GWA #3 - Ghostwriting 101 Part 2

Ghostwriters Anonymous

Today we will be continuing our Ghostwriting 101 series with a discussion on how much ghostwriters should charge and the things every ghostwriter should know before accepting clients.
One of the first questions that people ask me when they say they are considering becoming a ghostwriter is how much they should charge. It’s especially difficult for people who are just starting out because they don’t want to charge so much that they don’t get clients, but don’t want to charge so little that they are not being properly compensated. There are a few basic ways that you can charge your clients. You can either come up with a set price list, for example $20,000 for a book, regardless of the details of the project or you can charge per page, per hour, or per word.
I personally use the “per page, per hour, per word model.” When writing a book, I charge anywhere from $50 to $100 a page, depending on the project. If a client comes to me with a partially completed manuscript, the price is closer to $50 a page. The reason for this is obvious, part of the writing is already complete! If a client comes to me with an idea and wants me to write it on my own, I charge $100 a page. However, the majority of the projects I have worked on fall into the $75 per page range. I use this price when a client comes to me with an idea but wishes to take part in interviews and is willing to stay involved in the project during the writing process. I charge $75 rather than $100 in this instance because it is easier for me to complete the project when the author gives me direct quotes to include and sort of guides me as a write. This cuts down on editing time and it aids me in taking on the author’s voice as I write. When writing a book I include 20 hours of complimentary meetings. This is usually enough to cover all interviews and editing. If a project demands more than those 20 hours, I charge $50 per hour of additional meetings.
I also charge $50 per hour for smaller projects like personal biographies, marketing materials, etc. I charge this amount both for my writing and any meetings that take place. For smaller projects, the only meeting time that is complimentary is the initial meeting where we discuss the project and the services I offer.
The “per word” charges come into play when I ghostwrite newspaper or magazine articles. The price can range from $2-$4 per word depending on the complexity and length of the article.
As you can probably tell, the price you charge depends on your theory on how to attract clients. Some ghostwriters charge less than I do, believing they will attract more business therefore making up for the smaller pay by working on more projects. Other ghostwriters charge more than I do believing that they are worth the money and will attract quality over quantity as far as clients are concerned. There really are many people out there that believe the more they pay, the better the end result will be. I like to be somewhere in the middle. Granted I am more on the high end than the low end, but I do not charge as much as many of my colleagues because I want to make enough money to make it worth my time, but also keep my costs low enough that my services are not out of reach. So, to put it simply…you have to decide what works for you.
The ghostwriters who have a set price list count on the smaller projects they work on to make up for any lost wages they incurred by not charging enough for a larger project. Charging $20,000 for a 350 page book would be on the low end, however they would make up for it by charging that same $20,000 for a 100 page book. I personally like to look at each project and each client individually and determine the price on a case by case basis. I just think it’s fairer that way.
Remember, I’m a relative newbie just like many of you. I have 1 book that has been published, 1 that is about to go to print, 3 in production, and 5 in negotiation. Personally, I don’t plan on changing my prices as I become more experienced. However, many of my friends in the business have. They charged far less when they were just starting out than they do now. They did this because they wanted to attract clients in order to gain experience and get their foot in the door. As they became well known and more successful, they raised their prices. So, just keep in mind that this is always an option. No matter what you decide now, you can always make changes.
Now on to the next subject in this part of the Ghostwriting 101 series: what every ghostwriter should know before accepting clients. There is an endless amount of information out there about ghostwriting, but here are a few things I think are essential for every ghostwriter to think about or understand before they take on any projects:
(1) Take care of yourself
Once you know what you want to charge, you need to think about standard payment schedules that are acceptable to you. Because you can’t exactly expect people to write you a $20,000 check, you should offer a few options to your clients. I personally tell my clients that I will automatically accept ½ in the beginning and ½ at the end, or I will accept the payments in thirds. If that’s not acceptable to the client, the least I recommend you accept as a down payment is a 1/10 of the project cost. So, for a $20,000 project don’t start working unless you receive at least $2,000. Moreover, if the client ever misses a planned payment, stop working on the project until you are being paid again. Finally, do not hand over the completed manuscript or project of any kind until you are paid in full. No matter how well you know the person or how trustworthy you think they are you must look out for yourself.
In addition I recommend that you stay away from anyone who says they will pay you a portion of the cost as planned but wants to wait to pay you the rest until they receive royalties or payment from a publisher. Your job is to provide a completed manuscript, not to get it sold. The publishing industry can be very fickle and if your paycheck is tied to getting the manuscript published, you will likely get burned.
You must also have a contract with every client, no matter how small the project is. In next week’s episode I will break down the basic things every contract should include, but I wanted to mention it here because you should think of the contract as protection. If the client suddenly backs out or refuses to pay you the agreed amount, you will have something in writing that you can turn to. If you ever get into a situation where you have to take someone to court, you will be grateful that you have that contract!
(2) Confidentiality is key
As a ghostwriter you work behind-the-scenes and should not expect recognition of any kind for your work. It is important for you to stay silent about your involvement in the project unless the author tells you otherwise. Most people who hire a ghostwriter do not want people to know that they have done so. They want to have everyone believe they wrote the piece themselves. It is essential that you are comfortable with that. Moreover, being known as a ghostwriter who is discrete and good at keeping quiet will be beneficial for you. Because so many of your clients will want you to be invisible, letting them know from the beginning that you will sign a confidentiality agreement and keep your role in the project secret will help you gain their trust and their business.
(3) Don’t say yes to everything
Remember that your role as a ghostwriter ends when you hand your client their completed manuscript. This means, that you are not responsible for getting their work published unless you want to be. I have never met a ghostwriter who takes on that task and I don’t recommend that you do so. However, this does come with some responsibilities. Before accepting a project you must take some time and think about whether you believe the idea is sellable. If you don’t think that a publisher will be interested or there is no audience for it, don’t do it! Even though it’s not your job to get the project published, you don’t want an unhappy customer. Explain to each client when your responsibilities as a ghostwriter end and be honest with them about the marketability of their idea. It is possible that some simple changes to the format or subject would make it more attractive. However, if the idea is just not going to work…don’t take it on. Integrity is important and you shouldn’t take someone’s money if you don’t truly believe in their project.
(4) Know your limits
This falls into the “be careful what you wish for” category. Once you get one project completed, it is likely that things will begin to snowball and more clients will flock to you. Therefore, it is essential that you know your limits. The last thing you want to do is take on more projects than you can handle and end up having to cancel out a contract or deliver a product that is poor in quality. I love working on many projects at once, but I have found that 4 books is my limit. I can take on an extra small project with 4 books in production, but that’s it. However, everyone will be different. When you are first starting, I recommend working on 1 big project at a time. Then, once you’re comfortable with that, increase it to 2, and so on. But be careful…it is very easy to over-extend yourself.
(5) Understand that you are not the author
This can be difficult for a ghostwriter, no matter how much experience they have. There will always come a time in every project where you think one thing should happen and your client thinks differently. While you can explain why you want things to go your way, you must understand that the author makes the final decision. At the end of the day, it is their project and they must be the one who is happy with it.
Some ghostwriters I know are concerned that if an author wants to do something that will hurt the project, their reputation will be harmed. I don’t believe this is a problem because people understand that although you are the writer, you are not the author. There is a big difference between the two. As the writer, you are creating the manuscript and putting the author’s thoughts into literary form. As the author, your client is responsible for the end product. All of the decisions are left up to them and they are the ones that have to work to get the project published. Therefore, work to make your client understand your position if you believe that what they want is not the right thing to do, but you must accept the fact that you are not the one in control.
(6) Learn to let go
Once the manuscript is completed, your job is done. Therefore, all of the decisions about illustrations, cover design, and marketing are up to the author and publisher. I know many ghostwriters who cringe when they see a book they wrote on a store shelf because the cover design is completely different than what they would have done. This is of course magnified if a book they have ghostwritten has been turned into a movie or television show. Everyone has a different perspective and different ideas about how things should look. The same goes for the promotion of the book.
As difficult as it may be, you must create a separation between yourself and the end product. Publishers can completely change passages from the book, take things out, rearrange things, insert atrocious looking illustrations, and much more. I like to give my ideas as far as how things should look to the author in writing so they can take them to the publisher if they wish, but do not be surprised if the project looks very different than how you pictured it.
So, to sum things up…take care of yourself. Don’t be too trusting and make sure that you are paid properly. Keep your mouth shut…confidentiality is the backbone of this industry. Be willing to turn down projects you don’t believe in and know your limits as far as the number of projects you can work on at once. Finally, understand that you are the writer and not the author. You have to allow the author to take control of the project and you must learn to let go once the manuscript is complete.
I hope that you have found these thoughts to be useful! Feel free to contact me with your questions or comments at any time. I will answer your questions on air if I think the audience will benefit from hearing about the subject of your e-mail. You can reach me at [e-mail]. That link will be included in the show notes at the official page for the Ghostwriters Anonymous podcast, http://www.ghostwriters-anonymous.com/. Click on the tab that says “Ghostwriters Anonymous podcast.” Along with the links, I also include a transcript of every episode, so take the time to check that out. Thank you for listening and make sure to tune in next week for the third episode of the Ghostwriting101 series where I will be talking about contracts. We will discuss why they are important and the basic things that every contract should include.