Explained
How Much Does a Ghostwriter Cost? 2026 Rates and Real Math
A ghostwriter for a full-length nonfiction book typically charges 33 to 50 cents per word, or $85 to $100 an hour, based on the Editorial Freelancers Association's 2026 median rates. Business books and memoirs run higher, at 50 cents to $1.00 per word. For a 50,000-word book, that is roughly $16,500 to $50,000 for the writing alone.
That range is wide because "a ghostwriter" covers everything from a newer freelancer to a senior writer with a shelf of bestsellers. This guide gives you the published rate data, shows the math for two common book sizes, and adds the editing, design and publishing costs most price quotes leave out.
If you are still deciding whether you want a ghostwriter at all, start with what ghostwriting is and how it works, then come back for the numbers.
Ghostwriting rates in 2026: the EFA numbers
The most useful public benchmark comes from the Editorial Freelancers Association rate chart. It reports median rate ranges from a survey of more than 1,100 members, which the EFA says is nearly a third of its membership. These are real working rates, not a marketing page.
| Type of ghostwriting | Per word | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Nonfiction, full-length book | 33 to 50 cents | $85 to $100 |
| Business and marketing | 50 cents to $1.00 | $87.50 to $125 |
| Memoir | 50 cents to $1.00 | $80 to $100 |
| Nonfiction, short-form | 27.5 to 50 cents | $70 to $75 |
| Articles and essays | 15 to 30 cents | $75 to $100 |
| Blog posts | 25 to 40 cents | $75 to $100 |
Two things to keep in mind when you read this table:
- These are medians. Half of the writers surveyed charge less, half charge more. Well-known ghostwriters with major-publisher credits can quote far above these ranges.
- Specialist work costs more. The same chart lists medical ghostwriting at $1.00 to $1.50 per word and technical writing at 87.5 cents to $1.08. If your book is dense with clinical, legal or engineering detail, budget toward the top.
What that means for a typical expert book
Most business and self-help books run 40,000 to 60,000 words. Shorter business books and lead-magnet books, the kind you hand out at talks or offer as a download, usually land between 20,000 and 35,000 words.
At the full-length nonfiction rate, a 50,000-word book costs $16,500 to $25,000 to write. If your writer prices it as business and marketing work, the same book costs $25,000 to $50,000. Not sure how your idea translates to word count? The words to pages calculator converts between the two. The EFA chart counts 250 words as one manuscript page, so 50,000 words is about 200 manuscript pages, though the printed book will differ with trim size and font.
Worked examples: the full project cost
The writing fee is the biggest line, but it is rarely the only one. Below are two realistic projects using the EFA medians for writing, nonfiction editing, formatting and cover design. They assume your ghostwriter handles the structural shaping of the book (which most do), so a separate developmental edit is not included.
Example 1: a 30,000-word lead-magnet book
| Line item | EFA median rate | Cost for 30,000 words |
|---|---|---|
| Ghostwriting (nonfiction, full-length) | 33 to 50 cents/word | $9,900 to $15,000 |
| Copyediting | 3 to 4 cents/word | $900 to $1,200 |
| Proofreading | 2 to 3 cents/word | $600 to $900 |
| Formatting | 2 cents/word | $600 |
| Cover design | $350 median per project | $350 |
| Total | $12,350 to $18,050 |
If the writer bills at business and marketing rates instead, the writing line becomes $15,000 to $30,000 and the total moves to roughly $17,450 to $33,050.
Example 2: a 50,000-word business book
| Line item | EFA median rate | Cost for 50,000 words |
|---|---|---|
| Ghostwriting (nonfiction, full-length) | 33 to 50 cents/word | $16,500 to $25,000 |
| Copyediting | 3 to 4 cents/word | $1,500 to $2,000 |
| Proofreading | 2 to 3 cents/word | $1,000 to $1,500 |
| Formatting | 2 cents/word | $1,000 |
| Cover design | $350 median per project | $350 |
| Total | $20,350 to $29,850 |
Priced at business and marketing rates, the writing alone is $25,000 to $50,000, and the full project lands around $28,850 to $54,850.
If you want an outside developmental edit on top (some authors do, as a second set of eyes on structure), the EFA median is 4 to 5 cents per word, or $2,000 to $2,500 for 50,000 words. A line edit at 3.5 to 5 cents per word adds $1,750 to $2,500.
Note that $350 is a median for cover design. Covers range widely, and a business book that has to look credible next to traditionally published titles is worth spending a little more on.
How ghostwriters price their work
Rate charts quote per word and per hour, but you will see four pricing models in actual proposals.
Per word
The most common way to think about book pricing. It is easy to compare across writers, but agree up front on whether the rate applies to the target length or the final delivered length, and what happens if the book runs long.
Per project (flat fee)
Many experienced book ghostwriters quote a single project fee, usually paid in installments tied to milestones such as signed contract, approved outline, half the manuscript, and final draft. A flat fee gives you budget certainty. Make sure the contract states the word count range and how many revision rounds are included.
Per hour
Hourly billing is more common for shorter work, editing-heavy projects, or books where the scope is unclear. At the EFA's $85 to $100 median for full-length nonfiction, every 100 hours costs $8,500 to $10,000. Ask for an estimate and a cap so the total cannot drift.
Royalty or revenue shares
Some writers accept a lower upfront fee in exchange for a share of book royalties, or occasionally a share of revenue the book generates. This is more common with traditionally published books that come with an advance. For a self-published expert book, most writers prefer a full fee, since sales alone are hard to predict. If you agree to a share, put the percentage, the duration and how it is reported in writing.
What drives the price up or down
Two writers quoting on the same book can be thousands of dollars apart. These are the factors that explain most of the gap:
- Length. The single biggest driver. Cutting a book from 60,000 to 40,000 words cuts the writing fee by a third.
- Research and interviews. A book built from your existing talks, courses and notes takes less time than one that needs fresh research, outside interviews or data analysis.
- The writer's experience and track record. Writers with published books in your category, strong references, and a reliable process charge more, and are usually worth it.
- Timeline. A rush deadline means the writer has to clear other work. Expect to pay for speed.
- Credit. A fully uncredited ghostwriter and a writer who gets a "with" credit on the cover may price differently. Some writers charge more for complete anonymity, others less.
- Subject complexity. Technical, medical and regulated topics take longer to get right and cost more, as the EFA chart shows.
- How much of your time it takes. A writer who has to chase you for interviews spends more hours. Being organized and available keeps costs down.
What is usually included, and what isn't
A low quote and a high quote often cover different things. Before comparing numbers, line up what each one includes.
Usually included in a ghostwriting fee:
- Discovery and interview sessions with you
- A chapter outline for your approval
- The full manuscript draft
- A set number of revision rounds
Often not included (ask):
- Copyediting and proofreading by a separate editor. A writer should not be the last person to check their own work.
- Cover design and interior layout. Usually a separate designer or a separate line item.
- Publishing setup. Uploading to Amazon KDP or other platforms, ISBNs, metadata and categories.
- A book proposal. If you are pitching traditional publishers, a proposal is its own project. The EFA median for book proposal writing is about $6,000.
- Marketing. Launch planning, ads and outreach are rarely part of a writing contract.
Also confirm in the contract that you own the copyright and keep all royalties. Our guide on how to hire a ghostwriter covers the contract terms, interview questions and red flags to check before you sign.
The full cost of getting a book out
Once the manuscript is done, you still need to publish it. How much that costs depends on the route you choose:
- Self-publishing keeps you in control and keeps the most royalty per copy. You pay for editing, design and formatting yourself, as in the examples above. Our step-by-step guide to self-publishing a book walks through the process.
- Hybrid publishing means you pay a company to handle production and distribution, usually for a larger fee and a share of royalties. See hybrid publishing vs self-publishing for how the trade-offs compare.
- Traditional publishing covers production costs, but you usually need a proposal and an agent first, and the timeline is long.
To get a number for your own project, plug your word count and choices into the self-publishing cost calculator. It adds up editing, cover design, formatting and ISBN costs so you can see the real total next to the ghostwriting fee.
Cheaper routes and their trade-offs
If $20,000 or more is out of reach, you still have options. Each one trades money for something else: your time, the depth of the work, or how much of it is done for you.
Write it yourself with an editor or book coach
You draft, a professional shapes it. A developmental edit on a 50,000-word manuscript runs $2,000 to $2,500 at EFA medians, plus copyediting and proofreading. This is the cheapest path to a good book. The trade-off is time: you need months of steady writing, and most busy experts stall in the middle.
Hire a writer for part of the job
Some writers will build the outline and polish chapters you draft or dictate, at a lower total than a full ghostwrite. You get professional structure while doing more of the raw drafting yourself. Scope this carefully so both sides know who writes what.
AI-assisted done-for-you studios
A newer model combines human editors with AI tools to bring the cost down. The quality varies a lot, so judge by samples and process, not by price. The questions that matter: does the book sound like you, do real editors work on every chapter, and do you own it outright?
Entrepedia works this way. Books start at $1,497 and are written in your voice from a strategy session that captures your methodology, stories and phrasing. Senior editors lead the work with AI-assisted refinement passes, every chapter is edited by people and reviewed by you, and you review a draft halfway through. Editing, layout and cover design are included, along with print-ready, EPUB and Kindle files, full intellectual property transfer and 100% of royalties. It is built for experts who want an authority book finished in weeks, not a literary memoir with months of original research. If you need the latter, a traditional ghostwriter is the better fit.
What to watch for at the very low end
Quotes far below the ranges above usually mean less interviewing, less experience, or less editing. That can be fine for a short guide. For a book that carries your name in front of clients, ask for samples in your category, check who does the editing, and make sure you own the result.
Is a ghostwriter worth it for an expert?
For most experts, a book is not a product that pays for itself through sales. It is a business asset, and the return shows up elsewhere:
- Clients. A book lets a prospect spend hours with your thinking before they ever book a call. Many experts use it as a high-trust lead magnet or a leave-behind after sales conversations.
- Speaking. Event organizers look for a clear point of view and proof you can deliver it. A book gives them both.
- Authority. "The author of" is a short, credible introduction for podcasts, media and partnerships.
The simplest way to judge it is with your own numbers. Take what one new client is worth to you over the life of the relationship, then ask how many clients the book would need to bring in to cover its full cost. If the answer is one or two, the decision is usually easy. If it is twenty, either the price or the plan needs work. Our book BOOKED goes deeper on turning a book into a steady source of clients, and this post covers why experts publish books in the first place.
If you have the expertise but not the months to write, compare a few quotes against the numbers above, or see how our book ghostwriting service is structured.
FAQ
How much does a ghostwriter cost per word?
For a full-length nonfiction book, the EFA's 2026 median is 33 to 50 cents per word. Business, marketing and memoir projects run 50 cents to $1.00 per word, and specialist topics like medical writing can go higher. Experienced writers with strong track records often quote above these medians.
Does ghostwriting actually pay?
For writers, it can be steady, well-paid work: at EFA median rates, a single 50,000-word nonfiction book is a five-figure project. For the author paying for it, the payoff usually comes from clients, speaking and credibility rather than book sales, so it pays when the book is tied to a clear business goal.
How much does an author make on a $20 book?
It depends on format and publishing route. On Amazon KDP, a $20 paperback earns 60% of the list price minus printing: a 200-page black-ink book costs $3.40 to print, leaving about $8.60 per copy. A $20 Kindle ebook sits above the $12.99 ceiling for the 70% rate, so it earns 35%, about $7.00. Traditional publishing royalties are set by your contract and are usually lower per copy. Run your own numbers in the KDP royalty calculator.
Is it cheaper to self-publish?
Upfront, traditional publishing costs you less because the publisher pays for production, but it is slow and selective. Self-publishing means you pay for editing, design and formatting, yet you keep control and a much larger share of each sale. For most experts using a book to win clients, self-publishing is the faster and more practical choice.
Who owns the book when you hire a ghostwriter?
You should. A standard ghostwriting contract transfers the copyright to you and leaves all royalties with you, unless you have negotiated a royalty share. Get the ownership terms in writing before any work begins.
