Our Book Ghostwriting Process — What to Expect
How book ghostwriting moves from project fit and outline to voice direction, drafting, feedback and manuscript handover. Compare three scopes from £1,497 with planned 4-13 weeks turnaround.
Hiring a ghostwriter means trusting another person to shape a manuscript that will carry your name and ideas. That trust needs a clear brief, a realistic manuscript scope, early voice decisions, planned feedback and written terms covering the commercial and confidential parts of the engagement.
1Decide What Kind of Writing Partnership You Need
A ghostwriter normally works without public authorship credit; a co-writer or credited collaborator is a different commercial arrangement. Decide what credit and involvement you want, then make sure the proposal and agreement use the same language.
💡 Pro Tips
- Start with the reader, purpose, genre, target length and result the book needs to achieve
- Clarify whether the writer will use your material, conduct research or combine both
- Identify who must review factual or reputationally sensitive material
- Raise public credit or shared authorship before accepting a ghostwriting package
⚠️ Important
- Credit, rights, confidentiality and permitted disclosure are contract terms, not details to settle after drafting
Still testing the shape of the book?
The Book Outline Generator can turn a premise into a working chapter structure. It is not a replacement for a project brief, but it can expose missing decisions before you choose a manuscript scope.
2Put the Important Terms in Writing Before Drafting
The signed project agreement is the deciding document. It should match the approved proposal and identify manuscript scope, price, schedule, feedback responsibilities, revision boundary, authorship credit, rights, confidentiality, permitted disclosures and change handling.
Scope and deliverables
Record target length, structure, source material, research responsibility, review rhythm and the exact form of handover.
Credit, rights and confidentiality
Confirm who receives credit, how rights are assigned or licensed, what stays confidential and any permitted disclosures.
Feedback and change control
Define response expectations, revision scope and how new chapters, major direction changes or extra words are quoted.
⚠️ Important
- Read the agreement and ask for clarification before signing. This guide describes the workflow but does not replace a project contract.
3The Ghostwriting Process — Step by Step
Current package planning ranges from 4-13 weeks. The confirmed schedule depends on scope, research, complexity and how quickly author feedback is returned.
Discovery and project fit
Clarify the reader, purpose, genre, target length, source material, voice direction and constraints.
Outline and voice direction
Agree a working structure and the signals that should make the writing feel recognisably yours.
Drafting with feedback checkpoints
Review planned chapter batches or milestones so tone, facts and structure can be corrected during the build.
Revision and clean manuscript
Resolve feedback within the agreed scope, check continuity and approve the manuscript for its next stage.
4Voice, Research and Feedback
Voice direction combines examples, explicit preferences and early feedback. The brief should also distinguish author-supplied material from research expected of the writer and identify claims that need author or specialist review.
💡 Pro Tips
- Share representative notes, recordings, articles or transcripts you are comfortable using
- Explain what you like about reference authors without asking for imitation
- Mark sentences that do and do not feel right during early reviews
- Return consolidated feedback and raise scope changes before extra drafting begins
⚠️ Important
- Voice is a feedback process. Delayed or conflicting feedback can move the delivery plan and increase late-stage rewriting.
5What the Package Includes — and What Comes Next
The ghostwriting package is for the agreed manuscript scope. It does not silently include every step required to publish and market the finished book.
💡 Pro Tips
- Included: discovery, structural planning, writing within the selected word-count scope, feedback checkpoints, in-scope revisions and clean manuscript handover
- Separate unless added in writing: independent editing, formatting, cover design, ISBN and retailer setup, publishing, launch and marketing
- Ask for additional stages to be itemised rather than assuming they sit inside the ghostwriting price
6Choose a Scope by Target Length
The current packages are: Starter Manuscript — £1,497, Up to 20k words, 4 weeks planned turnaround; Full Novel — £2,997, Up to 45k words, 9 weeks planned turnaround; Epic Creation — £4,997, Up to 80k words, 13 weeks planned turnaround. Word count is the starting boundary; research burden, structure, source-material condition and deadline still need to be checked against the brief.
Ready to choose the next step?
If target length and brief are clear, compare the manuscript packages. If scope is uncertain, send the text-only brief first.
Common Questions
What does a ghostwriting package include?
The package covers project discovery, structural planning, writing up to the stated word limit, feedback checkpoints, in-scope revisions and clean manuscript handover. Editing, formatting, cover design, publishing and marketing are separate unless added to a written proposal.
Will I own the manuscript, and is the work confidential?
Rights, authorship credit, confidentiality and permitted disclosures are set out in the written project agreement. Read that agreement and ask for clarification before approving the project; this guide does not replace the contract.
How long does book ghostwriting take?
The current planned package schedule runs from 4 weeks for the shortest scope to 13 weeks for the longest. Complexity, research and feedback timing also affect the confirmed plan.
How do you write in my voice?
Voice direction uses your examples, source material, preferences and early feedback. Specific notes on what does and does not sound right are more useful than a general request to sound like you.
Which ghostwriting package should I choose?
Choose the closest package by target word count: up to 20,000, 45,000 or 80,000 words. If structure, research burden or length is uncertain, send the project-fit brief before checkout.
Ghostwriting packages currently start at £1,497 and cover scopes up to 20,000, 45,000 or 80,000 words. Compare packages when target length is clear, or send the project-fit brief when it still needs shaping.
What's your next move?
If ghostwriting is the right fit and your premise, reader and target length are taking shape, compare the current manuscript scopes and send the text-only brief. If the structure or working relationship is still unclear, talk it through first.
Or contact support if you have questions before ordering.
Free Tools
Book Outline Generator
Produce a chapter-by-chapter outline (Three-Act, Hero's Journey, Save the Cat, Seven-Point) from your premise. A useful starting structure to bring to intake.
Character Name Generator
Generate genre-appropriate character names. Helpful when you're commissioning a novel and want a starting cast list to refine with the ghostwriter.
Word Count Calculator
Confirm your target word count to pick the right ghostwriting tier (20k / 45k / 80k) and avoid over- or under-scoping.