Do Ghostwriters Get Royalties from their Precious Work?

Last Updated on 2 years by Christopher Jan Benitez

Are you thinking of paying royalties to ghostwriters?

If they accept royalties as a payment option, then go ahead. If you’re being fair or not, offering them royalties for ghostwriting services is another story.

So let’s discuss what you need to know. By the end of this post, you’ll find out the answer to the question “do ghostwriters get royalties” and what the best course of action is. This way, you’ll get to the bottom of things if you’re considering using royalty payments.

This also targets beginner ghostwriters trying to break into the publishing industry but don’t know where to begin regarding payment schedules, upfront costs, and others.

Do ghostwriters get paid in royalties or not?

Ghostwriters don’t get paid royalties for their services. That’s how the general traditional publishing process goes, anyway. 

And paying a ghostwriter for their services is both simple and practical. So why would you want to complicate matters and propose to pay royalties?

To elaborate on this concern, let’s check out what dictionaries say about royalty. Encyclopedia Britannica, for one, explains that royalty is a payment option in law. 

Wondering how royalty payments work, though? Then here are some points to ponder:

• The basis of product performance – How is the product doing? Royalty payments will depend on how much the book sells over time.
• The basis on royalty percentage agreement – For example, the average starting royalty percentage is 5% 
• The need for a royalty contract – A detailed description of the ghostwriting arrangement prevents feud. This includes the coverage and limitations involved in the work.

However, this was back in the day. Nowadays, if you insist on paying royalties for the services of a professional writer, you’re somewhat asking that person to work for free. And don’t you think it’s unreasonable?

Remember, a ghostwriter can’t pay their urgent bills with the promise of royalty payments. That, and they wouldn’t be able to support their daily lifestyle.

If you want to offer royalties to a ghostwriter, here is some practical advice:

• Supplementary royalty payments – Offer royalty only after providing monetary rewards. Let royalty payments serve as extra compensation or bonuses.
• Guarantee of success – Is the success of your publishing content set in stone? Then there’s a guarantee of recurring income, which you can give to a ghostwriter.
• Passion project – Does a ghostwriter love working on a project? Are they 100% willing to accept royalty as a payment option?

Related post: Do Ghostwriters Get Credit or Not? The Real Answer

And do ghostwriters get credit too?

In most cases, no. Ghostwriters don’t get to claim a published work is theirs without their client’s consent. Even if every word is theirs, they can’t “own” it.

Most ghostwriters are aware of this. So if you’re working with a professional ghostwriter, there’s nothing to worry about. 

Besides, regardless of getting credit for their work, other rewards await them. Here’s a look at some of these:

Freedom to work

Ghost writers, like most freelance writers, can work anytime and anywhere they want — if their client is good with the setup. They’re free to hustle however they wish as long as they meet their client’s expectations about a project. 

And beyond the benefits of a highly autonomous work setup, here’s how awesome their freedom to work extends:

• Unlimited earning potential – No fixed income. Ghostwriters can earn more if they take on more work.
• Stable work – Written content isn’t losing value, and so the work for ghostwriters is always going to be present. 
• Ability to choose projects – Don’t like a project? Without a boss to force them to work on it, they can choose to decline an offer.

Ability to network

With every client ghostwriters work with, they meet people. And to those acquaintances, they can shake hands with potential clients. The more clients they score, the bigger their network becomes.

Here are some tips on how to help them get more out of networking:

• Commit to leveling up – Adopt the right mindset, be sociable, and be engaging. You can also devote an hour per day to growing your network.
• Attend events – For example, your town is hosting a small party for businesses relevant to your niche. So be there!
• Seek exemplars – Connect with successful individuals and praise-worthy

Opportunity for advancement

Ghostwriters can apply their experience in working on writing projects to real-life situations. And in turn, these newfound skills can help further their career and improve their lives.

Let’s shed light on the matter above – the ability to network – to cite an example. Building a network of social connections is a lot like writing content that you want audiences to vibe with. And that isn’t easy. 

For one, it takes having a pleasant attitude to give other people reasons to associate with another. 

Beyond that, here are some valuable non-writing skills that they can learn with every work opportunity:

• Time management – They learn to manage their time better and set priorities. For example, they understand it’s best to allow 3 hours per day for a project.
• Organizational skills – Dumping loads of work and expecting them to attend to everything isn’t an effortless task. Experienced ghostwriters can handle it, though 
• Listening and comprehension skills – Over time, ghostwriters better understand clients.

Ghostwriter prices

One of the main reasons ghostwriters get into ghostwriting is high monetary compensation. However, they can live comfortably if they can write and use it to embody another person’s writing style.

However, while ghostwriters are tied to good pay, it doesn’t mean there’s a cookie-cutter approach to this. Remember, each ghostwriter sets prices differently. This can depend on the category of ghostwriters they belong to. 

Some ghostwriters charge a flat fee. This benefits you if you have a lengthy project for a professional ghostwriter like 20,000-word e-books. This way, you can just give them a project, expect them to deliver high-quality output, and pay them a set price.

They might not charge much if they’re novice ghostwriters who could still use writing advice. However, if they’re high-end ghostwriters with years of experience up their sleeves, they can charge high ghostwriting fees. 

Here’s a lowdown on the average annual salary of ghostwriters based on experience:

• $5,000 to $9,000 range – This is the average rate of ghostwriters with about 3-5 years of experience
• $9,000 to $20,000 range – If they have about five years up to a decade of experience in ghostwriting, expect to pay this
• At least $20,000 – If you’re looking for professionalism and experience, go for ghostwriters with over ten years of experience. Then expect to pay them compensation in this range.

However, ghostwriters can base their fees on a per-word or per-page rate, especially if they prefer to work as freelancers, they’ll charge you differently. 

What makes this pricing system a suitable fit for you? Well, if you have a quick project that can be completed in less than a week, this ghostwriting work is what you should aim for. Examples are a 1,000-word blog post and a brief two-page case study.

In this case, here are the factors that also come into play:

• Level of difficulty – If your project requires the need to delve into complex subjects, be ready to pay a ghostwriter high for it
• Word count – You’ll have to pay based on the length of your project
• Urgency – Want ghostwriters to work on a time-sensitive project? Then expect to be charged a higher amount.

Summing it up

What matters the most is that you and the ghostwriter you’re looking to hire come to an understanding with your publishing house. In the ghostwriting business, paying royalties isn’t standard practice in the publishing industry.

However, it’s not wrong to consider proposing it during your talks with publishers. If they refuse to accept it as a primary payment option, the discussions above should help you see their point. Now, if you want to know how to proceed with offering royalties, the discussions above also have your back.

Still have questions about royalty payments? Then you’re welcome to contact me!