There are 5 ways to be the author of a novel.

 

1. Write it entirely yourself, with no help (Flying Solo)

2. Co-write it with a collaborator (Co-authored)

3. Write it with guidance from a ghostwriter (Mentored)    

4. A ghostwriter rewrites your draft manuscript (Rewritten)

5. Have it entirely written for you (Ghost written)

 

Options 1 and 2 don’t involve a ghostwriter – but they are included here as a reality check if you’re considering writing a novel without a ghostwriter’s help at some level.

 

Option 3, 4 and 5 involve a ghostwriter and get progressively easier for you – 5 obviously being the easiest.    

 

Here is a brief outline of each option:

 

Option 1. Flying Solo   (Write it yourself – with no professional help)

The hardest approach – 100% your work. This option is self-explanatory – you will write the complete book entirely yourself without any professional help or guidance at all, from the opening word  on the first blank page to about word 70,000 on the last page.

 

Option 2. Co-authored                  (Write it with a collaborator)

For this approach you collaborate with someone you know who shares your interest in authoring a novel. It won’t necessarily be a 50/50 writing collaboration - that will depend on you and your collaborator. For instance, one of you may be a better writer while the other’s strength is concept, plot and character development.

 

Option 3. Mentored   (Guidance throughout your writing process)

You write a comprehensive concept synopsis of the novel you have in mind (Or you can use one of the free 100 offered in my Robot Ghostwriter book). You then hire a professional fiction ghostwriter who will guide you through a chapter-by-chapter writing process, helping you expand, edit and polish your work as you go. But you do most of the actual writing.

 

Option 4. Rewritten    (Your rough first draft professionally rewritten

You write a first draft completely yourself, as best you can. You then hand it over to a professional ghostwriter who will rewrite your draft manuscript expanding, enhancing, editing and generally polishing your work. The ghostwriter will provide you with a professionally written final manuscript.

 

Option 5. Ghost written              (Entirely written for you)

The complete opposite to Option 1 (Flying Solo). With this approach you commission a professional ghostwriter to write the entire book for you, from your ideas, information and background research. You won’t do any actual writing.

 

Probably the most personally satisfying for a first-time novelist is

Option 4.

 

COST   Calculated per word on the word count of the final manuscript. Per word rates vary depending on the extent of the ghostwriter’s involvement – so options 3, 4, and 5 have different rates. The word rates I’ve cited in this example are somewhere in the middle of standard ghost writing fees.

 

COST EXAMPLES: The following cost calculations take as an example a 70,000 word book, which is a medium-sized novel.

 

Options 1 and 2 are excluded from the cost options because there are no writing fees for you to pay – you are writing it yourself with a collaborator. There is no ghostwriter involved.

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Option 3  (You write it yourself, with guidance from the ghostwriter)

70,000 words at 10 cents per word = $7,000

Payments terms: 75% ($5,250) in advance. 25% ($1,750) on completion of your manuscript.

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Option 4   (Your rough first draft rewritten for you)

                  70,000 words at 15 cents per word = $10,500

Payments terms: 50% ($5,250) in advance. Then two consecutive monthly payments of 25% ($2,625 x 2)

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Option 5  (Entirely ghostwritten for you) 

                  70,000 words at 25 cents per word = $17,500

Payments terms: 50% ($8,750) in advance. 25% ($4,375) on delivery of draft manuscript. 25% ($4,375) on your final approval of manuscript.

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WHAT IS THE BEST OPTION?

For someone producing a book for the first time, Option 3 (Mentored) is probably the best approach – primarily for cost reasons. But it also gives you a fuller sense of ownership of the work and pride in the final book because you have made a significant contribution to writing it. Option 4 will also provide the same feeling of self-achievement but is a significantly more expensive approach.

 

With all five options the finished book is entirely yours with your name on the cover as the author. (With Option 4 you will share author credit with your collaborator)

 

MY GHOSTWRITING SERVICES

These days I only take on Option 4 projects. I no longer ghost write entire novels or novellas – a robot ghostwriter can do it so much faster and cheaper than I can. The ghost writing service I now provide is enhancing first draft AI novel manuscripts –  by adding human creativity, nuance and refinement through rewriting, editing, or simply fine-tuning the prose. If you  have a novel manuscript written by either an AI robot ghostwriter or a human one (including yourself) don’t hesitate to hand it over to me for an assessment – and enhancement if required. An assessment is a flat fee of AU$295. An enhancement/rewriting is costed at 15 cents per word (See Option 4 details above).

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PUBLISHING  

 

As a ghostwriter I don’t get involved in the printing or publishing of your book.

 

Important to note: There is a big difference between ‘printing’ and ‘publishing’ a book. Publishers pay you to publish your book. You pay printers to print your book – this includes ‘Vanity Publishers’ who disguise themselves as book publishers but are in fact, book printers.

 

Broadly, there are three ‘publishing’ options:

 

1. Traditional Publishing (True publishing)

You approach a professional, mainstream publisher to publish your book. You will find many such companies online. However, most won’t accept directly submitted ‘unsolicited’ manuscripts and will insist you go through a literary agent. Literary agents can also be sourced online.

 

2. Vanity Publishing – (False publishing)

Any company classed as a ‘Vanity Publisher’ is best avoided. (Like, for instance: Austin Macauley Publishers, Balboa Press, and Greenhill Publishing). They deceptively present themselves as traditional publishers. If a company says they’ll ‘publish’ your book (not simply print it) and you have to pay them to publish it, they are ‘vanity publishers’ – and essentially book printers not publishers in the true sense. Traditional publishers will pay you if they think your book will sell well and make them some money.

 

3. Self Publishing -  (Book printing)

You give your manuscript to a printing company who print books – they don’t ‘publish’ books as publishing companies do, which also includes marketing your book and distributing it to bookshops. Book printers don’t do this, they simply print your books, you pay them, and they deliver your books to you.

 

The best option for a first time author is to self-publish through a printing company that prints books, but doesn’t  present itself as ‘publishers’ ie. vanity publishers. Search online for ‘book printing companies’ who will offer to print your book, not publish it.