So, you've decided to have you book ghostwritten. How much will it cost you?
OK, first, like anything, are you hiring a sure-fire winner, someone who will transform your idea into a truly publishable book, perhaps even a best-seller, someone who has years and years of experience? If so, you pay for the privilege at about $100,000 plus perhaps a royalty share.
Or if you're less ambitious and you just love the style and outlook of a writer but he/she is not well-known, not yet an authority, perhaps you can get it all done for about $30,000.
But let's think about that for a moment.
Although your writer may be well-known (and we know agents and publishers love well-known authors) remember the whole idea of ghostwriting is they get no credit on the book. For all intents and purposes, you wrote the book.
So what value is there in your writer's name?
This is where business and fiction writing diverge.
Perhaps you might consider giving them a credit on the book after all. For business content, not a big deal. The exposure and authority of your book is way more important than the vanity of who wrote it.
That name would definitely help you. If a company advertised their stainless steel razor blades, why wouldn't they mention their supplier if their supplier is well-known as supplying finest steel. Maybe they supply steel to the leading Japanese sword-makers. That has to be a plus, an authority.
All you have to do is get your head round the fact that actually everyone can see you didn't really write the book.
For fiction, however, vanity (or I prefer realism) is stronger.
This is your baby. You've developed a concept and perhaps the basis for the plot all on your own. The point is not to secure sales by showing someone else is a great writer. You want your idea out there.
You just don't have the time to write 100,000 words at the same time as taking Billy and Jack to school, holding down a full time job and then entertaining Billy and Jack later. This is why fiction ghostwriting is often unfairly considered a vanity.
Some folks will throw money at a problem and cost it out so a profit is made, some don't have the time, as we said.
But some just want a writer to put their idea down in a way that they know readers like to read. They can make sure the reader is invested in reading it from page one and it keeps them excited toward that twist at the end you love so much.
Your idea is strong enough, get it written as people will, want to read it and you're away.
In summary...
For business, add an authority brand to your effort and credit the ghostwriter.
For fiction, it's not necessary but there's still a way your writer's identity can help you. You can credit your ghostwriter in another way.
Call him/her an editor. After all, they will have edited it as well. That way the industry can see it's had some professional intention and it's more likely to have a look, it's still your idea, your baby, so it reeks of your DNA and your writer gets paid and gets a cheeky credit, always nice.
