What is a ghostwriter?
The primary service is, of course, writing your book.
Other services may include refining and focusing your idea, editing your manuscript, writing your book proposal, helping you secure a literary agent, guiding you through the self-publishing process, and otherwise taking you from rough idea to finished book.
Some book ghostwriters offer these services individually, while others bundle them into packages.
How does ghostwriting work?
What’s the difference between ghostwriting and coaching?
With ghostwriting, we write your book for you. Sometimes we work from a blank page and sometimes from material you’ve already prepared. Depending on your needs, we may also flesh out the concept, develop the book’s structure, and do research to help fill out the content.
When we act as book coaches, we don’t write. Instead, we read your material as you write it, then offer guidance on theme and structure, writing style, flow of ideas, language choice, and more.
Whether you work with a ghostwriter or a book coach will depend on how much you want to be involved in the writing process. Do you want someone to do all or most of the writing? Or do you want someone to guide you through the process?
Is it common for writers to use ghostwriters?
Yes, although the exact number cannot be determined because ghosts often work secretly.
Many notable people, including Hillary Clinton, are known to have used professional ghostwriters. Other equally famous people won’t explicitly say they hired someone to write their books, but you can tell they did from the “with” or similar credit on the book cover, or by checking the acknowledgements.
In our case, CEOs, attorneys, artists, historians, and many other very interesting and accomplished people have hired us to create their books.
What’s the difference between an editor and a ghostwriter?
Different editors perform different tasks. Some editors focus exclusively on structure and content, while others polish a work sentence by sentence.
A certified ghostwriter can identify and fix structure problems, eliminate writing flaws, and line edit your manuscript.
If you want one writing professional to handle all your editing needs, hire a ghostwriter!
How long does it take to complete a book project?
That depends on the type and scope of the project, the author’s availability to provide interviews and feedback, as well as other variables. A general estimate is somewhere between 6-12 months.
Every project has its special needs, but there are some general time frames you can plan on that may fluctuate according to your availability. We can include a mutually agreed cut off time line in our contract.
- Memoirs take 6-12 months including the interviews, research, writing, editing and travel
- Non-fiction expert/business books and legacy books can be completed in about 5-7 months
- Novels (about 75,000 to 100,000 words) take 6-12 months
Typically six to ten months, depending on the nature of the topic, the source material you provide and the amount of research needed to complete the manuscript.
How long does it take to complete a book proposal?
When these projects are not part of a ghostwriting package, they take about 3 months. If I’ve already written your book, I have a head start, so it only takes a month.
How long does it take to complete a bestseller strategy plan?
When these projects are not part of a ghostwriting package, they take about 3 months. If I’ve already written your book, I have a head start, so it only takes a month.
Most nonfiction takes 6–9 months and most memoir and fiction takes 9–12 months, but we’re always willing to work with you on scheduling to fit your needs.
How do I pay for your services?
You pay by credit card in regular monthly installments. I start work on your project after you make the first payment.
- For book proposals and bestseller marketing plans, I charge your card $5,000/month for 3 months.
- For book projects, I charge your card $5,000/month until the agreed-upon project fee has been paid.
- For an Analysis and Recommendations, I charge the full $1500 payment upfront.
- For coaching sessions, I can either charge by the session or monthly.
Should I use a traditional publisher or self-publish?
Yes! I’ll help you understand the pros and cons of each pathway to print.
I’m a writer, so I don’t handle layout or formatting your document with illustrations, charts, or photographs. I also don’t assist with cover design/selection or ISBN registration, etc. But I can recommend people who can help you with these tasks!
Who uses ghostwriters?
More people than you might think:
- Busy executives
- Politicians
- Public figures
- Athletes
- Celebrities
- Scientists
- Thought-leaders
- Inventors
- Aspiring novelists
- No one knows for sure, because it’s the policy of many ghostwriters (including here at POV Ghostwriting) to remain anonymous. But the short answer is: Lots.
- It’s reasonable to assume that any celebrity, politician, actor, musician, athlete, business leader, pop culture figure, or otherwise notable person who’s not a professional writer wrote their book with the help of a ghostwriter or co-writer. This happens for all the reasons we’ve talked about here—time, energy, expertise, resources, and the need for a professional product despite a lack of professional training.
- In the realm of fiction, ghostwriters are most prominent in genre titles: sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and romance. Again, it’s hard to know exact numbers, but we know a number of wildly successful books and series have been ghostwritten, including works by Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Michael Crichton, the Nancy Drew series, and even The Three Musketeers.
Isn’t it a huge project?
It is! Working with a ghostwriter simplifies the process. And you could be amazed, pleased, satisfied, fulfilled.
Holding your own book in your hands is thrilling.
Giving it to others creates a strong branch for your family tree, a reminder to business associates of your expertise, a font of knowledge for those who need it, a role model for others to emulate.
How do we write the book?
Our step-by-step process is explained on the How It Works page
Why don’t you accept a percentage of sales as part of your fee?
As a ghostwriter, I work hard to make sure your manuscript is what you want and is a marketable literary property ready to be given the serious consideration it deserves. My fee is a fair exchange for that quality.
The sales from your book are dependent on factors outside our contract. By limiting my fee to our stated contract, our relationship has clear boundaries that allow us to work together in a smooth, uncomplicated way.
Unfortunately, no. Publishing outcomes are unpredictable—whether your book makes money depends on lots of factors, including your willingness to market and promote yourself—and beyond that, not every author has the same financial goals. Some want books they can sell at speaking engagements for little or no direct profit, but huge publicity or networking value. Others want to top bestseller lists and use their novel as the hook to land a 10-episode Netflix deal. Both these outcomes (and countless others) are possible, and our clients have been happy selling their books to traditional publishers and self-publishing alike. But like other professionals, ghostwriters are paid for the time and expertise they use to produce an object of value, and can’t reasonably pin our livelihoods to outcomes over which we have no control.
I’ve already started writing…can you help?
Excellent, and congratulations! We can work together in two ways:
- Analysis & Recommendation – based on the first 25-50 pages of your book, I assess it and make recommendations for flow, structure, market viability, character development, etc.
- We work via Monthly Mentoring – a monthly fee that gives you weekly 90-minute sessions where you can ask questions or we can go over what you’ve written. This is a monthly contract that can be renewed each month or is a single purchase.
Do I need a book proposal?
If you are planning on submitting to a literary agent or publisher, you’ll need a book proposal.
The non-fiction book proposal tells agents and publishers who you are and why you’re qualified to write this book.
It includes
- an industry analysis
- a comparison with competing titles in the market
- a synopsis of the book
- a chapter-by-chapter outline
- 2-3 sample chapters
- any existing or upcoming promotional appearances, websites or social media you will use to promote your book.
Non-fiction book proposals can be submitted without having a completed manuscript.
Fiction books must have a completed manuscript before reaching out to literary agents via a query letter. Publishers do not accept query letters. When the agent responds positively to your query letter, you will submit a book proposal that includes the some of the main components of a non-fiction proposal as well as your complete manuscript and synopsis.
A book proposal is an art form that requires significant time, creativity, and knowledge of both your book and the industry. This fee is separate from your manuscript’s contracted price.
What about self-publishing?
The validity of a self-published book continues to gain wide acceptance. In 2012 ebooks outsold hardcovers for the first time in history.
Yes, there is inherent clout associated with being published by a traditional publishing house. But there is also a payment: authors generally get 6%-10% of the book’s cover price and lose a lot of control of the publishing process, while still being responsible for significant aspects of promotion.
Self-publishing means you get 80% of the sales. It also means you do all the heavy lifting yourself. For some authors, that’s fine; for others, it’s too much work.
Only you can decide.
Will you help me find a literary agent or publisher?
I can help you find and solicit a literary agent or publisher for your niche market. This service requires research and additional writing specifically tailored to the agent or publisher, for which additional charges apply.
If I use a ghostwriter, is it really “my” book?
Absolutely! Using a ghostwriter is not cheating on your homework. Your book is your baby: You brought it into the world. Even if someone else generates the text, it’s the product of your ideas, your story, your words, and your direction. And of course, you always have final editorial say.
Suppose you have a great concept for a tattoo—something unique, striking, and perfectly you. Would you have any doubts about hiring a tattoo artist to ink it on for you? Does asking someone else to apply it make the tattoo itself any less meaningful, less original, or less yours? Or have you correctly realized that you’re not a tattoo artist yourself, and you may well regret it if you don’t trust a professional to execute your vision?
Does my ghostwriter’s name appear anywhere in the book or copyright?
No
So no one will ever know that a ghostwriter helped with my book?
That’s the idea (hence the term “ghost”). We take your confidentiality seriously. If we need to engage third parties on your behalf to complete the book—interview subjects, specialized researchers, or a proofreader—we first get 1) your written authorization, and 2) a signed non-disclosure agreement from the third party.
Why flat fee?
Writing a book is a massive, sprawling endeavor. It doesn’t happen Monday–Friday, 9–5, and a ghostwriter is never “off the clock” when writing your book. Billing creative projects by the hour gets messy and even contentious, and also doesn’t allow for flexibility when changes are necessary. A flat-fee structure lets everyone take their eyes off the time sheet, values quality over page count, and produces the best possible book.
What about my future earnings?
All earnings from your book are 100% yours. POV Certified Ghostwriting holds no copyright or intellectual property rights to your work at any time during or after our engagement, and does not collect any payment for publishing advances, future sales, copyrights, international rights, film rights, audio rights, reprints, or any other means of revenue. Even if your book makes you a multimillionaire, we don’t collect a penny beyond our project fee.
Can’t I find cheaper ghostwriters elsewhere?
Most definitely! Craigslist and other freelance sites are teeming with people who will happily write your book for $10,000 or less—but keep in mind that if you pay bargain basement prices, you’ll get a bargain basement book. These “ghostwriters,” who often charge by the hour, page, or word, are usually well-meaning but inexperienced writers trying to break into the business or make some quick cash, and because they don’t have the training, experience, investment, or skill to charge professional rates, they also probably can’t deliver the quality they promise. The money you save using a cheap writer will probably be spent later on, when you hire another writer or editor to fix your manuscript.
Think of it this way: If you expect to pay $X for a house but then find someone who promises to sell you a house that’s just as good for 20% of X, no strings attached… you’d have some questions. You should have those same questions when deciding who to trust with your book manuscript.