Ghostwriting & Book Writing Services
Write books, articles, and content for clients under their name
Overview
Ghostwriters charge $10,000-$100,000+ per book project or $75-$300 per hour.
Completing 3-8 book projects annually generates $100,000-$600,000 with 80-90% margins.
In 2025, executives, experts, and entrepreneurs want books establishing authority but lack time or writing skills.
Services include full book ghostwriting (50,000-80,000 words), memoir and autobiography writing, business book ghostwriting, manuscript development from interviews, article and thought leadership ghostwriting, book proposals for agents, and speech writing.
Successful ghostwriters interview clients effectively extracting their voice and stories, write in client's voice authentically, manage book projects from concept to completion, understand book structure and storytelling, maintain confidentiality and agreements, and deliver on deadline.
Most profitable niches include business books, memoirs for executives, and expert platform books.
Book projects typically $20,000-$80,000 depending on length and research.
Some take royalty share instead of or in addition to fee.
Long-term projects (4-12 months per book).
Marketing through literary agents, publishing consultants, speaker bureaus, and author referrals.
Portfolio often confidential (NDAs).
Required Skills
- Book Writing
- Interviewing
- Voice Matching
- Storytelling
- Project Management
- Confidentiality
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Very high fees per book project
- Intellectually engaging long-form writing
- Work with interesting successful clients
- Can build literary agent relationships
- Prestigious helping clients become published authors
Cons
- Need advanced writing skills for book-length projects
- Long project timelines (4-12 months per book)
- Clients can be demanding or difficult
- Portfolio often confidential (can't showcase)
- Income gaps between book projects
How to Get Started
- Build advanced writing skills and book-length experience
- Create sample chapters showcasing different voices
- Network with literary agents and publishing consultants
- Set project-based pricing ($20K-$80K per book)
- Land first ghostwriting client (possibly at lower rate)
- Deliver excellent book and get referrals
- Build reputation and raise rates over time
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