Sticker Shock

“How much?”

This happened to a ghostwriter friend recently when the author took time to think about how much publishing a book could cost.

This is a particularly intense debate at the moment, as business books grow in popularity.

Ghostwriters should be at the heart of the debate, because it impacts us all. We need to educate potential clients about the market. It’s our job as a collective to explain that the cost of a book reflects its value—and our contribution.

The latest surveys I’ve seen suggest that an experienced ghostwriter will cost from $40k–$75k for an average length business book or memoir (c.50k words). The cost of hybrid publishing could be up to $10k–$20k on top of that, although there are far cheaper self-publishing options.

Some agencies and ghostwriters will write a manuscript for around $20k. They may be good, but you should be warned that—while they might be experienced writers—they are likely first-time ghostwriters.

For a sense of scale, high-end ghostwriters charge around $100k—and even higher, as we get into the celebrity world.

The range is huge, with options for (almost) every pocket, but the only way to avoid constant “sticker shock” is if we help show authors what they can potentially gain from publishing their book.

As an author once explained to me, "If one client signs up for a coaching course, this book will pay for itself."

Clients signed up, the cash came in … and the author started planning his second book.