How to Afford a Ghostwriter to Write Your Memoirs: Investing in Your Heritage
When I connect with a potential client, often the main concern they have is about the financial investment required for the project . Most of the time the investment in a novel between 30 000- 100 000 words typically totals between $10 000- $50 000, but can go up from there depending on the demands of the project. In fact the cost of hiring a ghostwriter with a lot of experience often starts at $1/ word! Really it is not surprising with the hours of work needed to go into writing a novel: conducting interviews, researching, outlining, writing, and editing. Writing a novel is certainly not a task for the faint of heart!
It is easy for individuals to take a look at that total, think I don’t have $10 000 lying around, and assume that their dreams of getting their story written down are over. Please hear me out before you swear off ever hiring a ghostwriter. My goal, at the end of every conversation, is for the individual to feel as though they can get their story written down, whether the primary investment is time or money.
First off plan a monthly budget. No ghostwriter is capable of writing an entire edited manuscript firmly based on reliable sources in a month. Expect the project to take at least a year to complete, and payments to be divided up accordingly. Second consider dividing up the cost. If you are writing something that other people (your children, or your siblings perhaps) are as invested in as you are, you might be able to get them involved in your investment. Third, look into investing some of your own time into the project. You could hire me as a writing consultant for instance, if you need some support with the process, but wish to do some of the project yourself. Another budget friendly option is instead of hiring a ghostwriter to write a novel, you might look into hiring one to write short stories for you.
DEVELOP A MONTHLY BUDGET
First off, don’t look at the price of the entire project as a whole. When you are hiring an individual to work on a project that is likely to span over several years, the final price is guaranteed to be an intimidating number. To put it into perspective a $2400 monthly rent comes to $28 800 a year, and $144 000 over five years! When corresponding with a potential client there is a reason that one of the questions I ask them is for their monthly budget.
Ideally all of my clients would put between $1000-$2000 a month into their book. The reality is that I need at least $500 a month in order to progress at a reasonable rate. I realize that for many this is still a sizable chunk of money, and may require a lot of shifting around of designated funds in order to cover the cost. If this still doesn’t feel affordable to you then please keep reading.
DON’T GO IT ALONE
Make a list of individuals who will benefit as much as you from the story you are dying to get in print. I am currently writing down a family legacy for a client, who is keen to preserve the stories of her parents. This has led to correspondence with potential clients who are interested in the same. When it comes to writing any kind of family history, it is easy to see a clear network of individuals who might be passionate about the project. Think of siblings, adult children, adult grandchildren, even aunts and uncles who might want to get involved.
If a client has one brother, and two grown children, then he could potentially split the cost of writing his parent’s memoirs four ways. That means the client, his children, and his brother, would each be paying only $125-$500 a month! If the client’s brother also has two grown children, then perhaps the cost could be split six ways and each individual could pay only $83-$333 a month! If this still does not seem affordable to you, or if you cannot come up with a list of individuals who might be invested in your story the please keep reading!
FINANCIALLY FLEXIBLE OPTIONS
No matter how you look at it, getting your story written down is either going to cost you time or money. If you can invest time then please look into hiring me as a writing consultant instead of a ghostwriter. Alternatively, organize and divide the story you want written into smaller parts, and look into hiring me to write your short stories. Both are viable options, and can come with a much more flexible budget.
Check out hire me for more details!
If you have questions, I am always happy to chat! Contact me at jennlmisener@gmail.com
