Ghost Writing

[GWPickle]

I've been approached by someone to ghost write a book. What or how much do I charge for my services? I do have 1 book published and feel I'm up to the task. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
G W Pickle

[I. J. Parker]

I've seen someone quote $ 36,000. It would depend on circumstances (likely advance, for example) and how much time you are going to give it.

[Julie Morrigan]

Well, I reckon the expert on ghostrwriting is Andrew Crofts (http://www.andrewcrofts.com/index.html). He reckons if it's a straightforward case of being paid for the job, then you should work out how long the job will take you and then charge as much as you need to earn to live on, plus whatever expenses may be incurred (should you need to travel to conduct interviews or research, for example). Of course, if this isn't your primary source of income, you may feel able to charge a lower hourly (or weekly) rate, but remember that you are being paid for your ability and expertise and don't undervalue yourself. There may be other considerations depending upon (for example) whether a publisher is already on board or the book is likely to sell especially well and he talks about those circumstances, too. Worth a look, I reckon.

Congratulations, and good luck with the project - I hope it all works out :-).

[Naomi Hirahara]

I agree with Julie. I've been a writer for hire in the past, and I roughly calculate how many hours the project will take me and then multiply that by my hourly rate. If it's a project for an individual (memoirs) or nonprofit, I may give them a discount to lower the costs, but I'll first inform them how much my going rate would have been so they understand that the full value of my labor. Research, interviews and writing are all factored in. Good luck.