Ghostwriting Services are perfect for clients who have a story or article idea but don’t have the time, desire, or ability to write it. Ghostwriting services provides work-for-hire services by a professional writer. A ghostwriter, based on client input, researches, outlines, and writes the manuscript. The client retains the copyright and is able to market the book for publication. The Carnegie Center Ghostwriting Author Service provides agreement services between clients who have a story they want written and professional independent ghostwriters who are available to write the book.
Perfect For Clients Looking For:
- With an idea or an article or book
- Who have an outline but don’t have the time, desire, or ability to complete the article or book
- Who have a rough draft but don’t have the time, desire, or ability to complete the book
Things To Know Before You Solicit Services:
- The client consults with the ghostwriter and provides notes, ideas, and feedback throughout the process.
- Fees for ghostwriting vary depending on the topic, length, amount of research needed, and possible written work provided by the client.
- Ghostwriting fees can range from $500 to $50,000+.
- Ghostwriters make every effort to write a draft consistent with the views, ideas, and voice of the client, but make no guarantee that the completed manuscript will be acquired by a publisher.
- The ghostwriter and Carnegie Center have no ownership interest in the author’s work; the author retains all rights, including copyright.
- The client is responsible for providing notes and feedback throughout all phases of the process.
- The Carnegie Center is not responsible for the ghostwriter’s comments, work, or finished draft.
- The Carnegie Center acts solely as a mediatory service between the client and ghostwriter.
- Hiring a professional ghostwriter to write a book can be costly depending on the type/length of the book and research required. For more information about ghostwriting fee structures, please see the links below.
Ghostwriting Service Fee Structure
- Fees are pre-paid by the client according project phases (see below).
- Fees paid by the client are used to pay the ghostwriter’s fees.
- The ghostwriter invoices and is paid by the Carnegie Center at the completion of each project phase.
- At the end of each phase, the client pre-pays for the next phase.
- The ghostwriter does not continue until payment is received by the Carnegie Center.
- At any time, the client and/or ghostwriter may terminate the agreement at which time the ghostwriter agrees to provide all recordings, notes, etc. which may be used by the client should the client decide to continue the project with another ghostwriter.
- Fees are not refundable since they directly cover the cost of work completed by the ghostwriter.
How it Works
1. INITIAL CONSULTATION
The client directly contacts one of the ghostwriting mentors (see below) and pre-pays for a mentoring consultation at the mentoring service rate of $45/hour. The purpose of the initial consultation is to determine writing/personality compatibility and feasibility of the match. Clients and ghostwriters are encouraged to record consultations and the recordings are the property of the client).
2. PROJECT CONSULTATIONS ($45/HOUR)
If the client and writer agree to the partnership, the client pre-pays for additional project consultations at the mentoring rate of $45/hour. Several consultations may be required. Clients pre-pay for hours needed.
The purpose of the project consultations includes:
- Clarify project goals and expectations.
- Determine the timeline/deadline to complete this Project Consultation phase and schedules the consultations.
- Provide/review notes, research, and available bibliography already collected by the client.
- Provide/review drafts that the client has written.
- Provide/review any additional information pertinent to the project.
3. GHOSTWRITING AGREEMENT
Based on the Project Consultations, the ghostwriter completes an agreement that includes the total flat fee for completing the manuscript. The estimate by the ghostwriter includes a rationale for the fee estimate and a timeline (dates for reporting to the client) of the following project milestones. The Carnegie Center adds a 10% processing fee.
At any time, the client and/or ghostwriter may terminate the agreement. The ghostwriter agrees to provide all recordings, notes, etc. at the end of the agreement.
4. PROJECT MILESTONES & PAYMENT SCHEDULE
The ghostwriting agreement is divided into project milestones. Milestones are determined by the ghostwriter and are based on the needs and size of the project.
Examples of milestones include:
- Research and reading of any materials provided by the client.
- Completion of a project summary, book outline, and sample chapters.
- Completion of half the projected word count.
- Completion of the draft.
- Revisions and editing.
- Completion of the final draft
- Once the agreement has been signed by both the client and the ghostwriter, the client pre-pays the first project milestone by contacting Carnegie Center Registrar Karen Little at karen@carnegiecenterlex.org. All payments are non-refundable.
5. COMPLETED MILESTONES PROCESS
After each completed milestone, the ghostwriter submits the completed milestone work for client review/feedback along with a deadline for client feedback.
The client completes the review of the completed milestone. Once the client has returned feedback to the ghostwriter and is ready for the next milestone, the client contacts Carnegie Center Registrar Karen Little (karen@carnegiecenterlex.org) and prepays for the next project milestone.
It is understood that writing cannot move forward to completion without timely feedback and completion of milestones by both the client and the ghostwriter. The client and ghostwriter work to develop reasonable timelines for feedback and completion of work.
It is also understood that ghostwriting cannot move forward until each milestone is pre-paid.
MEET THE GHOSTWRITERS
Laurie Calkhoven
Children’s Writing, Revising, & Ghostwriting
Bio
Laurie Calkhoven is the author of more than 50 books for young readers ranging from beginning readers to YA. In addition to her own novels in the Boys of Wartime and Roosevelt Banks series, she has authored six novels for American Girl, worked as a ghostwriter for people more famous than herself, and penned many books of nonfiction. Laurie often leads meditations for writers and illustrators to help them uncover aspects of their characters and their stories. She is a frequent workshop leader at the Highlights Foundation and at regional SCBWI conferences. Laurie is available for mentoring in all aspects of children’s writing and revising.
Laurie is based in New York and unavailable for in-person meetings.
Liz Carey
nonfiction writing, magazine and newspaper writing, ghostwriting biographies, and researching and writing about history
Bio
Liz Carey is a journalist, author and freelance writer living in Lexington. A graduate of Miami University, she worked as a reporter for 20+ years, winning more than 30 local, state, and national awards for her writing and reporting, before setting off on her own as a freelance writer. Currently, she writes about rural health, Appalachian culture, the transportation industry, workers’ compensation, and Kentucky arts and entertainment. The rural health reporter for the Daily Yonder–a national news outlet focusing on rural issues–Carey has focused lately on the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the growing rural mental health crisis, the opioid crisis, the rural health care system, and vaccine distribution. She is the author of two books – Hidden History of Anderson County, published by Acadia Press, and My Little Zombie, which she self-published. Additionally, she has ghost-written six biographies.
Writing Mentor Service Topics: nonfiction writing, magazine and newspaper writing, ghostwriting biographies, and researching and writing about history
