Question about ghostwriting ...

[Summer_Dawn]

I would appreciate any feedback anyone can give me on this question.

A friend of mine was approached to do a novelization for an indie film. The contract that they sent my friend did not specify who would receive any advance, should the book be published, and it said she would receive 10 percent of the royalty percentage that the "Author" receives, AFTER the advance, agents' fees and any other fees are paid back.

I thought that ghostwriters received a flat fee, and I'm concerned that she might do the work, the book be accepted by the "Author" and they won't find a publisher, in which case my friend would not receive anything.

She has never done any ghostwriting before, so she is unsure what she should charge. I'm worried that she will do work and get no pay.

Does anyone have any advice on what a new ghostwriter might expect to be paid?

[eric11210]

It depends how long of a book, how much work is involved and how badly she wants the job. There are all kinds of factors here.

On Elance for example, which is admittedly not a very good barometer of prices, I've seen an offer to ghost write an entire 200 page book for as little as $250 (and they offered to have it all done in a week! The book was on getting a good night's sleep and I find it incredibly amusing that if whoever it was actually was awarded the job, they would not be getting much sleep since they'd have a week to write 200 pages :P). Of course the same project also had a bid of $4500 which was more realistic and perhaps a little over the top. My own bid was somewhere in the middle, but I withdrew when the client posted a ridiculous one month time table (yes, I know, let's all pile onto elance and say how sad and sorry places like that are -- but I've been selective and have found the diamonds in the rough and gotten some solid jobs there, but I digress).

Anyway, all that aside, I'd say a safe bet would be for her to look for 5 cents a word. Just my 2 cents of course (add three more and I could buy one word ;).

Eric