Also curious about how you got started. I see that you googled it, but how did you break in and get your first client-collaborators?

I think it's basically like defragging a hard drive and changes the routing to different folders.

Mushrooms collapse and rebuild the architecture to be more efficient

Of course!

If non-fiction, you need a stellar book proposal in addition to a query letter. If fiction, you'll need to get together a query and some sample chapters and start reaching out to the appropriate literary agents. That is if you want be traditionally published, of course.

Thanks for the great response!

Obviously there is a huge range. You can get a foreign ghostwriter on fiverr for real cheap. For someone at my level, it'll depend on the genre, research involved, etc. But you're looking at 20,000+

It can be per word, or based on the project in full. Royalties are almost never part of the deal.

Hi! What would the best fist step be for someone who has finished a book and wants to publish for the first time?

What’s the average cost for ghost writing a book? Is it per word or page? Or based on a % of expected royalties? Thanks!

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I don't list them! Honestly, a resume of works isn't how I get most of my clients. Though my profiles speak to my experience (in vague terms) I usually consult with my client and provide them samples I believe are relevant. Sometimes I do a custom sample. The actual writing is what lands me clients.

That said, obviously when I work with literary agents they know I worked with x famous person because they were on the project. And some of that info may be passed onto other agents in the firm, etc. So, for those in the industry, they sometimes know.

So as a ghostwriter, how does your resume work? Do You sign NDAs so that no one can know that these high profile people actually didn’t write their book? If so how can you list them as works you’ve done before?

The second! Granted, early in my career when I was ghostwriting cheap kindle books, my clients were pretty uninvolved as they worked on volume but they'd provide me an outline and make a few notes.

At the level I work at now, where people are always paying five figures for a book, it's really involved. With non-fiction, my clients are telling me their own personal stories in as much detail as possible with hours and hours of interviews. That is something I don't think the "ghostwriting is unethical" crowd seems to grasp. Are we saying that only writers deserve to get their stories told? Because I can tell you, there are some beautiful, impactful stories that would mean nothing if written by someone with no experience. A lot of the time, it's just me taking their words and making them book worthy.

And then on the fiction side, my client and I usually collaborate very closely, they make a ton of editorial notes and changes. I also do something called book doctoring which is just line and developmental edits mixed with some writing. Nobody seems to think line editing is unethical but so often, a book is completely changed when I book doctor it. For me, it's the same concept. People have stories but writing is a honed skill.

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To what degree are your clients involved in the process? Is it, "I just want a book I can put my name and branding on, so you go ahead and take care of it. Just write whatever"? Or is it, "I accept the fact I can't write for crap, but I have a story I want to get to pages. Can you help me make my idea into something tangible?"

In fiction, I often have other written work for that author which makes it pretty easy to emulate the style. And in non-fiction, we have extensive interview time where they're telling me the story from their point of view. I get little colloquialisms, their personality, how they felt about the event from how they speak. It takes a fair amount of analysis and observation, but I record all my interviews and transcribe them and read them multiple times.

Then, of course, my client goes over everything I write. I tell them if they wouldn't say something, or they feel they'd say something slightly differently, to let me know. They'll usually go through and oust anything that doesn't feel like it fits.

I'd never call them a liar because it feels derogatory and aggressive. Not gonna police what other people call it, though.

Do you agree that someone putting their name as the author of a book that they didn't write makes them a liar?

What is your process for getting other people's voice(s)? How do you make sure that each ghostwritten piece is in that person's voice, and not your own?

No, not at all. As far as ethics go, I really love that I work a job where I don't have to exploit anyone below me for labor, I am not exploited by any corporation, and all my money comes from a consensual working relationship with my client. In almost any other job or any other industry somewhere along the line I'd have to be part of a system where labor is abused, which to me is the far bigger ethical issue. Nobody is being harmed if someone else's name is on my book and I was well compensated for the copyright. For me, my moral compass and any guilt I'd feel is from doing real harm in the world and this is pretty harmless.

Do you ever feel guilty for helping people lie about having written something?

Nope! I feel proud all the time but my pride and the credit aren’t really tied together. Like if I can see people liked it, I know I did a fantastic job, what would my name being on it prove? It would just bring me attention that I really do not want haha. I’m a very private person so for me, having a book be successful and never having to deal with a press tour is a bonus.

Did you ever feel so proud about a book, that you felt it was wrong not to get any credit?

Of course :)

Thanks for the comprehensive answer