How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Ghostwriter for Web Content
You have these killer ideas for some finger leaking content in your head.
The only problem is you are super busy, your phone is blaring up from salespeople selling God knows what, or you have more moolah than time!
Don’t be hard on yourself; it has happened to most of us, the being superbusy thing.
When you have the ideas, but lack the time or skills and have the resources for content creation, pass the gig to a ghostwriter.
To help with that, you need to understand how much it costs to hire a ghostwriter for your content.
Who Exactly Is a Ghostwriter?
First, it’s got nothing to do with Casper, the friendly ghost, or his uncles!
A ghostwriter is a freelance writer who creates pieces of content under your byline or name. Your ardent readers believe you have created all your content.
Heck, even the president uses a ghostwriter for their speeches and never credits the writers! They fill in all the spaces between partially completed content –research to publishing and everything between.
The Difference Between a Ghostwriter and a Content Writer
It can be confusing sometimes to distinguish between a ghostwriter and a content writer; after all, they do the same thing.
That’s okay; it can be hard to distinguish between Mayonnaise and Sour Cream immediately. They look alike physically but have distinct features and uses.
The main difference between a ghostwriter and a copywriter lies in the rights—a ghostwriter signs off their work and right to the work. You can publish it as is or repurpose it however you wish, and the contract clearly states this.
On the other hand, content writers may or may not receive credit for their work but aren’t bound by a non-disclosure agreement.
Factors That Determine a Ghostwriter’s Hiring Costs
Consider this, you are planning your vacation and looking into accommodation. It's rare to find two hotels or Airbnbs to charge the same rates, right?
Similarly, there’s no one charge fits all for ghost hiring charges.
It depends on several factors, including:
1. Scope of work
The more the work the ghostwriter is to cover and get done, the more you’ll pay them. The cost of writing a 1,000-word blog post isn't the same as a 10,000-word blog post.
You might pay more if they start the work from scratch; researching, developing outlines, creating content, editing, and publishing.
Lastly, expect to pay more for complex topics. The cost of writing content or a book about rocket science, literally not the other one, is much higher than writing about pets, even though they are super adorable.
2. Specific Content
The type of content you are looking for is a huge determining cost factor. Each content type is unique, with varying complexity, demands, and skills necessary.
Therefore, you’ll pay depending on the exact type. For instance, the average 2000-word blog post that takes about six to seven hours to complete might incur you $80 - $100 or more, or a few cents to dollars per word. The average cost of a whitepaper is $4,500 or more, depending on the complexity.
3. Pay methodology
Source: www.contentwork.com
Every ghostwriter has a unique charge model acceptable across the writing community.
Each of these has its pros and cons. Thoroughly research each one to find out which works best per your needs. You might propose one over the other if the ghostwriter is up for it.
The various pay models include:
- Pay per word
- Pay per page
- Pay per project and milestones
- Flat rate
4. Timeline
Ghostwriting takes time, effort, and energy, especially when writing about complex topics, such as the origins of the universe or what came first between the egg or the chicken.
Some writing projects, such as books, take months to complete. If you want the writer to take less time, you’ll pay more as the writer must drop everything else and grind more hours to finish it.
5. Expertise and experience levels
Like any other profession, employees’ skills and experience play a huge role in determining their pay.
Well, the same goes for ghostwriting. Ghostwriters who’ve just started their careers have limited skills and experience and will charge less to get exposure and break out. On the other hand, a skilled and experienced writer who has confidence in their work will charge big bucks.
6. Quality of work
No reader wants to read boring content.
Not even rocket science should be written in a dull tone!
Before hiring a ghostwriter, you can ask for a portfolio and gauge the quality of work they’ll likely deliver. The higher the quality of content, the higher the charge.
Ghostwriting Hiring Costs
We’ve outlined the main factors that can affect how much your ghostwriting costs.
If you are still wondering exactly how much it costs to hire a ghostwriter, this is it.
But first, you need to understand that a ghostwriter is a complete package. They can handle all your work from scratch until your readers read and applaud it and provide positive feedback.
They are the champs that make it happen; the engagement, the likes, reviews, traffic, and purchases; it’s all them!
How to Choose the Right Ghostwriter
Choosing a ghostwriter is a crucial decision. You want to make sure that the person you hire understands your content and style and the audience you are trying to reach.
So, before hiring the ghostwriter, consider:
- Experience – The most important thing that separates a good ghostwriter from a bad one is experience. The more practice they have writing for other clients, the better they will be at what they do.
- Attitude – A good attitude isn’t just about being nice; it also means that the writer has patience and flexibility. This can make all the difference when deadlines are tight, or things go wrong in life outside of writing. Be sure to ask potential candidates about this before hiring them!
- Fit – Finding someone who fits into your team culture is crucial, especially in team collaboration. So, find someone who will fit into yours while bringing new ideas.
- Budget - where you have an endless supply of money, you still need to budget for your content. This budget will determine the particular ghostwriter to hire.
Looking for an Experienced Ghostwriter?
You can’t put a price tag on high-quality content. Doing so will only limit what you are giving your readers and customer, and that's not a good idea. Life can get busy, or you dream of becoming a famous author but lack the time or skills to do so. No worries, Zoey Writers has expert ghostwriters to realize your ideas into irresistible content.
Get in touch with us today, and we’ll tell you more.
Photo by Mathieu Stern on Unsplash
