Business book ghostwriting services

The most obvious answer to this often-asked question is time. If you are the leader in your field, you are busy doing what you do best. Writing a book can take between three to six months of a professional writer’s time, working full-time. Do you have that amount of spare time?

There are other compelling reasons to use a ghostwriter with a proven track record in writing bestselling business books:

1. A fresh perspective: Business authors all begin with a long list of ideas of what to include in their book. A ghostwriter will help you explore which of them will be most compelling to the reader. They’ll also encourage you to explore entirely new possibilities which will make it an even stronger read.

2. Top-notch writing: While professionals will undoubtedly know how to write well and will have most likely written extensively over their career, writing a book is a world away from the short form writing used in reports and letters. The bestselling ghostwriters who are members of The Ghostwriting Agency know how to write what sells.

3. Additional research: While you’ll have access to a lot of the information required additional research always needs to be done to back all the arguments in a book. Ghostwriters have the time and resources to do this research (and we love doing it). We also make sure all sources are properly credited; something that will be very important at the publishing stage.

4. Publishers like it when ghosts are involved: Talking of the publishing side, publishers usually welcome it when they hear that a ghost is working with an author. This is their guarantee of a well-written manuscript, which will be delivered on time, to the specification they want.

5. It’ll get done: This relates to the point which opened this section. Often, business professionals will try to go it alone and then, months later, discover they have not made it much past the opening chapter. It is a ghostwriter’s job to complete the book they’ve been commissioned to write. They have the speed and discipline to see it through, so it is completed on time and on budget.

Absolutely. If it helps, think about it another way. If you need a new HR, or IT system, or to help a team get up to speed with a new process, what do you do? You call in the professionals. And, if you care about your business, you will get the best professional’s money can buy, with a proven track record. It’s no different with ghostwriting. The Ghostwriters Agency ghosts are the best ghostwriters in the business. To qualify for agency membership, they need to have collaborated on a previous bestseller. That’s our guarantee of a top-quality writer.

If you are at the top of your field, it can be tempting to put everything you know into your book. You’ve gained the knowledge over many years, so it makes sense to show it off, right? In reality, what makes a really compelling business book is when an author pursues a single big idea. Think about all your favourite business books. It’s almost certain they’re all written around one compelling theme. Why is this? We all find it difficult to absorb a lot of information – and don’t forget, all books need to be pleasurable  read, as well as informative. It’s far better to focus on one key message which will really resonate.

Try this simple exercise: In one sentence, sum up your area of expertise and therefore what your book is about. Does it solve a problem the reader might have, or shine a new light on an existing topic? Imagine passing it to a good friend to read and saying: ‘this book is amazing; it is all about how to survive against all the odds in a start-up….’ If you feel stuck on articulating what your book will be about, your ghostwriter will be a huge help with this.

The Ghostwriters Agency will help match you with the perfect ghostwriter. The process works like this:

1. Fill in our form: Tell us about your idea and a bit about yourself and why you are uniquely qualified to write this book. If applicable, do include details of your professional website. This helps us when we create the brief for our ghostwriters.

2. We’ll be in touch: Once we have received your completed form, we’ll aim to get back to you within 48-hours. We may need to ask a few more questions to make sure we understand what you want to achieve.

3. We’ll contact our ghostwriters: We’ll put together a detailed brief and send it out to all the business ghostwriters on our books. We’ll let them know your deadline and budget and any other key details. The ghostwriters are given a week to respond.

4. Ghostwriters submit their pitches: Ghostwriters who are interested in applying, and have availability within the stated deadline, will send in their proposals, outlining why they are the best writer for this project. Included in their submissions will be:

Details of their relevant experience in your genre

What approach they will follow to bring your big idea to life

Rates and payment terms for their ghostwriting services

Approximate turnaround time

Testimonials

On average, we receive between 6 and 12 pitches from ghostwriters. This number can vary based on factors such as deadline, availability and budget.

5. Review process: Once you receive the proposals, you will need to review each one and create a shortlist of the ghosts you believe would be most suitable. We recommend compiling a shortlist of at least three ghostwriters.

6. Interview stage: The next step is to set up an introductory call with the shortlisted ghostwriters. This is an important part of the process because it gives you the chance to get a better sense of the ghostwriter’s personality so you can figure out if you’d enjoy working with them.

7. Decision time: Once you’ve chosen which ghostwriter you’d like to work with, we take a step back and the ghostwriter will share their contract and terms of business.

8. Exchange of contracts and payment: Once the fine details have been ironed out, and the contract signed, you will be required to pay a deposit. The ghostwriter will then get to work. The rest of the fee will be paid incrementally, depending upon what both parties agree in the contract.

The way individual ghosts work will vary, but most like to start the process with a chapter-by-chapter plan. This breaks down what the author wants to say – the big idea - into bite-sized chunks by identifying key themes. This is an important process to make sure the whole book is engaging and adds value to the reader. (Don’t you just hate it when you pick up a business book and all the detail is in the first few chapters and the rest is just filler?).

Depending on the book, it can also be helpful to provide additional information such as:

A timeline of the business

Useful documents and websites

Details of other potential interviewees who may add useful information, such as partners, relatives and associates

All of this is crucial for the ghostwriter’s background research.

The average cost of a ghostwriter will vary according to the complexity of the book, as well as the amount of time required for the ghost to interview the author. It will also depend upon the experience and seniority of the ghostwriter, although each of the ghosts on our books have worked on high profile bestsellers. Once we know more about the project, we will be able to quote a range of fees and then it is up for authors to negotiate with the chosen ghost.

You will not be charged for using The Ghostwriters Agency. Instead, we take a 10% commission from the ghostwriter. This amount is payable by the ghostwriter after you have signed your contract and delivered the first payment.

Expect to devote up to 25 hours to interviews with the ghostwriter, although this can vary depending upon the length of the book and the genre. There will be fewer interviewing hours required if other contributors/business associates are involved. These interviews will most often be broken down into one- or two-hour sessions, as this is the optimal time to gather the best material. However, if a business author has a particularly hectic schedule, it is not unknown for a ghostwriter to work with them for an intense period of interviews held over a few full days. This is something that can be agreed with the ghostwriter in advance, when the interviews are being scheduled.

In addition, time will need to be assigned to reviewing chapter drafts to make sure you are happy with what is being written and that it represents a true reflection of the context of the book. While a ghost will shoulder the bulk of the task of writing the book, it is still a collaboration.

If you get in touch about our business book ghostwriting services today, you could potentially be paired with your perfect ghostwriter within a week.

Timings can vary, but if you are on a deadline that is super-urgent, we understand that and will try our best to accommodate your needs.

Whether you wish to credit your ghostwriter is a decision you need to agree with them.

Some publishers dislike the idea of giving any credit to ghostwriters. Others are happy to give credit but don’t want the ghostwriters name on the front cover.

From our experience, most ghostwriters do not mind either way.

Ghostwriters from The Ghostwriting Agency only accept flat fees. Royalties are almost never in the interest of a ghostwriter unless it is an extremely high-profile book with one of the big five publishers – for example, like Prince Harry’s book, Spare.

Typically, ghostwriters do not get royalties.

Yes, all our ghostwriting services are 100% confidential.

We are so proud of our ghostwriting services because we only bring the best to the table. Every single ghostwriter on our roster is a bestseller, and we've got the badges to prove it; Financial Times Business Book of the Year, the Times’ Business Book of the Year, the Guardian Book of the Year – and more. 

From billionaires to high-profile entrepreneurs, to Dragons and founders of tech unicorns, we’ve had incredible opportunities to ghostwrite for at the top of their game. Now, we would like to work with you

Please get in touch about our ghostwriting services today, and you could be holding your own book – that client magnet - sooner than you think.