I have yet to meet a single author who has secured a publisher with a mainstream publishing company who was happy with the sales and marketing effort. Publishers are like venture capitalists – they invest in a lot of projects in the hopes that one or two pay off. If your books doesn’t gain traction quickly they will simply move on to the next book.
In the end, it’s likely to come down to what’s possible for you. If you enjoy some type of celebrity or large ‘following’ then securing a traditional deal may be relatively straight forward. If not, it will be far more challenging. In days gone by if the publishers said, “No thanks”, we as authors had no other option. Now we do and that’s incredibly liberating.
However, if you do self publish find a reputable partner. Unless you have OCD don’t try and do it yourself. You must go through the same rigorous process a traditional publisher would, from editing and proofreading to internal layout to cover design to ensure a first class book. And if a company promises that they can secure your spot on a prestigious best seller list. It’s a lie – they can’t.
Finding the Right Fit
Different writers work in different ways. Ideally, find a ghostwriter experienced in your genre willing to work with you in a way that suits you. Collaborating on a book takes time and frequent interaction so choose someone you like. Find someone who you feel is on your wavelength. Do you think you can enjoy writing your book with this person? Are they easy to communicate with. No one likes a prima donna!
You can find out more about me, the business benefits of writing a book or explore my library. To read examples of my work, click on ‘View Book’ on whatever book interests you on in the library. Click the ‘Look Inside’ or Read sample button to read samples on Amazon. If you have additional questions that are not covered above then get in touch and ask away. I will do my very best to answer them all. And remember, when thinking about your book and what you want to cover…
Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now.
Annie Dillard
