Every rate, published

The honest answer is that it depends on how much of the work you need done. A finished, professionally edited manuscript that only needs an ebook release costs far less than a book that starts as an idea, needs a ghostwriter, three rounds of editing, a cover, print and audio editions and a launch campaign.

To make that concrete, here is where our four main service areas start.

Cover design, formatting, audiobook production, illustration, children's books and author websites are quoted per project, and you will find those further down.

Our ghostwriting services are priced per book, because the work is shaped by length, research and the type of story you are telling. Each project includes interviews or planning sessions, an outline, a sample chapter for your approval, the full draft, and an edit and proofread.

Put another way, these starting prices work out to roughly $0.14 to $0.20 per word at the top of each length band, but we quote the book as a whole rather than counting words as we go. That keeps your budget predictable even if a chapter runs long.

You own 100% of the rights and are named sole author. We keep no copyright, royalty interest or publishing claim, and we never take a share of book sales. A signed NDA is required before writing begins, and rights transfer to you on delivery, confirmed in writing at the start of the project. The process runs in four stages: idea development and planning, writing, editing and refinement, and final review. Separate developmental editing, copyediting and proofreading are available as their own services. Turnaround times are in the timelines table below.

Which ghostwriting package fits your book?

Choose memoir and personal if the story is yours and lives mostly in your memory: a life story, a family history or a single chapter of your career. Choose business and thought leadership if the book needs a clear argument, research and a positioning angle so it supports your work. Choose fiction and series if you already have characters, a premise or a world and want a novel built around them. If your project sits between two, tell us in the consultation and we will price the closest fit.

Our book editing services are priced per word, which makes it easy to estimate your own cost. Pick a level, multiply by your word count, and you have a close idea of the starting figure.

Here is what that looks like for a 60,000-word manuscript:

• Proofread: about $720
• Developmental edit: about $1,800
• Complete edit: about $2,700

For an 80,000-word novel the same levels come to about $960, $2,400 and $3,600. These are starting figures, and a manuscript that needs heavy work can be quoted higher once an editor has seen it.

Which level of edit do you need?

Match the level to the stage of your draft. A rough first draft with structural questions needs a developmental edit first, because there is no point polishing sentences you may cut. A draft you are happy with in shape but not in style needs the complete edit. A manuscript that has already been edited and laid out needs only a proofread. Many authors buy the complete edit and skip the separate steps, since it covers line edit, copyedit and proofread in one run.

Not sure which level you need? Ask for a free sample edit. As a first-time client, you get an edit of your first 1,000 words, plus a recommendation on which type of edit your book needs, within 3 to 5 business days of your request. You review tracked changes before anything is finalized, and we confirm deadlines at the start of each engagement.

Our book publishing services are priced per title, in three packages. Your ISBNs are registered in your name, your copyright stays with you, and 100% of royalties are paid to you.

A typical full publishing project takes about 4 to 8 weeks from manuscript handover to live distribution, though your own schedule depends on the package and how quickly you review proofs. Packages include structural, line and proofreading editing, print and ebook formatting, cover design, ISBN registration, catalog metadata, distribution, and marketing and launch support. Print binding options include perfect bound paperback (32 to 800 pages), hardcover with a dust jacket, hardcover case wrap and saddle stitch (up to 64 pages). Distribution covers Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, Google Play Books, OverDrive, Scribd, Storytel and genre-specific platforms, with files validated before submission. Royalties vary by route: traditional publishing typically returns 10 to 15% of retail price, Kindle ebooks priced $2.99 to $9.99 pay 70% of list price, and print on demand pays less per copy with no upfront risk. You get a full royalty breakdown per platform before distribution, and no sales are guaranteed.

Which publishing package fits your book?

Most authors choose Complete Publishing because it gets a print book and an ebook into the world together. Ebook Launch suits shorter books, series starters and authors who want to test the market. Signature Edition is for people who want every format on day one.

Every package keeps the same promise: you stay the author, we handle production and distribution, and you keep the rights and the revenue.

Our book marketing services are priced three ways: per campaign, per month, or per project. Advertising spend is always separate. You pay it directly to the platforms, and you approve it.

Launch Essentials is a one-time foundation for a new release. Growth Campaign keeps working after launch day, which matters because most books sell over months, not weeks. Author Brand builds the home base you will use for every book you write.

We cannot promise sales, reviews or a bestseller ranking, and nobody honest can. What we can promise is clear reporting, so you always see what was done and what it produced.

Marketing prices stay predictable because the scope is written down in an itemized proposal that shows what is included, what each component costs and the outcomes to expect. A Growth Campaign runs month to month, and you can pause it when you want to reassess. Reporting is transparent throughout.

If you are unsure where to begin, start with Launch Essentials around a release date, then move to a monthly Growth Campaign once you know what is working.

Some services vary too much from book to book for a useful starting price. We quote these after a free consultation, once we know what you are making.

• Book cover design: depends on the genre, the formats you need (ebook, paperback, hardcover, audiobook) and whether you want original artwork or a typographic design.
• Book formatting: depends on page count, the number of images, tables or footnotes, and whether you need print, ebook or both.
• Audiobook production: depends on the finished length, the narrator you choose and whether you want a single voice or a cast.
• Illustration: depends on the number of illustrations, the style, the level of detail and whether the art is in color.
• Children's book writing: depends on the age range, the page count and whether illustration is included.
• Website design and development: depends on the number of pages, features such as a store or newsletter, and how much copy and photography we create.

We publish no fixed prices for cover design, formatting, audiobook, children's book writing or website work, because any number we invented would mislead you. Illustration is the exception: a fully illustrated picture book typically runs $2,000 to $8,000 depending on illustrator experience and scope, and chapter book spot illustrations $150 to $400 each. Those are typical ranges, not packages. A consultation is free, and the quote you receive afterward is fixed in writing. Bring whatever you have, whether that is a finished file, a rough outline or only an idea, and we will price from there.

Here is how long each service typically takes. Every project also gets a milestone schedule at kickoff, and these timelines assume you deliver material and feedback within the agreed review windows. Rush timelines are available for an additional fee, quoted up front.

We would rather you hear this now than find out later. Our starting prices cover the services described in each table. They do not cover advertising spend, which you pay directly to the platforms and approve yourself. They do not cover the fee for registering your copyright with the government, which is optional and paid to the Copyright Office, not to us.

Anything outside the written scope, such as a new chapter added after layout, is quoted separately and approved by you first.

Here are three common situations, using the starting prices above. Adding them together gives a rough floor, and your real quote may sit higher or lower once we know the details.

• A finished manuscript, print and ebook: Complete Publishing from $3,900, which already includes full editing.
• A memoir from idea to ebook: memoir ghostwriting from $4,900 plus Ebook Launch from $1,490, for a starting total of about $6,390.
• A business book with a launch: business ghostwriting from $9,900, Complete Publishing from $3,900 and Launch Essentials from $1,200, for a starting total of about $15,000.

These are illustrations, not offers. Where two services overlap, such as editing that appears in both a ghostwriting package and a publishing package, we remove duplicates when we write your quote.

Price is only half the picture, because each route also changes who controls the book. This is a general comparison, and individual deals vary.

None of these is wrong for everyone. A traditional deal can bring reach that is hard to match alone, but it is also slow and selective. Paying for services makes sense when you want speed, control and the full royalty, and when you want a professional team without hiring each person yourself.

Two books of the same length can have very different bills. These are the factors that move a quote, in roughly the order they matter.

• Length. More words mean more writing, editing and proofing time. It is the single biggest driver for ghostwriting and editing.
• Research and interviews. A book built on your own memories takes less research than one that needs fact-checking, data or outside interviews.
• Genre and complexity. A technical business book, a multi-book fantasy series and a short memoir demand different amounts of planning and skill.
• Editing levels. A clean manuscript may need only a proofread. An early draft may need all four levels of editing.
• Formats. Ebook only costs less than print, hardcover and audio together, because each format needs its own file, cover and quality checks.
• Design and illustration. Original artwork and heavy layouts cost more than a clean text interior.
• Speed. Rush timelines are available for certain project types for an additional fee, quoted up front, because a tighter schedule means reshuffling the team.
• Your involvement. Authors who answer questions quickly and approve drafts on time keep projects moving, and delays on either side stretch the schedule.
• Marketing goals. A quiet release and a multi-channel campaign are very different projects. This is also where you control your budget most directly, because you decide how much ad spend to put behind the book.

Notice what is not on the list: royalties. We take none, so the price you are quoted is the whole price, and the money your book earns afterward is yours.

One more cost sits outside our fees: registering your copyright. Registration is optional but worth considering, and you can read how it works on the U.S. Copyright Office site.

You never pay in one lump sum for work you have not seen. Every quote is fixed in writing before we start, then split into milestones tied to real progress, so each payment lines up with something you can review.

A ghostwriting project, for example, is typically split into four payments:

1. 25% on signing the agreement, which starts the project in week one.
2. 25% on approval of the outline and sample chapter, around week six.
3. 25% at the midpoint of the draft, around month three.
4. 25% on delivery of the final manuscript.

Editing, publishing and marketing projects are split in a similar way, with payments tied to the stages of that service. Your agreement lists each milestone, the amount due and what you will receive in return.

If something outside the agreed scope comes up, such as an extra edit round or additional chapters, we quote it separately and wait for your approval. Nothing is added to your bill without your say.

You also get a fixed schedule alongside the fixed price. Each milestone has a target date, so you can plan your own deadlines, such as a speaking event or a launch window, around the work.

• A project manager as your single point of contact
• Full ownership: copyright, credit and royalties stay with you
• A fixed quote in writing, with no hidden fees
• Replies within one business day
• Revision rounds at each key stage
• An agreed schedule with milestones you can plan around
• A free consultation before you commit to anything

When you collect quotes, compare what each one includes, not only the total. Ask who owns the copyright, whether royalties are shared, what counts as a revision round and whether anything is added later.

Be careful with any company that asks for a large fee and also keeps rights or royalties. Writer Beware tracks common publishing scams, and the Authors Guild offers contract guidance for working authors. We are glad for you to read our terms against anything either of them recommends.

A fair quote is specific. It names the deliverables, the number of revision rounds and the milestone dates, and it says in plain words that you own the finished book.

• Start with the right edit. Paying for a developmental edit before a line edit often saves money, because you fix structure once instead of repeatedly.
• Finish your draft first. Changes after layout are the most expensive changes of all.
• Buy only the formats you need. You can start with an ebook and add print later.
• Hold marketing until the book is ready. Ad spend works better on a finished, well-reviewed listing.
• Ask for the sample edit. It is free and shows whether you need the heavy level or the light one.
• Bundle your decisions. Telling us your whole plan in the consultation lets us remove overlapping work from the quote, which helps your budget.

Now you know how much it costs to publish a book with us, and what makes the number go up or down. Nothing here is a guess, and nothing is hidden. The quickest way to get a fixed figure for your own project is to get a free consultation or submit your manuscript so we can see what you have. You can also browse all our author services before you decide.