(Scroll to the bottom for a free ebook offer of my new release)
Ask any real author. Writing a book is hard work, but the mob isn’t the only business with hired guns. They abound in publishing and are called ghostwriters. Ghostwriters work for cash up front. In exchange for a hefty paycheck, a ghostwriter often gets no credit and may even have to sign a non-disclosure agreement, in effect, denying any input into the project.
Why be a Ghostwriter?
What causes talented writers to not only cheerfully agree
to publicly deny their accomplishments but also willingly assign them to
someone who can’t string three sentences together to form a coherent paragraph?
The answer is stability and money. Ghostwriting used to be publishing’s
dirty little secret, but now is considered a subgenre and good ghostwriters are
in high demand. Once a ghostwriter gains a reputation for professionalism,
sticking to a schedule, and keeping his or her mouth shut, publishers even seek
them out instead of the other way around.
How Much Do Ghostwriters Make?
Ghostwriting can offer a nice income. North of the border,
the Canadian Writers Union sets the minimum fee for ghostwriting a book at
$25,000. In the US tracking down ghostwriting payments is murkier as each
writer sets his or her own. Fees vary
wildly, by genre, length and whether the project is for a celebrity. According
to Writers Weekly, an experienced writer with a verifiable track record can
earn $10,000 to $15,000 for a small project and prices go up from there. Ghostwriting has four general methods of
payment; hourly, per page, per word, and per project. Shorter items are
generally paid hourly, per page, or per word. Average hourly fees range from
$70-$250. A per page fee might run $25 to $50, while per word might go from $0.25
to $3.
The biggest payoffs are for full-length books. Ghostwriters often
bid on projects and again prices vary according to genre, page length and the
amount of research needed. The low end
is roughly $15,000 while the high end might be $l50,000. A celebrity
autobiography can command much more and a well-known ghostwriter may even earn
a percentage of royalties.
Famous Ghostwriters
Even writers with prolific careers used ghostwriters. The
Player on the Other Side by Ellery Queen was ghostwritten by Theodore Sturgeon.
James Patterson, what a man. Why, he comes out with a book a month. Oh, really?
Have you taken a close look at one of his covers? His name is splashed in large
manly writer’s font at the top in a place sure to grab your eyes, but who is
that name in teeny tiny print at the bottom. Here’s a hint. It’s not his dry
cleaner.
Peruse a list of well-known authors who were also ghostwriters
and you’ll find a few surprises. H. P. Lovecraft was a prolific ghostwriter who
created stories for Harry Houdini. Early in his career, Mozart ghostwrote music
for other composers. A strong suspicion exists President Ulysses S. Grant’s
autobiography was done by longtime friend, Mark Twain.
Other Famous Ghostwriters
Tennis as I Play it by Maurice McLoughlin (Sinclair Lewis)
Daughter of the Tejas by Ophelia Ray (Larry McMurtry)
My Chinese Marriage by Mae T. Franking (Katherine Anne
Porter)
What’s the Benefit of a Ghostwriter to a Publisher?
Writing is a skill. Few famous people can put pen to paper
with any degree of competency, but ego’s rule. Promising someone they can be
known henceforth as a New York Times bestselling author holds definite appeal.
It’s easy to lure someone to a big publishing contract when no actual work is
involved other than signing their name on the dotted line and cashing the
check.
Publishers often want to continue or expand a popular series.
Both the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were ghostwritten. Demand for the
Goosebumps series was so high author R. L. Stine couldn’t maintain output,
so the publisher used ghostwriters to produce a book a month. The Sweet Valley
High series has Francine Pascal on the covers, but in fact she was the
series’ creator. Pascal put together a reference manual for ghostwriters to craft
stories while her role remained editorial. Without writing a word, she sold
over 150 million copies worldwide. Books #25 to #52 in the Animorph series by
K. A. Applegate were written by one of 12 different ghostwriters picked from
Applegate’s former editors and writing students.
Book written by dead guy |
Tom Clancy, V.C. Andrews, Mickey Spillane, and Ian Fleming
recently had their names on new releases, which is pretty good considering
they’ve all been dead for years. As a nod to the increased legitimacy of
ghostwriting, the actual authors of the books now share credit and have a place
of honor on the cover, too.
Famous Ghostwritten Books That Were on the New York
Times Bestseller Lists (with ghostwriter in parentheses)
Donald Trump in The Art of the Deal (Tony Schwartz)
Sam Walton in Made in America (John Huey)
Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People (Ken Shelton)
Sarah Palin in Going Rogue (Lynn Vincent)
JFK’s Profiles in Courage (Ted Sorensen)
What do you Need to be a Ghostwriter?
- No ego. You get little or no credit for your hard work.
- Solid writing credentials as a freelancer helps.
- Strong work ethic and people skills. You’ll often be on a deadline and have to deal with input from the ‘author.’
Good Bones |
Would you like a free ebook? Consider this a pretty please begging request on bended knee for Amazon reviews for my new release. Read the blurb below. If you think Good Bones would be to your liking send me an email at l.a.kelley.author@gmail.com
Tell me whether you need epub, mobi, or PDF
Read and (I hope) love the book
Post a few kind words on Amazon
BOOM. You're done. Bless you.
Good Bones
L. A. Kelley writes fantasy sci-fi adventures with humor, romance and a touch of sass. The only ghostwriting she’s done is in her new release, Good Bones, an honest to goodness ghost story. For more details on her books, check out L. A. Kelley’s Amazon Author Page.
Tell me whether you need epub, mobi, or PDF
Read and (I hope) love the book
Post a few kind words on Amazon
BOOM. You're done. Bless you.
Good Bones
No matter how challenging the case, psychologist Katherine
Fleming never shirks from helping a patient confront a painful issue. Her keen
powers of observation and compassionate nature have eased many troubled souls,
but a homicide detective with a buried secret of his own stirs more than just clinical
interest.
The first time Detective Jake Sumner spied the old house, he
sensed the good bones. Little did he know the purchase of the property included
an unusual tenant far from resting in peace. Can the new psychologist in town
help him treat a ghostly trauma case or is his growing attraction to Katherine
Fleming best left buried?
With the aid of a mysterious white cat and a mystical
mirror, Katherine and Jake join forces to solve a murder. Can they stop a
killer from claiming the next victim or will their investigation only lead them
six feet under?
L. A. Kelley writes fantasy sci-fi adventures with humor, romance and a touch of sass. The only ghostwriting she’s done is in her new release, Good Bones, an honest to goodness ghost story. For more details on her books, check out L. A. Kelley’s Amazon Author Page.
5 comments:
I never knew ghostwriting was so prolific! I bet it would be hard for a lot of people to do all the work and get zero credit for it...then again, money might be enough of an incentive. Thanks for the informative post!
What a great post! It always surprises me that so many people don't even realize ghostwriting exists. They respond with shock, "Do you mean that person didn't write that book/blog/article?" Although because of this lack of knowledge, it reinforces many people's belief that anyone can easily write a book.
Great information! I would love to read this book. In fact I will put it on my reading list. Thanks so much for the information.
Although I always knew about ghostwriters, I was so disappointed at the last one on your list--Profiles in Courage. Didn't JFK win an award for that? Anyway, there's another side to ghostwriting. I watched "Trumbo" a little while ago. He was one of the blacklisted screenwriters who couldn't put their own names on their plays/films but had to work. Trumbo even won 2 Oscars for screenwriting films and had to watch someone else accept them. Those blacklisted writers had to ghostwrite for desperately needed income. No choice.
This was fascinating. Thanks for the info! I never thought about ghost writing to earn money, but now...
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