Ghostwriter FAQ

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Q: How much does it cost to hire a ghostwriter or co-writer?

That depends on several factors:

  • Type of work (nonfiction, creative nonfiction, or fiction).
  • The length of the desired book (or work).
  • How much (if any) planning, reference, or source material exists?
  • How much front-end work (before writing begins) is required (including any ongoing research or story development)?
  • The number and type of interviews required with the client or information sources.
  • How soon the project needs to be finished.
  • Other factors are to be determined specifically for each project.

Keep in mind professional ghostwriters don’t work on a contingency or get paid from sales of the book after it is published. Fees can vary significantly among ghostwriters. We (Adducent) are not the cheapest nor the most expensive.

WRITER'S MARKET GUIDE - Ghostwriter, ghostwriting, editing and proofreading rates.
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WRITER’S MARKET GUIDE RATES
(for reference).
Contact us for a quote.

Q: What can I expect for those fees? The client gets their manuscript and is credited as the author. The ghostwriter can remain completely anonymous or receive attribution such as ‘As told to’ or ‘With.’

Q: How long will it take? It depends on the project. Small books can take 3 to 5 months. A mid-size to a large or complex book takes 6 to 12+ months to develop and ghostwrite. Very large or complex books requiring a lot of research, development, or other ‘hand-work’ (beyond just writing) do take longer. And working with complicated, possibly disjointed source material can also result in a project taking more time. So, the scope of work dictates how long it will take, and each project delivery has to be evaluated based on workload at the time the project is quoted.

Q: Does the ghostwriter get any credit? As mentioned above, depending on the arrangement, attribution or even co-author credit could be negotiated. If so, the fee structure usually changes or decreases. Or the ghostwriter can remain completely anonymous.

Q: How much will I need to be involved? In most cases, you’ll only need to supply access to you and your information. A professional ghostwriter will determine a writing and development approach and plan for each project. A series of phone interviews, call-in dictation sessions to gather information, and occasional feedback and approvals are typically all that is required.

Q: What will I need to supply to the ghostwriter? Very simply: time, information, and feedback. A series of interviews may be all that is needed. A professional ghostwriter will determine a writing and development approach and plan for each project.

Q: What should I look for in a ghostwriter? The best ghostwriters are professional, proven, dependable, discreet, collaborative, supportive, and deadline-oriented. Most importantly, the ideal writer understands your project and will work well with you! Chemistry and a good ‘fit’ are important.

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Q: How does the ghostwriting process typically start? Usually, the client and the ghostwriter have an initial meeting by phone to review the scope of the project. The ghostwriter then presents an overview or proposal to define and detail how things will work, including delivery and pricing. If all parties agree to proceed, the ghostwriter will provide a contract. A professional ghostwriter will determine a writing and development approach and plan for each project.

Q: I have a very hectic and demanding professional and/or personal schedule; how would that impact work on my project? Speaking for us, we’ve worked with many busy professionals, and if needed, we create flexible timelines for them to accommodate the many demands on their time yet are designed so that work on their project progresses at a steady pace. We also provide our clients tools, such as our unique Client Dictation Services, that they can utilize at any time from anywhere. This is a tremendous resource to help with their project.

Q: Will the ghostwriter help me find a publisher? Ghostwriters aren’t responsible for getting the work published, nor do they provide services typically offered by agents or publishers. But we might be able to help.

Q: I’m interested in your help; what is the first step? If you’ve also reviewed the information on the Ghostwriting Services page, you should schedule a conversation with Dennis Lowery.

ADDUCENT - Writing-Ghostwriting-Publishing
What we’ve done and what we do for clients.

For those who choose NOT to hire a writer but need advice and guidance on writing, story development, and publishing or self-publishing, we offer consulting. We have a lot of experience you can benefit from affordably.

Here are some of our story and book covers (published, to be published, or for future publication), alt-cover designs, and concepts for stories in development: