Doubts/questions about payment

As has been suggested there are many more questions to ask than how much you should charge per session.

You need to get a contract drawn up which spells everything out. Make sure the lawyer you use for this knows about publishing, and doesn't just say he does.

You'll need to agree about who owns the copyright in the finished work; what you'll get paid; what happens if the work is published; who gets to look for a publisher; if the work is going to be self-published; and a lot more besides.

This is a complex and difficult thing to sort out. Make sure everything is agreed before you do anything at all on the project, or you could get burned.

Don't do a single session until you have it all spelled out in a contract.

To me, this sounds like a for hire writing gig, which means after you have finished the sessions and the writing, your part is over and he is free to do with whatever he wants with the finished project.

Some of the writers I know or have read about usually set a payment system. First payment when the sessions start, and a final payment when you turn in the finished project. This way, if the client bores with the project or changes their mind, the writer has not wasted their time totally. And this kind of thing does happen...

They also allow for 1 additional editing session because the client may not be happy with the version you produce. If additional editing is required after that, there is an additional charge.

It sounds a bit like he expects to dictate the perfect book and have you just write it down. That sounds... unrealistic. At the very least I would suggest charging 3 hours for editing per 1 interview hour.

I'm a little surprised that the EFA doesn't list ghostwriting rates. I'll have to ask my listmates about that. A quick Google search brought up these two sites though, which you may find useful:

http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_ghostwriting.asp
http://www.writersmarket.com/assets/pdf/How_Much_Should_I_Charge.pdf

Here's the skinny so far from some of my colleagues:

1) Rates vary depending on the subject, who you're ghosting for (i.e., Joe Schmoe vs. Big Celebrity), and the time frame you're expected to work in

2) The rate quoted at Writers Union of Canada (link I posted above) is an appropriate mid-range fee for a substantial book (about 50 cents per word)