FAQ

 

What kind of topics do you write about?

I can write on just about any topic. If I’m not familiar with the subject, I’m all ears to your explaining what I need to know, and what your viewpoint on the subject is, so that I can be your emissary to write your book. The nature of being a writer is that sometimes we are called upon to write about a topic we are not familiar with, and we must learn about the subject. For example, I didn’t know anything about Bibliotherapy before I read about it. I then wrote an informative article on the topic.

There are however some topics I don’t write about. I don’t write erotica. I don’t write racial material.

I also wouldn’t recommend myself to write a mystery novel. I have hardly even read any mysteries. I guess it’s just not my thing. 

But otherwise I’m open to writing just about anything. I enjoy writing fiction and if you have an idea for a great story, I’d love to hear about it.  I can also do all kinds of non-fiction such as autobiographies, memoirs, self-help, and many other types. Just ask.

 

Will you eliminate or reduce your fee if I allow you to share the royalties of my book?

The short answer to this question is no. Sorry. I need to get paid for my work, and the nature of the book industry is that there are no guarantees how many copies of any book will sell, no matter how wonderful the book is, or how hard the book is marketed. So I get paid for my work, and you get to keep all the royalties.

 

Will I make a profit from my book?

Maybe, but don’t count on it. As I said above, the nature of the book industry is there are no guarantees about how many copies of any book will sell.

I like to work with people who have other motives for publishing a book besides making a profit. For example, maybe you want to publish your family history, for your family to cherish for generations to come. Or maybe you have important information to share that can be greatly helpful to people, and you want to get your message out to as many people as you can- even if you wont necessarily reach enough people to cover the cost of producing your book.

 

Will My book be published by a traditional publisher?

I can’t guarantee that your book will be published by a traditional publisher. By the way, I would be very skeptical if I came across any ghostwriter who makes such promises. The fact is, traditional publishers don’t publish every book that’s interesting and well written. Many great authors and many wonderful books have been rejected by traditional publishers. 

You can certainly try to get your book published by a traditional publisher. But even if your dream is to get published by a traditional publishing company, I suggest keeping self-publishing as a back up plan. Nowadays with ebook publishing and Print On Demand, self-publishing has become affordable.

 

How long will you take to write my book?

 I know you’re very eager to hold that book in your hands! But it’s impossible to predict how long it will take to write a whole book. The time it takes to write a book depends on numerous factors, such as, of course, the length of the book. Other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, how much research is required, and how much of the necessary information and or materials you have ready. I can give a very vague estimate. It can take anywhere from approximately 5 months, to a year to write a full length book.  

What if I don’t like how you wrote it?

All writers need to polish their work. The first writing is called a ‘draft’, not a ‘finished product.’

I aim to please. If there’s anything you’re not happy with, I will fix it. I work closely with you. I make sure I am clear as to how you want me to write every chapter. I then send the chapter to you for your approval. If there is anything you want me to change, you will tell me exactly which part or parts of the chapter didn’t meet your approval, and exactly how you would like me to change it.

I do up to two revisions per chapter. If you want more than two revisions per chapter, I charge at a rate of $40 per hour. Since we will work closely together, and I make sure I understand what you want, the chances that you will need more than two revisions is unlikely.

 

How much will it cost to have you write my book?

I explain this in detail in the Prices and Policies section. But here’s a summary:

All prices include an ample amount of consultation/research time.

For short books, about 50 pages or so, I charge $100 a page

Full-length books approximately 160 to 240 pages would be $16,000, to $24,000, depending on the level of credit I get, which of course is up to you.

See the Prices and Policies page for details. 

 

Why does it cost that much?  

When it comes to hiring a writer, generally speaking you get what you pay for. You could get a youngster to write your book for five dollars a page or maybe even less. You can be sure that with such rates, your writer’s goal is to bang out as many pages as quickly as possible, with little regard to the quality of the writing, just to earn a half decent sum.

Professional writers are completely different. Of course, we try to finish your book in a timely fashion, but we won’t sacrifice quality to do so. We charge professional rates, (Think of what you pay your accountant.) and we take the time and put in the effort to make sure your book is well written, and we have the writing skills to do so. We are not youngsters looking for pocket change. Writing is our profession, and our reputation depends on the quality of our writing, so we take it seriously.

Realize as well, that writing a book is a long term project that takes months-sometimes many months, and it isn’t just writing. There are also hours of consultations during the progression of your book. I include many hours of consultation in my prices. 

My prices are within the range of professional writer’s rates, and are actually toward the lower end of the range.

 

Must I pay you the full price all at once?

 Of course not! I am very flexible about how I get paid, as long as I’m getting paid consistently along the way, and I’m paid in full by the time the book is finished. A good idea is to make an estimate of how many chapters the book will be and divide the total cost of the book by the number of estimated chapters. You can then pay for each chapter once that chapter meets your approval. Or if you have another idea about payment schedule, we can discuss it.