Sample Rates & Terms
Book Editing Fees for Fiction and Non-fiction
Proofreading and basic copy editing $3.00 page
All rates per standard double spaced manuscript page with 1” margins.
Basic copy editing is a "light edit" of a manuscript for spelling, grammar and general flow.
(Manuscript approximately 200 pages = $400)
Proofreading galleys (pre-publication) $2.00 page
(Manuscript approximately 200 pages = $400)
Galleys have already been through edits before reaching this stage, so this is a final once-over.
Copy Editing/Line Editing $4.00 per double spaced page
(Manuscript approximately 200 pages = $800)
This is a “heavier” editing job, line by line. This also includes substantive editing and fact checking where necessary.
Book “Doctoring”/Developmental Editing $8.00 per double spaced page
(Manuscript approximately 200 pages $1,600)
This is major editing, content editing and minor rewriting.
Copy editing small jobs—e.g., web content, business papers, short educational materials, etc. are hourly projects:
$60/hour with a 5-hour minimum Min. $300
Community Moderating & Social Media Management Services
Ghostwriting Fee Structure
Non-fiction books
Starting price, small book 100-200 pages $5,000-$12,000
Medium Book, 200-300 pages $10,000-$20,000
Large Book, over 300 pages $20,000 and up
(A book under 100 pages would be negotiated based on the work involved.)
Fees vary depending on the level of work required by me — see note below on pricing.
Fees are based on double-spaced, manuscript pages.
15% discount for byline
Byline: Prices are for confidential ghostwriting without co-author byline (as in “with,” “and” or “as told to”). If the client is willing to give a byline, the fee will be discounted by 15% from quoted project price.
Prices are impacted by the depth and breadth of the project. For example, how much work the client has already done on the project, whether I will need to conduct independent research, and the amount of interview time required to gather all the material needed for the book from the client. For example, in some cases a client will tell their story to me and I will write the entire book from interviews. In other case, a client may provide research and notes, and in other cases a client may have written a draft of a book that needs re-writing.
A manuscript draft that is more in need of comprehensive editing than ghostwriting would fall into the book “doctoring” or developmental editing category listed below and would cost less than ghostwriting.
These fees are in the moderate range of standard ghostwriting fees. As an individual freelancer I charge considerably less than editorial agencies while still maintaining a professional level fee structure. Many agencies start their fees at $25,000 and go from there. Mid-range agencies often start at $7,500 for a small book. I recommend a Google search to compare prices and services. I think you will agree that my rates are very reasonable for this industry. I provide exceptional quality and the personal attention you and your book need.
Interviews may be conducted and recorded in-person or by phone.
Writing Services: Writing with Byline, Ghostwriting, and Editing Articles or Newsletters
Hourly projects: $80/hour with a 5-hour minimum Min. $400
Small article (under 1,000 words) starts at: $500
Larger/feature article $750-$1500
Editing your original article:
$60/hour with a 3-hour minimum Min. $180
Editing fees are based on a standard manuscript page. That standard is an 8 ½ by 11 sheet, double-spaced, set in 12-point Times Roman or equivalent font with a 1” margin on all sides.
Writing: Miscellaneous—Blogs, Correspondence, Professional, Other
$80/hr with a 3 hour minimum Min. $240
Payment and Other Policies
Deposits and Payments: Books: For either ghostwriting or comprehensive editing (i.e., developmental editing, doctoring or full copy editing), a non-refundable deposit due at contract signing is required before work commences. Generally the deposit is 1/2 of the project fee (for longer projects, payments may be spread into 3 installments).The balance is paid when the manuscript is completed and before it is turned over to the client.
Proofreading and basic editing fees for a book manuscript are payable in full in advance for new clients. Established clients may pay ½ to commence project and the balance on completion.
Small Project Editing: Business Documents, Academic Papers, etc. are payable in full in advance. Please note that this is standard editorial practice.
Payment Method: The preferred method is invoicing and payment by PayPal, which accepts credit or debit cards. Mine is a verified business account. You will receive a receipt immediately from PayPal. Also accepted: business checks, secured money orders (Postal, Currency Exchange, etc.), or cashiers checks. Personal checks are on a case by case basis, but generally are accepted from clients with whom I have an established working relationship. All balances due must be paid on completion of project.
Turnaround: Ten to 30 days on most editing projects, three to six months on book projects.
Please note: while every effort is made to accommodate a projected deadline on editing and writing projects, on rare occasions unforeseen delays may occur, either within the project itself, or a personal event on the part of the editor/writer. Some flexibility is inherent in the nature of this work and should be understood as such.
RUSH JOBS: RAPID TURNAROUND IS AVAILABLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEE.
Non-refundable: Please note that payments are received in good faith and are non-refundable.
Research: Clients must provide detailed notes, a detailed outline, or an audio recording. I can aid in the creation of these materials. Editorial review: Client may request one free round of changes on the spelling, grammar, word choice, and punctuation of the completed work. Extra changes are subject to basic editorial costs. New pages are subject to basic ghostwriting costs. Travelexpenses: If applicable, travel expenses are additional. Travel must be paid for by the client as the expenses are incurred.
Revisions: The cost for minor revisions to a book or article is typically included in the price of the project. Minor revisions include word changes, and adding or refining a few sentences per page to add clarity. Major revisions and substantial additions are generally quoted per project based on the amount and complexity. Major revisions include rewriting more than two paragraphs of a page or adding information that was not included in the table of contents or feature outline when approved by the author. Editing for major revisions is $50 to $100 per hour depending on the scope.
Writing on "spec": Please note that I do not write "on spec," that is, in anticipation of a share in future profits. Very few, if any, professional writers can afford to do this unless the work has guaranteed commercial potential, such as a major celebrity biography. Even then, normally only a small portion is done on speculation. The industry standard is that ghostwriters and editors are paid as the work is done. Up-front deposits are also the industry standard. When the work is completed, payment is completed and the project is closed with the writer. Any future profits that do come from the book are the client’s and the ghostwriter has no claim on them.
Acting as Literary Agent: I do not provide this service. My work is strictly as a writer and/or editor, though I am a published author myself with two published books and many articles to my credit and so a very “publishable” writer. Guarantee: My guarantee to each client is that I will use my writing and publishing talent and expertise to the very best of my ability on behalf of each client to ensure their satisfaction with the written work. I want every client to have a satisfying and delightful experience working with me as their ghostwriter/editor. Confidentiality: I take confidentiality and your privacy very seriously. If contracted, you will have my assurance of confidentiality and that I will not knowingly disclose your information or anything about our relationship unless you have given me permission to do so, or unless required to do so by law. This includes situations where there is the possibility of my writing on topics similar to your project or if I were to accept work from one of your competitors.
If I am serving as your ghostwriter, I may request your permission to list you as a reference or to list your book/article in my portfolio. If you prefer to maintain complete secrecy about the nature of our work together, of course I will respect that.
Proofreading and basic copy editing $3.00 page
All rates per standard double spaced manuscript page with 1” margins.
Basic copy editing is a "light edit" of a manuscript for spelling, grammar and general flow.
(Manuscript approximately 200 pages = $400)
Proofreading galleys (pre-publication) $2.00 page
(Manuscript approximately 200 pages = $400)
Galleys have already been through edits before reaching this stage, so this is a final once-over.
Copy Editing/Line Editing $4.00 per double spaced page
(Manuscript approximately 200 pages = $800)
This is a “heavier” editing job, line by line. This also includes substantive editing and fact checking where necessary.
Book “Doctoring”/Developmental Editing $8.00 per double spaced page
(Manuscript approximately 200 pages $1,600)
This is major editing, content editing and minor rewriting.
Copy editing small jobs—e.g., web content, business papers, short educational materials, etc. are hourly projects:
$60/hour with a 5-hour minimum Min. $300
Community Moderating & Social Media Management Services
- $30-40/hour
Ghostwriting Fee Structure
Non-fiction books
Starting price, small book 100-200 pages $5,000-$12,000
Medium Book, 200-300 pages $10,000-$20,000
Large Book, over 300 pages $20,000 and up
(A book under 100 pages would be negotiated based on the work involved.)
Fees vary depending on the level of work required by me — see note below on pricing.
Fees are based on double-spaced, manuscript pages.
15% discount for byline
Byline: Prices are for confidential ghostwriting without co-author byline (as in “with,” “and” or “as told to”). If the client is willing to give a byline, the fee will be discounted by 15% from quoted project price.
Prices are impacted by the depth and breadth of the project. For example, how much work the client has already done on the project, whether I will need to conduct independent research, and the amount of interview time required to gather all the material needed for the book from the client. For example, in some cases a client will tell their story to me and I will write the entire book from interviews. In other case, a client may provide research and notes, and in other cases a client may have written a draft of a book that needs re-writing.
A manuscript draft that is more in need of comprehensive editing than ghostwriting would fall into the book “doctoring” or developmental editing category listed below and would cost less than ghostwriting.
These fees are in the moderate range of standard ghostwriting fees. As an individual freelancer I charge considerably less than editorial agencies while still maintaining a professional level fee structure. Many agencies start their fees at $25,000 and go from there. Mid-range agencies often start at $7,500 for a small book. I recommend a Google search to compare prices and services. I think you will agree that my rates are very reasonable for this industry. I provide exceptional quality and the personal attention you and your book need.
Interviews may be conducted and recorded in-person or by phone.
Writing Services: Writing with Byline, Ghostwriting, and Editing Articles or Newsletters
Hourly projects: $80/hour with a 5-hour minimum Min. $400
Small article (under 1,000 words) starts at: $500
Larger/feature article $750-$1500
Editing your original article:
$60/hour with a 3-hour minimum Min. $180
Editing fees are based on a standard manuscript page. That standard is an 8 ½ by 11 sheet, double-spaced, set in 12-point Times Roman or equivalent font with a 1” margin on all sides.
Writing: Miscellaneous—Blogs, Correspondence, Professional, Other
$80/hr with a 3 hour minimum Min. $240
Payment and Other Policies
Deposits and Payments: Books: For either ghostwriting or comprehensive editing (i.e., developmental editing, doctoring or full copy editing), a non-refundable deposit due at contract signing is required before work commences. Generally the deposit is 1/2 of the project fee (for longer projects, payments may be spread into 3 installments).The balance is paid when the manuscript is completed and before it is turned over to the client.
Proofreading and basic editing fees for a book manuscript are payable in full in advance for new clients. Established clients may pay ½ to commence project and the balance on completion.
Small Project Editing: Business Documents, Academic Papers, etc. are payable in full in advance. Please note that this is standard editorial practice.
Payment Method: The preferred method is invoicing and payment by PayPal, which accepts credit or debit cards. Mine is a verified business account. You will receive a receipt immediately from PayPal. Also accepted: business checks, secured money orders (Postal, Currency Exchange, etc.), or cashiers checks. Personal checks are on a case by case basis, but generally are accepted from clients with whom I have an established working relationship. All balances due must be paid on completion of project.
Turnaround: Ten to 30 days on most editing projects, three to six months on book projects.
Please note: while every effort is made to accommodate a projected deadline on editing and writing projects, on rare occasions unforeseen delays may occur, either within the project itself, or a personal event on the part of the editor/writer. Some flexibility is inherent in the nature of this work and should be understood as such.
RUSH JOBS: RAPID TURNAROUND IS AVAILABLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEE.
Non-refundable: Please note that payments are received in good faith and are non-refundable.
Research: Clients must provide detailed notes, a detailed outline, or an audio recording. I can aid in the creation of these materials. Editorial review: Client may request one free round of changes on the spelling, grammar, word choice, and punctuation of the completed work. Extra changes are subject to basic editorial costs. New pages are subject to basic ghostwriting costs. Travelexpenses: If applicable, travel expenses are additional. Travel must be paid for by the client as the expenses are incurred.
Revisions: The cost for minor revisions to a book or article is typically included in the price of the project. Minor revisions include word changes, and adding or refining a few sentences per page to add clarity. Major revisions and substantial additions are generally quoted per project based on the amount and complexity. Major revisions include rewriting more than two paragraphs of a page or adding information that was not included in the table of contents or feature outline when approved by the author. Editing for major revisions is $50 to $100 per hour depending on the scope.
Writing on "spec": Please note that I do not write "on spec," that is, in anticipation of a share in future profits. Very few, if any, professional writers can afford to do this unless the work has guaranteed commercial potential, such as a major celebrity biography. Even then, normally only a small portion is done on speculation. The industry standard is that ghostwriters and editors are paid as the work is done. Up-front deposits are also the industry standard. When the work is completed, payment is completed and the project is closed with the writer. Any future profits that do come from the book are the client’s and the ghostwriter has no claim on them.
Acting as Literary Agent: I do not provide this service. My work is strictly as a writer and/or editor, though I am a published author myself with two published books and many articles to my credit and so a very “publishable” writer. Guarantee: My guarantee to each client is that I will use my writing and publishing talent and expertise to the very best of my ability on behalf of each client to ensure their satisfaction with the written work. I want every client to have a satisfying and delightful experience working with me as their ghostwriter/editor. Confidentiality: I take confidentiality and your privacy very seriously. If contracted, you will have my assurance of confidentiality and that I will not knowingly disclose your information or anything about our relationship unless you have given me permission to do so, or unless required to do so by law. This includes situations where there is the possibility of my writing on topics similar to your project or if I were to accept work from one of your competitors.
If I am serving as your ghostwriter, I may request your permission to list you as a reference or to list your book/article in my portfolio. If you prefer to maintain complete secrecy about the nature of our work together, of course I will respect that.