How does The Ghostwriters Agency work?

The Ghostwriters Agency connects authors like you with bestselling ghostwriters. This is how it works:

1. Fill in our form: Tell us a bit about your idea, why a book is the best way to tell your story and which existing titles you could see yourself competing with.

2. We’ll be in touch: Once we receive your completed form, we’ll aim to get back to you within 48 hours. We may need to ask a few more questions to make sure we understand what you want to achieve.

3. We’ll contact our ghostwriters: We’ll put together a brief and send it out to all of the ghostwriters on our books. We’ll let them know your deadline, budget, and any other key details. The ghostwriters are then given up to a week to respond.

4. Ghostwriters send their pitches: Interested ghostwriters will then put together proposals to pitch why they are the best person for your project. This might include:

a. Their relevant experience in your genre.

b. What approach they would take to bring your story to life.

c. Rates and payment terms for their ghostwriting services.

d. Approximate turnaround times.

e. Testimonials.

f. On average, authors receive 6-12 pitches from ghostwriters, however, this number can vary depending on factors like deadlines, availability and genre.

5. Review process: Once you receive the proposals, you will need to review each one and create a shortlist of your favourite ghostwriters. We recommend narrowing the list down to 3-5 ghostwriters.

6. Interview stage: The next step is setting up introductory calls with your shortlisted ghostwriters. This is an important part of the process as it gives you the chance to get a better sense of the ghostwriter’s personality to figure out if you would enjoy working with them.

7. Decision time: Once you have chosen which ghostwriter you would like to work with, we take a step back and the ghostwriter will share their contract and terms of business.

8. Exchange of contracts and payment: Once the fine details have been ironed out and you both sign the contract, you will be required to pay a deposit. The ghostwriter will then get to work. The rest of the fee will be made incrementally depending on what both parties agree in the contract

9. Stay in touch. Please stay in touch with us at the Ghostwriters Agency. We’d love to hear about how your project goes and, of course, will be here should further projects arise.

How do I choose the right ghostwriter?

Writing a book often feels like a very personal journey and can be a moving and cathartic experience. Hiring the right ghostwriter is key to success. It’s important the client feels comfortable and relaxed around their ghostwriter in order for them to speak freely and share their innermost thoughts at times. We suggest having a detailed conversation with your potential ghost, asking them about their past experience, including what books they have written. Often, when you’re a good match, the ghostwriter will have a good feeling about a client and vice versa!

What happens if things go wrong with my ghostwriter?

In our experience it is very rare for things to go wrong. But in the unlikely event they do, we can mediate between parties to try and resolve any issues. In the ghostwriting contracts there is also a clause allowing either party to walk away from the process if things don’t work out. However, this almost never happens.

How much does a ghostwriter cost?

Our ghosts are best-selling ghostwriters and therefore provide a premium service. There are other services that charge far less, but ghost writing is very much a service where you get what you pay for. The average memoir starts from £25,000 but for other projects six figure sums are realistic quotes. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Will the book make money?

It’s hard to say how much money any book might make. Every year, there are a huge number of bestsellers which have been ghostwritten. However, not all books can enjoy such success, nor will they make the author a significant amount of money. Many authors, especially those from the world of business, see their books as a calling card to emphasise their credentials. Or, a book can help solidify a thought leader’s reputation for example. If you have a burning desire to write a book, you won’t regret it.

Can I offer a ghostwriter a share in royalties?

We work on a flat fee basis. On very rare occasions, it is worthwhile for a ghost to accept a reduced flat fee in exchange for royalties but, generally, royalty payments offer both author and ghostwriter very low rewards. There is a big misconception that a ‘share of royalties’ will pay enough for a ghost’s time and expertise. Sadly, this rarely happens!

How does ghostwriting work?

It’s very simple. When you hire a ghostwriter, they will sit down with the client, and they have a series of conversations or interviews, to glean as much information as possible. This can be done face to-face or sometimes online via Zoom. The client might also share written notes or diaries, or even an incomplete draft. Usually, it takes around 20 hours of interview time per book, but this depends on the length of the manuscript. Once the ghostwriter has enough information, they start writing! Some clients like to read each chapter for approval as they are written, while others prefer to read the manuscript in one go. Whatever your preferences, ghostwriters can be flexible.

Is everything between the ghostwriter and client confidential?

Yes, when you hire a ghostwriter with us, there will be a clause in the contract assuring you complete confidentiality.

What is the average length of a book?

The average length of a memoir is around 70,000 words. The average length of a novel is about 90,000 words. Ghostwriters can write to any length, but anything over 100,000 is often deemed too long for publishers.

How long does it take to write a book?

The time it takes to write a book can vary from project to project. On average it takes at least three months to write a book, but it can take up to a year.

What’s the difference between publishing and self-publishing?

Anyone can self-publish a book. There are companies who can help you do this for a fee. They will organise a proof reader and copy editor (we recommend any manuscript is edited after a ghostwriter has finished), and also design a cover and even physically make a book. The book can be downloaded onto Amazon or other preferred outlets. Other clients want to see their book published. The options here are mainstream publishers (think of the big ones like Penguin and HarperCollins) and smaller independent publishers. In the first instance, the manuscript will need to be sent to a commissioning editor. At our discretion, we can help direct clients to the appropriate people or recommend an agent. However, we cannot guarantee finding either a publisher or an agent.

How quickly can I hire a ghostwriter?

You can find a ghostwriter with The Ghostwriters Agency very fast! Using our ghostwriting services, you can expect to hear from us within 48 hours and we will quickly get to work to match you with a suitable ghost who is available to start helping you write your book.

How can I become a ghostwriter with The Ghostwriters Agency?

We love hearing from ghostwriters!

Not only are we a platform for ghostwriters, but we also provide support to a network for ghostwriters with regular meet-ups. Once signed by the agency, ghostwriters receive notice of all new jobs that have been posted. It is up to individual ghostwriters to decide whether they want to pitch for the job, and have the capacity to fulfill the brief within the given timeframe.

The process of signing up with The Ghostwriters Agency is straight forward:

1. Register with The Ghostwriters Agency. The Ghostwriters Agency welcomes applications from experienced ghosts to join our team. To keep standards high and to offer authors the best possible choice of collaborators, we do have some minimum standards. To join this agency, ghostwriters must have worked on books that have reached bestseller status at The Sunday Times, or received an Amazon orange flag for the same. We also welcome ghostwriters who have won awards for their collaborations.

2. Matching process. When clients post a project, The Ghostwriters Agency platform will post details to its network of approved ghosts, according to their previously stated preferred genres. If a ghostwriter is interested in a specific project, they can reply with their pitch. Once a match has been made, the agency puts clients and ghosts in touch.

3. Confidentiality. All collaboration arrangements are 100% confidential. Ghostwriters who are unsuccessful in their pitches will be informed that the client has chosen elsewhere, but will not know the name of the successful ghost.

4. The business bit. We do not negotiate fees, the ghostwriter makes those decisions directly with the client or publisher they have chosen to work with. Ghostwriters who are successfully matched with authors will pay The Ghostwriters Agency 10% of the fee they agree with authors for books up to a fee of £12,000 and 15% for books with an agreed fee over that amount. This fee is payable at the beginning of the engagement. The nitty gritty of this can be found in the Terms and Conditions below (please read them as part of the signing-up process) but essentially, once the contract has been awarded, the ghostwriter will inform The Ghostwriters Agency of the successful pitch and we will invoice for our fee.

As with our authors, we like our ghostwriters to stay in touch and let us know how the contract progresses and, of course, look forward to seeing the finished article when it is published.

5. The fun bit. We hold regular meet-ups for all our members. Ghostwriting can be a lonely business, and we offer a supportive community of best-selling ghostwriters.

How much are ghostwriters paid?

Ghostwriters set their own fees when they pitch for a job, and how much they charge is based on the scope of the project. Fees for an average 70,000 word manuscript start from £25,000. However, these fees will vary, and no two jobs are the same.

Variables include the amount of research required, the length of the book and the previous experience of the ghost. It is very much a matter of author preference – and budget – who they choose once they have weighed up pitches from our team of ghostwriters.

The Ghostwriters Agency charges its ghostwriters a commission of 10% on the agreed fee for books up to a fee of £12,000 and 15% on books with a fee over that amount. This is paid upfront to the agency at the beginning of the collaboration once contracts have been signed. Individual ghostwriters will set their own terms with authors. All will specify an advance, which will be a proportion of the overall fee. Then, some ghostwriters will wish to be paid on a monthly basis across the term of the contract, while others will divide the fee into three parts, with 30% paid in advance, at the start of the project. Two further payments of 30% of the total fee will then be paid to the ghostwriter upon submission of the first half of the manuscript and following delivery of the full manuscript.

Why should I choose The Ghostwriters Agency?

Our mission is simple – to connect you with the absolute best ghostwriting talent so you can tell your story, your way. Unlike other agencies, we are led by two multi-award-winning, bestselling ghostwriters, Shannon Kyle, and Teena Lyons. And our ghostwriters aren’t just talented writers – every name on our books has personally either collaborated on a bestseller or won an award for their work, so they know firsthand what it takes to create a compelling manuscript.

When you hire a ghostwriter with The Ghostwriters Agency, you can have confidence your story is in expert hands. If you have a powerful story to share and dream of getting it published, we can make it happen.

How can I get started with The Ghostwriters Agency?

Whether you are looking for a bestselling ghostwriter to help bring your story to reality, or you are a bestselling ghostwriter looking to join us, just fill out our form and we’ll take care of the rest.

Get in touch today to find out more about our award-winning ghostwriting services.