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GHOSTWRITING SERVICES

What exactly is ghostwriting?

Ghostwriting is the process of writing any piece of written material for another without receiving credit, under a work for hire agreement. Many books that are purportedly written by famous business people or celebrities are actually ghostwritten, and it’s a common practice in non-fiction, memoirs, and self-help books. But why would someone want to have a fiction novel ghostwritten for them?

For lots of reasons, actually. Some aspiring authors have a great idea but don’t posses the technical skills to write a novel themselves. Other authors have the skills but lack the time. Some authors are excellent marketers but aren’t particularly good writers, while other authors have ravenous fans who demand more and more books and the author either can’t keep up with demand or is suffering from the dreaded “writer’s block.”

Regardless of your reason for needing a novel ghostwritten, I can help. Writing as Alex P. Berg, I’ve published over 25 novels, several of which became Amazon Bestsellers in their categories, with some reaching top 100 sales ranks in the entirety of the Kindle store. My Daggers & Steele mystery series has sold over 250,000 copies and generated over 10,000 reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’ve written in numerous different genres, from mystery to romance to science fiction and fantasy, and I’m fascinated with studying what makes different genres tick. I know how to write a gripping yarn, and if you’ll let me, I can write one for you, too.

Alex Perez-Bergquist Headshot

It’s me, bestselling author Alex Perez-Bergquist!

The Fiction Ghostwriting Process

So you want me to ghostwrite a novel for you. Great! Now what? Well, if I were ghostwriting a non-fiction book or memoir, I’d have to spend hours on the phone with you asking questions and learning about your life or business, but for ghostwriting fiction, the process is much simpler. Really, all I need are three things: a specific genre, a general idea, and a length.

For genre, the more specific the better. If you tell me you want a fantasy story, that could be any number of things. If you tell me you want an urban fantasy paranormal thriller featuring werewolves and vampires, now we’re cooking.

As far as story ideas, I don’t need a super specific idea, but the more you give me to go on, the more likely the final story will be close to what you’re envisioning. For example, if you tell me you’re looking for a coming of age story, I can write one, but it probably won’t be the one you’re thinking of. However, if you tell me to write a coming of age story about a mutant slave child named Gribbsby being held on the prison moon planet of Kandor by a race of telepathic lizard-people, where Gribbsby overthrows his captors and ultimately leads a revolt to free the home world of his friend Tanak who was murdered at his side, well… I could write a story that fits that concept to a T.

Finally, you should provide a length in terms of word count, not pages (this is a more accurate way to measure the length of a book). If you don’t know how long your novel should be, this post from Kindlepreneur has some data on the length of bestselling books in different genres.

Once you provide me with those three items, I may ask a few additional questions to ensure that I know the kind of story you want me to write, and after that, I can get to work.

 

What Do I Get?

For all ghostwriting projects, you will receive from me a Microsoft Word (.DOCX) file of the completed story in its entirety. The work is written 100% by me, without any parts written by third parties or generated via any form of AI software. The work will have been meticulously self-edited, but you may still want to have the work proofread to make sure no grammatical errors sneak through.

A one page synopsis, cover copy, or formatted e-reader (.EPUB) file for final publication are not included, but can be added at additional cost.

 

Rates

My current rate for ghostwriting genre fiction is $0.10/word for projects 20,000 words or longer and $0.12/word for projects under 20,000 words.

Example costs:

  • 75,000 word mystery novel: $7,500
  • 100,000 word fantasy novel: $10,000
  • 5000 word science fiction short story: $600

Additional services (synopsis, formatting, etc.) are billed hourly at $40/hr.

All rates are subject to change based on market conditions and availability. If you are curious what typical rates are for ghostwriting services, please see the Editorial Freelancers Association’s editorial rate chart.

 

Estimates and Payment

Because writing isn’t an exact science, the final length of a story likely won’t be the precise length you request. Final story length could be ±10% of the requested word count. If a story comes in under length, you are only charged for the actual word count. If a story comes in over length, you are charged up to a maximum of 10% extra. For example, if a story comes in 5% over the requested length, you will be charged an extra 5%, but if it comes in 20% over the requested length, you will only be charged an extra 10%.

If you need to ensure that a story is under a specific word count (i.e. you want a story that is a maximum of 5000 words), you must inform me of that prior to starting work.

Once we agree on the scope of work, I require a deposit of $500 or half the estimate (whichever is lower) to schedule your ghostwriting. Once I am ready to begin work, I require funds to bring your deposit equal to half the estimate (if not already met). The remaining balance is due upon receipt of the final product.

 

FAQs

  • What types of genres do you write?
    • I write mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, romance (clean or spicy), and thrillers/suspense. I do not write horror, westerns, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, or erotica. I also do not ghostwrite memoirs or non-fiction.
  • What age ranges do you write for?
    • I’m most comfortable writing for an adult audience, but I will also write young adult (YA) fiction under certain circumstances.
  • I have a detailed idea/outline of a work already. Will you write it at reduced cost?
    • No. Believe it or not, coming up with an idea for a story is easy. Turning that idea into a good story and writing it down is the time-consuming part.
    • If you have a general idea for your story, I want to hear it, as I want to make sure I write the kind of story you’re looking for. However, I am not interested in receiving a full outline as that constrains my ability to write an engaging story.
  • Will you write a sequel or other story set in a series?
    • Yes, but additional charges may apply, as I’ll have to read some of the stories in your existing universe to make sure mine fits in seamlessly.
  • Is there a contract?
    • Yes. It’s straightforward and protects both your interests as well as mine. It will need to be signed and dated prior to work beginning.
  • Do I own the copyright to the work?
    • Yes. Ghostwriting is considered “work for hire” under US copyright law, which means that once you have fully rendered payment for the work, you own all rights to it.
  • Will anyone find out I didn’t write the work?
    • Not unless you tell them. At no point will I ever reveal that I ghost wrote a project, nor will I use a sample of a ghostwritten work to pitch other clients. I have plenty of novels that I have written and published myself that I can use as sample material.

Do you need help writing your next project?

Contact me to see how I can help!

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WHERE SHOULD I SEND THE BOOKS?

By signing up to my mailing list, you agree to recieve occasional emails about new releases and other promotions. You can unsubscribe at any time, and you will never be spammed.

Success!