My basic ghostwriting rate (excluding editing, proofreading, publishing, cover design and typesetting) starts at R600.00 (ZAR) per hour but will vary according to the type of work involved and if long-distance travel is required.
Our information gathering sessions is a critical part of the ghostwriting process, so it is important that you have all your ducks in a row. The more prepared you are, and the less you stray from the topic, the better. The interviewing process can take anything from 20 hours upwards. Transcribing the audio recordings to text is time-hungry and can take up to 5 hours per 1 hour of recorded interview time.
The entire process, from start to finish, can take in the region of between 250 and 320 hours for a 220-page book (with 200 to 250 words per page). If additional research is required, or a longer interview time is necessary, or if the content is complex to work with, the hours can increase exponentially.
You would, therefore, need to budget a bare minimum of between ZAR150,000 and ZAR200,000 for a completed 220-page, 45 000-word manuscript, if that’s the size book you’re aiming for.
I will invoice you in advance for the first 40 hours’ work, and then bill you in advance for every subsequent 40 to 60 hours, based on your budget. This will give you full control over the amount of work that is being done at any one time and ensure that you keep within your budgeted amount.