How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Ebook Ghostwriter in 2026?
If you've started researching ghostwriters, you've probably noticed the same thing we hear from almost every first-time client: nobody publishes real numbers. Quotes range from a few hundred dollars to six figures, with very little explanation of why. Here's a straight answer.
The Short Answer
Most professional ebook ghostwriting falls between $10 and $50 per page, and a full-length manuscript (roughly 200-300 pages) typically costs $15,000 to $40,000 from first outline to final draft. Short ebooks (under 100 pages) can run lower; heavily researched nonfiction or business books tend to run higher.
What Actually Moves the Price
- Genre and research depth. A novel drawn entirely from your imagination and a business book requiring interviews, citations, and fact-checking take very different amounts of ghostwriter time — even at the same page count.
- Length. A 50,000-word novel and a 90,000-word memoir aren't priced the same, obviously, but it's worth confirming your quote is based on your actual target length, not a generic estimate.
- How much material you're providing. A client who hands over hours of interview recordings and a detailed outline requires less structural work from the ghostwriter than one starting from a single paragraph of an idea. Ask whether your quote assumes you'll provide source material or whether the writer has to develop the concept from scratch.
- Revisions included. Some quotes include two full rounds of revision; others charge extra past the first draft. This is one of the most common places a "cheap" quote turns into a much bigger bill.
- What's bundled in. A quote for "ghostwriting" alone is not the same as a quote that also includes editing, formatting, cover design, and publishing. Compare quotes on what's actually included, not just the headline number.
Red Flags in a Cheap Quote
If a quote is dramatically below the $10-$50/page range, ask directly: Is this AI-generated rather than human-written? Is there a limit on revisions? Is research/interviewing included, or extra? A low number that turns into a much higher final bill — or a manuscript that needs to be rewritten by someone else — isn't actually cheaper.
Getting an Accurate Quote for Your Book
The only way to get a number you can trust is a conversation about your specific project: genre, length, how much material you already have, and what you need beyond the manuscript itself (editing, cover, formatting, publishing). At ISB Ghostwriters, every quote is fixed and provided in writing before any work begins, with revisions built in rather than billed separately.
Book a free consultation and we'll give you a clear, honest number for your specific book — not a generic range.