—professional ghostwriting services
Book Ghostwriting Services. Your Voice, Your Name, Your Royalties.
Ghostwriting and co-authorship run through every category of publishing, from celebrity memoir to first-time business non-fiction, debut fiction, and children’s books. Prince Harry’s Spare was written with J.R. Moehringer. Keith Richards credited James Fox as co-author of Life. Andre Agassi’s Open, widely considered one of the best sports memoirs ever written, was also a Moehringer collaboration. Books written with a professional collaborator sit on the bestseller list every week of the year, credited and uncredited, and readers keep buying them.
—WHAT YOU GET
What professional book writing services actually cover (and the $4,000 line item cheap quotes leave out)
Cheap ghostwriting quotes look like a deal until you read the second invoice. Read this section before you compare.
A $12,000 quote from a content mill and a $24,999 quote from AuthorWings are not the same product priced differently. They are different products. The $12,000 version typically includes one round of revisions, a writer pulled from a rotating pool, no formal voice-capture process, and a manuscript that has not been edited by anyone.
To make that manuscript publishable, the author then pays $4,000 to $8,000 for editing on the back end, often to a separate company, which is how a $12,000 book quietly becomes a $16,000 to $20,000 book that took fourteen months and three different writers.
We work the opposite way: a built-in editing pass is included at every tier (line, copy, and proofread on Short; developmental, line, copy, and proof on Full; all four levels in sequence on Extended) A manuscript without editing is not a manuscript. It is a draft, and you cannot publish a draft.
The AuthorWings tier price covers structural outline, voice-capture interviews (hours by tier, see pricing below), full drafting at 2,000 to 3,000 polished words per week, the revision-round count for your tier, the built-in editing pass for your tier, and a clean manuscript handoff. Any additional editing scope beyond the built-in pass (deeper developmental work on shorter tiers, sensitivity reading, or beta-read passes outside the Authority inclusion) is quoted transparently on the same intake document at rates inside the EFA published rate medians.
One writer, assigned to you, from outline to final handoff, closing the gap between the story you have and the craft a professional brings to the page.
Your voice, written by a human. Your name alone on the cover. 100% of the royalties in your account
—HOW IT WORKS
The 6-step ghostwriting services process that prevents the horror stories on author forums
Most ghostwriting horror stories trace back to the same root cause: no documented process. The author signed a contract, paid a deposit, and then waited. We work the opposite way. Every project moves through six steps with named deliverables, signed approvals, and a writer you can email by name. Week numbers below show the longest-scope Extended timeline (24 to 36 weeks). Short (8 to 12 weeks) and Full (16 to 24 weeks) run the same six steps on a proportionally shorter calendar.
I
Week 1
Discovery and Fit Call
A 45 to 60 minute consultation with our intake team, not a sales call. We map what you are writing, what stage you are at, your timeline, your budget tier, and whether ghostwriting is actually the right service for you. If coaching or editing fits better, we say so. If you are writing your life story and the answer is that you should write it yourself, we say that too, and this page walks through both routes. If we are the right fit, you receive a written proposal with tier, scope, timeline, payment plan, and editing quote on a single document, typically within two business days.
II
Weeks 1 to 2
Contract, NDA, and Writer Assignment
Once you sign the contract and mutual NDA, you are matched with a ghostwriter from the specialty pool that fits your genre. You see the writer’s profile, sample prose, and finished manuscript count before assignment is confirmed. If the chemistry feels off after the first interview, we reassign at no cost. One author, one writer, no rotating pool.
III
Weeks 2 to 5
Voice Capture and Outline
Your writer conducts the interview hours your tier supports (two to three hours on Short, eight to ten on Full, ten to twelve on Extended), transcribed and reviewed. From those interviews plus any source material you provide, the writer builds a chapter-by-chapter outline averaging 8 to 15 pages. You approve the outline in writing before any drafting begins, which is the single most important checkpoint in the entire process.
IV
Weeks 5 to 28
Drafting
Drafting proceeds at roughly 2,000 to 3,000 polished words per week, delivered in chapter batches every two to three weeks. You read each batch as it lands, flag concerns in the margins, and your writer adjusts in real time. No author waits nine months to read what was written in month two. The book is built in front of you, not behind a curtain.
V
Weeks 28 to 34
Revision Rounds
Revision rounds run by tier (two on Short, three on Full, five on Extended), each based on your written feedback. The first round addresses structural and chapter-level concerns. Subsequent rounds handle voice, pacing, and line-level rewrites where flagged. Each round runs roughly two to three weeks. Most manuscripts are close to finished before the first round begins, because you have been reading and correcting chapters since week five.
VI
Weeks 34 to 36
Final Delivery and Handoff
Final manuscript delivered in your preferred file format, with full transfer of intellectual property documented in writing. If you added editing scope beyond the built-in pass at intake, that work starts here and follows the dates quoted in your Step 1 proposal. The book is now yours, in every legal and creative sense, with no claim, credit, or rights retained by the writer or AuthorWings.
—PACKAGES & PRICING
Ghostwriting packages at $5,495, $9,999, or $24,999 (the only difference is scope, not skill)
Published rates, in public, before you speak to anyone. Package price covers writing, voice capture, revision rounds, and a built-in editing pass. Packages differ by manuscript length, revision round count, and project management depth, never by who writes the book. Same writer pool across all three.
| Feature |
Short $5,495 Up to 20,000 words Choose Short |
Most Popular
Full $9,999 Up to 50,000 words Choose Full |
Extended $24,999 Up to 90,000 words Choose Extended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope and timeline | |||
| Word count limit | Up to 20,000 | Up to 50,000 | Up to 90,000 |
| Book type fit | Ebooks, business guides | Memoirs, full non-fiction | Novels, comprehensive memoirs |
| Timeline | 8 to 12 weeks | 16 to 24 weeks | 24 to 36 weeks |
| Payment options | Single / 50-50 / 3 mo | Single / 50-50 / Milestone / 3 mo | Single / 50-50 / Milestone / 12 mo |
| Writing and editing | |||
| Voice mapping interviews | 2 to 3 hours | 8 to 10 hours | 10 to 12 hours |
| Revision rounds | 2 rounds | 3 rounds | 5 rounds |
| Built-in editing pass | Line + copy + proofread | Developmental + line + copy + proof | All four levels in sequence |
| Chapter pacing audit | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beta read pass | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Management and protection | |||
| Dedicated project manager | ✗ | ✓ | Senior PM + priority response |
| Mutual NDA before kickoff | ✓ | ✓ | + Individual writer NDA |
| Outline-stage legal-risk review | ✗ | ✗ | Included on request |
In every tier
- 45 to 60 minute discovery consultation
- Chapter outline approval before drafting
- Full manuscript drafting
- 100% IP transfer on delivery
- Source files with revision history
- Same writer pool across all three
—PACKAGE OPTIONS
The three kinds of ghostwriting package, and which one you need
A finished manuscript is roughly half of what it takes to publish a book. Ghostwriting packages come in three shapes. Writing only, where you receive a manuscript and arrange cover, formatting and distribution yourself. Writing plus publishing, which is the Launch-Ready package below. Or writing plus publishing plus marketing, where launch campaign and ad management sit on top and are priced separately, because ad spend is ongoing and the rest is not.
| Bundle |
Launch-Ready Starter $6,270 Save $772 on cover, formatting, publishing Choose Starter |
Most Popular
Launch-Ready Growth $11,270 Save $1,266 on cover, formatting, publishing Choose Growth |
Launch-Ready Authority $26,810 Save $1,806 on cover, formatting, publishing Choose Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manuscript scope | |||
| Word count | Up to 20,000 words | Up to 50,000 words | Up to 90,000 words |
| Best for | Short books, business guides, professional launches | Memoirs, full non-fiction | Novels, comprehensive memoirs |
| Total timeline | 12 to 17 weeks | 20 to 29 weeks | 29 to 42 weeks |
| Payment options | Single / 50-50 / 3 mo | Single / 50-50 / Milestone / 3 mo | Single / 50-50 / Milestone / 12 mo |
| Ghostwriting, at published rate | |||
| Ghostwriting tier | Ghostwriting Short ($5,495) | Ghostwriting Full ($9,999) | Ghostwriting Extended ($24,999) |
| Voice mapping interviews | 2 to 3 hours | 8 to 10 hours | 10 to 12 hours |
| Revision rounds | 2 rounds | 3 rounds | 5 rounds |
| Built-in editing pass | Line + copy + proofread | Developmental + line + copy + proof | All four levels in sequence |
| Chapter pacing audit | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beta read pass | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cover design, at half price | |||
| Cover tier | Cover Print-Ready |
Cover Print-Ready |
Cover Illustrated |
| Cover formats | Ebook, paperback, hardcover files | Ebook, paperback, hardcover files | Custom illustration, all formats, plus marketing assets |
| Design directions and revisions | Two directions, 3 rounds | Two directions, 3 rounds | Three directions, 5 rounds |
| Interior formatting, at half price | |||
| Formatting tier | Standard Complete |
Standard Complete |
Standard Complete |
| Manuscript covered | Full manuscript, no overage | Full manuscript, no overage | Full manuscript, no overage |
| Format coverage | Ebook, paperback, and hardcover interiors | Ebook, paperback, and hardcover interiors | Ebook, paperback, and hardcover interiors |
| Publishing, at half price | |||
| Publishing tier | Publishing Global |
Publishing Premium |
Publishing Premium |
| Ebook and paperback distribution | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hardcover distribution | Add later, $199 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audiobook setup and library reach | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Author copies shipped | 5 paperback | 15 paperback + 3 hardcover | 25 paperback + 5 hardcover |
| Management and protection | |||
| Dedicated project manager | ✗ | ✓ | Senior PM + priority response |
| Mutual NDA before kickoff | ✓ | ✓ | Plus individual writer NDA |
| Pricing | |||
| Bought separately | $7,042 | $12,536 | $28,616 |
| Bundle price | $6,270 | $11,270 | $26,810 |
| You save | $772 | $1,266 | $1,806 |
In every bundle
- One contract covering writing through launch
- One project manager start to finish
- Same writer pool across all three
- Same designer and publishing teams
- Chapter outline approval before drafting
- 100% IP transfer on delivery
- Every account set up in your name
- No per-service invoices to chase
—YOUR PROTECTION
What a real hire a ghostwriter contract protects (six specific clauses, signed before kickoff)
Ghostwriting horror stories almost always trace back to what was not in the contract. Vague NDAs, unclear rights language, AI clauses written in invisible ink, no off-ramp if the writer disappears. Every AuthorWings engagement starts with these six protections in writing, signed before any drafting begins.
Mutual NDA Signed
A mutual non-disclosure agreement is signed before kickoff by AuthorWings and everyone who touches your file, including your writer and project manager. The NDA keeps your manuscript content, your name, your subject matter, and the existence of the engagement itself confidential. Your project does not appear in our portfolio, on staff LinkedIn pages, or in any case study without your written permission.
100% Rights Retention
Every word written for you transfers to you on delivery, full copyright, full subsidiary rights, full derivative work rights. AuthorWings retains zero claim, zero royalty, and zero credit. The writer signs a separate work-for-hire agreement assigning their authorship rights to you, which is the only structure that holds up legally if your book becomes a film, an audiobook, or a translated edition years later.
Human-Only Drafting
Your contract explicitly prohibits AI-generated drafting, AI-generated dialogue, and AI-generated scene work. AI is permitted only for transcription of your interview audio and for routine grammar checking on already-written prose. Material generated by AI is not protected by copyright under current US Copyright Office guidance, which is why this clause is in writing rather than only in our marketing, which is why this clause is in writing, not just in our marketing.
Writer Reassignment Right
If the chemistry with your assigned writer is wrong after the first interview, or if the writer becomes unavailable mid-project, you have a contractual right to reassignment at no cost. The new writer inherits the full transcript, outline, and any drafted material. You do not start over, and you do not pay twice.
Milestone-Tied Payments
Payment is structured around documented deliverables, not calendar dates. On the milestone plan, each installment unlocks against a specific deliverable (contract, outline approval, mid-draft, final delivery). Single-payment and split-payment plans follow the same approval gates. If a milestone slips on our side, the next payment slips with it. This is the protection that keeps a project from drifting into month fourteen.
Off-Ramp Clause
Every contract includes a defined exit clause. If you need to cancel mid-project, the contract specifies what you receive (drafted work to date, transcripts, outline, partial refund formula) and what you owe. No hostage scenarios where the manuscript sits behind a final invoice. The off-ramp is written before kickoff, not negotiated under stress.
—WHEN NOT THE RIGHT FIT
When professional ghostwriting is the wrong fit, and the 3 cheaper services that beat it
Ghostwriting is the right answer for a specific kind of author. It is the wrong answer for at least three others. Read this before you sign anything.
You Want the Experience of Writing It Yourself
Some authors think they want a ghostwriter when what they actually want is two things at once: a finished book and the memory of having written it. Those two do not coexist. A ghostwriter hands you the manuscript, but the writing was theirs, not yours. If the doing is what matters to you, a book coach is the honest answer. Coaching costs less, takes longer, and leaves you with pages you can truthfully say you wrote, which was the point all along. Buy the wrong service and you get the book without the part you actually wanted, which was writing it.
Try this instead
A book coach guides your writing chapter by chapter. Cheaper, slower, and the byline is one you actually earned.
You Already Have a Finished Draft
If your manuscript is structurally complete and you just want to “polish it up,” you do not need a ghostwriter, you need an editor. A ghostwriter rewriting a finished draft costs roughly the same as writing one from scratch, because it is the same work either way. An editor working on a completed draft runs 30 to 60% less and gets you to publishable faster. Paying ghostwriting rates to refine pages you already wrote is paying twice for work you already did. Match the service to the stage the book is actually in.
Try this instead
Book editing is the right service to start with when the draft already exists.
The Budget Is Tight and the Timeline Can Wait
If $5,495 is genuinely more than you can commit, do not stretch into a project you cannot finish. The most painful story in this industry is the author who paid a 50% deposit, ran dry at month four, and lost the deposit and the book both. A contract that breaks at the halfway point is worse than no contract at all. Coaching, self-paced writing, or saving for six months until the number feels comfortable are all better outcomes than a ghostwriting deal that collapses mid-manuscript. Wait until the budget is real, then commit fully.
Try this instead
Spend the gap coaching or drafting on your own, or save until $5,495 is money you can commit without stretching. A book finished slowly beats a book abandoned at month four.
—COMPARE
Why book ghostwriting services at AuthorWings cost less than agencies and protect more than platforms
Four options exist when you decide to hire a ghostwriter. Three of them carry risks that are not visible on the sales page.
Ghostwriting rates from $1,500 to $80,000, and what each one actually buys
Four ways to hire a ghostwriter, with price plotted against the five protections that decide what happens when something goes wrong.
Boutique agencies come closest, and they start at $35,000, more than six times our entry price. The half mark they drop is editing, which is in every one of our tiers.
The five protections are: a written confidentiality agreement before work begins; full copyright assigned to you in writing; a professional editing pass included rather than billed on top; a guaranteed replacement writer if yours falls through; and a written workflow with defined milestones. Competitor price ranges reflect typical quotes for a 50,000 to 90,000-word manuscript. The AuthorWings range spans all three tiers, starting at 20,000 words, from EFA published rates and Authors Guild industry reporting.
—Frequently Asked Questions
What authors actually ask before they hire a ghostwriter
Fourteen questions, ordered the way they typically come up on intake calls.
What if my ghostwriter’s first chapter doesn’t sound like me?
Voice capture and the chapter outline exist to catch exactly that before drafting begins. If chapter 1 still misses the voice, you flag it in writing, and your writer rewrites at no extra cost inside revision round one. If after a full rewrite the voice match is still wrong, that is grounds for the writer reassignment clause in your contract. The new writer inherits all interview transcripts and outline work. You don’t start over, and you don’t pay twice.
Do your ghostwriters use AI to write any part of my book?
No. Your contract explicitly prohibits AI-generated drafting, dialogue, and scene work. A human writer writes every word of your manuscript. AI is used only to transcribe your interview audio and for routine grammar checking on prose a person has already written. This matters beyond principle: the US Copyright Office does not register material generated by AI, so a human-written manuscript is what protects your ability to own, register, and license your book.
Can I cancel my ghostwriting contract mid-project?
Yes. The off-ramp clause in every AuthorWings ghostwriting contract specifies what happens. You receive all drafted work, all interview transcripts, the chapter outline, and any partial chapters in source files. The refund formula depends on which milestone you have reached, since the writer has been paid for completed work. The clause is written before kickoff, so the answer is on paper before you ever need to ask the question.
Can a ghostwriter finish a manuscript I already started?
Yes, and it is one of the most common starting points we see. Your writer reads the existing material in the discovery phase and either continues it (matching the existing voice and structure) or restructures it (if the early chapters are not load-bearing for the rest of the book). The pricing tier is determined by the final word count, not the words remaining, because the existing material still requires editing, integration, and voice continuity work.
Is hiring a ghostwriter ethical?
Yes, and the standard is identical whether the book is a celebrity memoir, a CEO leadership book, or a first-time author’s business guide. As long as the rights have been transferred to you in writing through a work-for-hire agreement, you are the legal author. Work-for-hire authorship has been settled practice in trade publishing for generations. The Authors Guild has written publicly about ghostwriting as a legitimate professional practice.
Do I need to disclose that I used a ghostwriter?
No. There is no legal disclosure requirement in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia, and none for trade fiction, business books, memoirs, or self-help. The exception is academic publishing, where ghostwriting is generally prohibited. Some authors choose to credit a collaborator publicly (“with [name]”) for marketing or transparency reasons. That is a personal choice, not a legal one, and we support either decision.
Does my ghostwriter sign an NDA to keep the project private?
Yes. Your writer, your project manager, and AuthorWings all sign the mutual NDA before kickoff. It covers your manuscript content, your name, your subject matter, and the existence of the engagement. Files are stored in encrypted project folders accessible only to your assigned writer, project manager, and the editing pass team. Your project does not appear in our portfolio, on staff bios, or in marketing materials without your written permission. NDAs persist after the project ends.
Can I choose my ghostwriter’s country, time zone, or background?
Yes, within the available pool. Many authors request a US-based ghostwriter for tax and IP simplicity, UK-based writers for British English voice, or writers with specific subject expertise (medical, legal, military, religious). Specify your requirements in the discovery call. If we do not have a roster match, we say so on the call rather than promising and hoping. Most requests are met from the existing pool.
What file format is my finished manuscript delivered in?
A clean Word document is the default delivery format, with PDF as a secondary file for review. If you have specific formatting requirements (Scrivener, Google Docs, Vellum-ready), specify at intake and the writer accommodates. Every tier delivers source files with revision history, which is useful if you ever need to demonstrate authorship lineage to a publisher or agent.
How much does it cost to hire a ghostwriter for a book?
Ghostwriting a book at AuthorWings runs from $5,495 to $24,999, set by three tiers. Short ($5,495) covers books up to 20,000 words, Full ($9,999) covers up to 50,000, and Extended ($24,999) covers up to 90,000. Every tier includes voice capture, revision rounds, and a built-in editing pass, so the price you see is the price to a finished manuscript, not a writing-only quote with editing billed later.
What if my book ends up shorter or longer than the tier word count?
The tier word count is an upper limit, not a target. If your book is genuinely complete at 38,000 words, that is what you receive. We do not pad to hit a number. If your book genuinely needs more than the tier supports (a 60,000-word book in the Starter tier, for example), we discuss tier upgrade pricing transparently before drafting begins. No surprise overage fees mid-project.
Can the same ghostwriter write my next book?
Yes, and many authors return for a second or third book with the same ghostwriter. The voice work is already done, the working relationship is already established, and the second project typically moves faster on the schedule. We track writer-author pairings and prioritize continuity on repeat engagements. Pricing on book two follows the same tier structure, and no repeat-client premium.
How much of my time does working with a ghostwriter take?
Plan on the discovery call plus your tier’s interview hours, then reading time as chapters arrive. That means one 45 to 60 minute consultation, two to twelve interview hours depending on tier, and roughly an hour every two to three weeks to read each chapter batch and flag notes. You are not writing, but you are steering. The more present you are during voice capture and chapter review, the closer the final book sounds to you.
What’s the difference between a book writer for hire and full manuscript development?
A book writer for hire delivers a draft built from your interviews, source material, and outline. That is where the engagement ends. Full manuscript development is the longer arc: structural outline, voice mapping, drafting, the built-in editing pass, and the protections and rights transfer in your contract. AuthorWings sells the second one at every tier, because a draft that has not been developed and edited is not a publishable manuscript. The Starter tier supplies development on shorter books; Growth and Authority extend it to full-length non-fiction, memoir, and novels.
Who owns the copyright to a ghostwritten book?
You do, in full. Copyright, subsidiary rights, and derivative rights transfer to you on delivery. Your ghostwriter signs a separate work-for-hire agreement assigning their authorship to you, which is the structure that holds if the book later becomes a film, an audiobook, or a translated edition. AuthorWings keeps no claim, no royalty, and no credit.
What is included in a ghostwriting package?
Every package includes the discovery call, the voice-capture interviews for your tier, a chapter-by-chapter outline you approve in writing before drafting begins, full drafting, your package’s revision rounds, a built-in editing pass, and 100% transfer of rights on delivery. What changes between packages is scope: word count, revision rounds, interview hours, and how much project management sits on top. The writer pool does not change.
Do you offer cheap or affordable ghostwriting?
We will not be your lowest quote, and we would rather say that here than on a call. Affordable is a different question from cheap. A $12,000 quote that excludes editing becomes a $16,000 to $20,000 book once the manuscript has to be made publishable, which is the arithmetic most cheap quotes depend on you not doing. The Short package at $5,495 is a complete book, written by a person, edited, and handed over with the rights in your name.
Ghostwriter or ghost writer: is there a difference?
None. The one-word spelling is standard in publishing contracts and style guides; the two-word version is what most people type into a search bar. Both describe the same job, which is a professional writer producing a book published under someone else’s name. If you have been comparing ghost writers for hire and getting inconsistent results, the spelling is why.
Are you a ghostwriting agency, or a single ghostwriter?
An agency, though a deliberately small one. The distinction matters twice. Hiring a ghost writer directly means one person’s calendar, so if they fall ill or take on a larger project, yours waits and you have no recourse. An agency carries a pool, which is what makes the reassignment clause in your contract worth anything. The trade-off runs the other way too: some agencies rotate writers mid-project to protect margin. We do not.
Should I hire a ghostwriter near me?
Most authors asking this want to know they can reach a real person and hold someone accountable if the project goes wrong, which is a fair thing to want. Proximity is just not what delivers it. The work runs on video calls and email, and writers are worth hiring for what they have written rather than where they live, so narrowing to one city cuts the pool down to whoever happens to be nearby. What actually protects you is whose law your contract sits under, whether the rights transfer is written down, and whether there is a company standing behind the writer instead of one freelancer with a full calendar. We are registered in New York and based in Brooklyn, so ours sits under New York State law.
How do ghostwriting payments and deposits work?
Every tier offers a single payment or a 50-50 split. Growth and Authority add a milestone plan, where each installment unlocks against a named deliverable: contract, outline approval, mid-draft, final delivery. Authority also offers a 12-month plan. If a milestone slips on our side, the next payment slips with it.
Next Steps
❦See exactly what your book project will cost
Pick your services and see real pricing with no hidden fees, no forms, no waiting for a sales email. When you are ready, book a call with a ghostwriter who will tell you honestly which of three things is true: this is the right fit, a different service serves you better, or now is not the time.
Mutual NDA available before the call on request. 100% rights retention guaranteed. No contracts until you decide.
AuthorWings· Transparent Pricing · 100% Your Rights
Last updated: September 2026