“Jerry Payne is someone who knows how to use his gifts and talents to the betterment of those who work with him. What started out as a working relationship has turned into a trusted friendship.”
—Dr. Shyla High, Why Most Women Die
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Unless you anticipate your book being significantly different from the norm (much longer, for instance, or perhaps requiring lots of research) you can expect a fee of $55,000. This includes writing, editing, and proofreading. A polished, professional manuscript that you’ll be proud to call your own. And not only that, I’ll even provide, at no extra charge, the self-publishing steps necessary for you to get your book on Amazon and elsewhere!
Run for the hills from any ghostwriter who asks for the fee up front. Even fifty percent. I’ll break my fee into stages and you’ll pay monthly over the length of time I think it will take to write the book. Six months? Then six even payments.
Willing? I insist upon it. Once we get started, I will come to you at my expense (anywhere in the Continental United States or Canada), to make sure we get off to a flying start. (Please don’t hire a ghostwriter who’s unwilling to do this!) OR, if you’d rather come to me in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida, I will put you up for two nights (my treat) at either the Vinoy in the heart of trendy downtown, or the Don Cesar right on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. Both are close to my office.
I get asked this question probably eight to ten times a month. The answer, I am sorry to say, is no. Sure, I realize you no doubt have the next great bestseller and we could both become obscenely wealthy once the book comes out and Oprah recommends it and the book then gets made into a blockbuster movie. But even though I believe that, I don’t trust that a publisher will feel the same way. They’re strange like that. And I can’t gamble with my livelihood, so please don’t ask.
I know. Everybody’s is. Nevertheless, my answer is the same.
No. And neither can any other ghostwriter. Run from anyone who says they can guarantee publication by a mainstream publisher or even tells you it should be easy. With the book industry in flux, it’s more difficult than ever these days to get published.
I insist! For no extra charge, I will take you through the tricky process of self-publishing. Read more about the self-publishing option right here.
If you can write (and write well), know your grammar, are well-organized, disciplined, and have the time, you might not need a ghostwriter. In fact, if you’re all of those things, you might even want to consider becoming a ghostwriter yourself! But if, like most people, your writing needs a little help, you’re having trouble sorting out your thoughts, or you just don’t have the time to do what it takes to write a decent book, then you might want to consider delegating. That’s why I’m here.
Well, for a sample of some writing I’ve had published in my own name, please feel free to check out these published pieces. To find out what previous clients have had to say about my work, please check out the testimonials scattered around this site.
You do. There will be no mention of me as ghostwriter.
I recommend that our first meeting be in person. I can come to where you are (at my expense) and we can spend at least a solid half-day together, enough time for me to gather all the information I need to write a detailed outline. From there, we’ll regularly conference by phone and communicate by email as we proceed chapter by chapter.
Yep. My ghostwriting contract includes a confidentiality clause. Your secrets are safe with me. I am Your Confidential Ghostwriter!
Depends on the length of the book and the amount of background work I need to do to gather the content. Could be a month, could be a year. Seven months is probably a good average. I will always give a firm estimate going in how long I think it will take, and we’ll stick to a tight schedule to ensure we make it happen by the target deadline.
Absolutely. The first thing you’ll see is a descriptive outline I’ll put together for the book. This will help us identify what will be the chapters. Then I’ll forward you the work chapter by chapter, even parts of chapters as I go along. You’ll be right there every step of the way to make sure I’m getting it just right.
Included! I never lose sight of the fact that this is YOUR book. Consequently, you have to be completely satisfied with it. We’ll keep tweaking until it’s just how you want it. That’s what a good ghostwriter does!
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“Jerry helped take my dream – raising awareness for special needs pets – and made it into reality. He knew instinctively what I wanted to accomplish and he took my clutter of notes and produced an award-winning book. Since publication, I asked Jerry to write my second book. These two will not be my last books with Jerry. I am already planning a few more where I will once again have Jerry take all my ramblings and place them into words. I cannot recommend him enough.”
—Kelly Preston, Real Dogs Don’t Whisper
“I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Jerry. He was diligent and conscientious. He consistently brought my ideas and thoughts to life. Not only is Jerry a talented writer, he’s attentive and reliable. As a result of Jerry’s efforts, I have a book that I am very proud of.”
—Cathy Yocum, Gardening Secrets of the Pros