The central theme of the inaugural Gathering of the Ghosts we co-hosted in January was how our profession was coming out of the shadows and into its own as a valued and valuable part of the publishing industry. But because the work we do — and more importantly, how we are paid for it — has historically been so discreet, at that time, we had no data to document or quantify our worth in the marketplace. At the urging of the 170+ extra-curious writers who attended, we set out to remedy that problem by commissioning the first-ever large-scale compensation survey of ghostwriters. Working with our partners at the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), we asked our peers what they typically charge for a book proposal and a full manuscript and their annual income from collaborating on books.
The clear takeaway: ghosting is in fact a premium service.
One-third of the 269 respondents reported earning more than $100,000 in annual income from book collaborations.
And 25 percent reported charging more than $100,000 for the most recent manuscript they partnered on.
What’s driving these rising rates? For starters, aspiring authors recognize that a well-executed book can extend their brand into realms where presentations, op-eds, and speeches can’t compete. At the same time, authorship has never been more accessible, thanks to the democratization of the publishing sector. Options abound for would-be authors — and as a result, accomplished, experienced collaborators are in high demand.
To learn more about the survey results and their implications, you can find our reports
here.
