How Much Does A Ghostwriter Cost?

Perhaps you are looking for a ghostwriter to help you write your book? What does a Ghostwriter cost anyway?

• Do you have a great idea for a book?
• Do  you want to publish your life story, write a book about your business or tell people about your ministry?
• Do you have the time to write a book?
• Are you a writer?

I know you have a great idea for a book, something that will give you credibility, advance your authority and put your stake into the ground as the expert on your subject. But if you are like most people, the mere thought of tackling a book, even a short one, is incredibly intimidating. You need to know how to write, understand grammar and be able to spell. Then there are revisions and the proofreading and everything else including publishing.

Writing a book that other people want to read is intimidating.

A ghostwriter can help you complete your book. The ideas and story are still yours, and the ghostwriter will help you organize them and set them to words.

Sound good? Now comes the interesting part. Finding a good ghostwriter who will give you an excellent book at a price you can afford.

How Much Does A Ghostwriter Cost?

So how much does a ghostwriter cost anyway?

Before I get into that, let me explain that price is only one criteria for finding a good ghostwriter. Writing skill, experience and other variables also play into the picture. However, you can use the rate a ghostwriter charges as a statement of their confidence. If a ghostwriter is confident in their abilities, they have no trouble getting business at the rate they ask. And that confidence is justified, because they ARE getting business at that rate.

Well, you have several options.

Super cheap writers (usually offshore) – As you look, you’ll run across so-called content mills. These are sites such as Fiverr, eLance and Contently. You write up a quick explanation of what you need, and you receive responses with quotes to provide the service. Sounds simple, right?

Some of those quotes will be astoundingly low. I’ve heard of entire 15,000 word books being written for $150 to $250!

Do you honestly believe that anyone could write a quality book for that price? Even though many of these contractors are overseas in places such as Pakistan or India, still,that’s an absurdly low rate.

My advice? Don’t even bother with these content mills. You are wasting your time and money.

Inexperienced ghostwriters – As you search, you will undoubtedly run into inexperienced or desperate ghostwriters. They may be solopreneurs or they may work for a small ghostwriting company. Sometimes they can do very good work, but more often you find them to often be late, deliver poor work, have problems with grammar and basic English, and occasionally you may not receive a finished book at all.

How can you tell?

The problem is these ghostwriters can sometimes be very slick talkers, and they appear, on the surface, to be good at what they claim to be able to do.

Look over other books they have written, either for themselves or clients. Review their website and social media. Interview them and any other writers that may be assigned to you. In other words, gather the facts and gain confidence in their abilities.

What should this class of ghostwriters cost? A book of about 100 pages should run between $3,000 and $5,000. Now, a caution, these are not generally experienced writers. If they had the experience, they’d be asking for more money.

Professional ghostwriters – This is the area where you’ll find seasoned, experienced ghostwriters who know what they are doing, have done it before, and will deliver you a good finished product that you’ll be happy to put your name on.

A 100 page book should cost between $10,000 and $25,000 or 50 cents to $1.00 per word.

Does that sound like a lot of money?

This book will have YOUR name on the cover. You want to be proud to say “that’s my book.” With a professional ghostwriter, you have a better chance of getting a completed book in a reasonable time frame without a lot of hassle.

A book is the best way to portray your brand. Paying this amount for a REAL, experienced ghostwriter will pay off with an excellent branding tool.

Don’t settle for less.

Check out Association of Ghostwriters to find quality ghostwriters. That’s an excellent place to start.

Celebrity ghostwriters – Some ghostwriters have found a niche writing for celebrities. Virtually any book “written by celebrities” has been written by a ghostwriter.

These folks charge on the order of a quarter million dollars for a book. If you hire them, you are going to get an excellent book, no question.

Low price usually means low quality – If you want a quality ANYTHING, you have to be willing to pay good rates. Why? Professionals have years of experience, they’ve gone to school and been trained, they understand what makes an excellent book versus one that is merely good enough.

Do you want a good book that is excellent for your brand? If so, be willing to pay reasonable rates.

Richard Lowe Jr

Richard is the Owner and Senior Writer for The Writing King, a bestselling author, and ghostwriter. He’s written and published 63 books, ghostwritten 40+ books, as well as hundreds of blog articles.