Ghostwriters, like all business professionals, are varied in their prices for different types of work. You can hire ghostwriters for technical writing, non-fiction, fiction, sales materials and articles. But how much should you spend on a ghostwriter?
First of all, you need to realize that ghostwriters are usually expensive. If you find a ghostwriter who charges pennies on the dollar, then you’ve probably found a ghostwriter who doesn’t have much experience. If you’re hoping to have the work published after the ghostwriter is finished, then you’ll need to make a larger investment.
Most ghostwriters don’t charge by the hour – I don’t – but a good estimate for an hourly rate would be between $60 and $100. Some ghostwriters might go as low as forty, but at that point you’ll be scraping the bottom of the barrel.
A more predictable way to determine how much you should spend is on what is called a “Project Rate”, which is a flat fee for an entire manuscript. The price won’t change regardless of how long it takes the ghostwriter to finish the manuscript, and you can rest easy that you won’t receive an astronomical final bill.
Most full-length manuscripts will cost several thousand dollars. A healthy figure for a fiction manuscript would be around $7,000, while a non-fiction manuscript will probably cost upwards of $12,000. Some ghostwriters, such as The Writers For Hire, charge more than $20,000 for a full-length ghostwritten manuscript.
I decide my prices based on a variety of criteria, such as the research involved, the length of the manuscript, the complexity of the material and the projected income of a book. If I think that a manuscript will earn my client more than $200,000, my prices go up considerably.
Obviously, you should never hire a ghostwriter to write a manuscript that you can’t afford. If you can’t pay the ghostwriter, then wait until you can, or hire someone who will do it for less money. Ghostwriters don’t look favorably on clients who fail to pay them, and you might find your bill in collections.
Further, be sure to discuss the details with any ghostwriter you consider. How many revisions will he or she do for free? Are query letters and synopses extra? What about travel? Any extra costs should be disclosed up front.
Laura J. College is a professional ghostwriter with more than ten years' experience writing fiction and non-fiction manuscripts. Her work can be found all over the Internet, and she is currently accepting ghostwriting clients. Check out her website at http://www.laurajcollege.com.
Source: www.articlealley.com
