Traditional Publishing

The first step in trying to get a book published through a traditional publisher is to write a book proposal. A book proposal is a business document, written for acquisitions editors at publishing houses. It usually includes the following information on the book: an overview of the book, a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, the target audience, marketing channels, competing books, author bio, and 2-3 sample chapters.

In addition to the complete manuscript, ghostwriters will also create book proposals. The cost of a book proposal generally runs between $5,000 and $8,000.

After a proposal is complete, the author shops it to literary agents and/or directly to publishing house acquisitions editors. If the author obtains a contract with a publisher, the ghostwriter then will write the book. Most often, the ghostwriter is paid through a percentage of the royalties.

Self-Publishing

For obvious reasons, a book proposal is not necessary when an author goes the self-publishing route. In that case, the author contracts with a ghostwriter for the entire manuscript upfront. Those contracts are set up on a flat fee basis and generally run between $15,000 and $30,000.

Writing the Manuscript

To write the book, the ghostwriter will use to primary sources of information: pre-existing documents, and interviews of the author conducted by the writer. At the beginning of any book project, the ghostwriter will collect any documents the writer has, including: a first manuscript attempt, articles written by the author, and any secondary sources that the author provides.

If necessary (and it usually is), the author and ghostwriter will meet, and the ghostwriter will conduct recorded interviews. Depending on the information need, these interviews can take several days or week to complete. Then, the writer will combine the interview transcript and the other documentation and organize the book.

After that, the writer will draft the first manuscript, staying in frequent contact with the author to ask follow-up questions and discuss the on-going direction of the project. Once the author approves a final draft, it is reviewed by a professional editor and the print-ready version is sent to the self-publishing company of the author’s choice.

Depending on the length and detail of any given book, most ghostwriting projects take from three to seven months to complete.