Ghostwriter, Developmental Editor, or Book Coach? How to Choose (and What Each Costs)

What each role does for an author

• A ghostwriter writes your book for you, in your voice, based on your ideas and expertise. You’re listed as the author. The ghost writes most, if not all, of your sentences.
• A developmental editor improves a book you’ve already written (or have mostly written). They help you figure out your structure, pacing, argument, and readability.
• A book coach helps you write the book yourself. While you crank out pages, they provide accountability, feedback, deadlines, and (often) therapy.

Let’s go deeper into what each type of writing professional does. This will help you decide if you should hire a ghostwriter, developmental editor, or book coach.

What does a ghostwriter do?

A ghostwriter transforms what’s in your mind into your manuscript.

For my ghostwritten books, that looks like some combination of the following:

• In-person planning meetings lasting anywhere from a day to a week. (I’ll do virtual, but I encourage my authors to meet IRL at first whenever possible.)
• Live or asynchronous recorded interviews or voice notes transcribed into tens of thousands of raw-material words.
• Reading, listening to, or watching all of the author’s relevant material: articles, podcasts, interviews, keynotes, previous books, etc.
• Drafting a full book proposal. Sometimes this is done to sell the book to a traditional publisher. Other times (if time allows), it’s done just as a practice to stress-test the book’s idea, audience, salability, and marketing.
• Drafting chapters, typically via ping-ponging one chapter at a time, until the full manuscript is ready for a comprehensive review. This means I draft, the author provides feedback, I revise. Rinse and repeat for all remaining chapters until the book is unmistakably yours.

Hiring a ghostwriter does not mean the author can take a vacation. To create the best version of a ghostwritten book, the author should still be involved in approving outlines, answering follow-up questions within a reasonable timeframe, and reading every word to ensure content accuracy and voice matching.

You should hire a ghostwriter if:

• You don’t know how to translate your expertise into a commercially compelling book.
• You have proven ideas but a full calendar.
• You’ve tried to write your book before but have stalled out.
• You’re overflowing with information with no idea what to keep or remove.
• You’re a verbal processor.
• You can protect one to three hours per week for gathering content and meetings.

A ghostwriter’s name does not appear on the cover. You do not need to acknowledge their contribution, and you may even have a contractual stipulation that the ghostwriter can’t mention their work on your book. That said, many authors do thank their ghostwriter in their acknowledgments, though seldom under the title of “ghostwriter.”

How is a collaborative writer different from a ghostwriter?

A collaborative writer is a close cousin to a ghostwriter. They tackle some, if not a majority, of the writing, but the author still writes as well. The author tends to have more time to devote to the book than if they’d hired a ghostwriter.

A collaborative writer’s name may or may not appear on a cover. When it does, this is called a “with” byline, e.g., John Smith with Anne Williamson.

What does a developmental editor do?

A developmental editor reads an author’s full draft (typically) and asks questions to make the book better.

Questions like:

• What journey is your table of contents taking your reader on?
• Is your fifth chapter really two chapters?
• Did you use that story about your grandma because it will help the reader or because you just love the story?

Then the developmental editor helps you fix those problems. This can take a number of forms depending on the editor.

Some write editorial letters that cover all of the manuscript’s problems, then the author squirrels themselves away for a time, makes the fixes, then resubmits a new version to the editor.

I don’t work that way. I prefer a more hands-on approach that alternates between in-document comments and edits and weekly or biweekly discussions about the suggested changes. Some developmental editors also provide rewriting where helpful. (I often help with beginnings, endings, and segues.)

Developmental editing can also be much more specific. For example, James Clear hired me with one intent: remove 20,000 words from his 100,000-word manuscript. He needed someone to bring new eyes to a manuscript he’d been working on for years.

If you know what kind of help you need from a developmental editor, be upfront with your request. If you don’t know, that’s OK too. A qualified and experienced developmental editor should be able to point out the kind of help you need.

You should hire a developmental editor if:

• You have a complete (or nearly complete) draft.
• You’re unsure if your book is working.
• Your agent or publisher asked for a stronger structure and you’re out of ideas (or tired of thinking about your book).
• You need to trim a significant number of words but don’t know where to cut.
• You fear you may not be speaking to your target demographic.
• You can protect one to five hours per week for meetings and revisions.

What is a book doctor?

A book doctor is a type of developmental editor who diagnoses and fixes a manuscript in trouble, often at a late stage and on a tight deadline. Sometimes an author has already turned in their manuscript to their publisher, but the publisher deems it unready for publication—yet they want to maintain the publication date. A book doctor may then be brought in by the author, agent, or publisher to help turn it into a commercially viable book, sometimes through heavy restructuring and rewriting.

How is a developmental editor different from a line editor, copy editor, proofreader, or acquiring editor?

Authors also get confused about the kind of editor or writing professional they need because there are so many types of editors. Here’s a quick education:

• A line editor enhances each line of text. They work paragraph by paragraph to hone an author’s voice, clarity, rhythm, and word choice. They won’t touch what’s already working, but they will improve sentences where they see possibility.
• A copy editor fixes grammar, punctuation, consistency, and house style. (For most nonfiction books, that’s Chicago style.) They’ll flag factual errors, continuity errors, and citation oversights.
• A proofreader catches typos and errant formatting often introduced during the layout phase. They work on typeset (designed) pages.
• An acquiring editor works at a publishing house and acquires books for the publisher, i.e., they buy book proposals and then shepherd the book and author through the publishing process. Some (not all) provide developmental feedback. While most acquiring editors champion their authors, it’s best to remember that their motivation is sales, and preferably sales over a long period.

The editorial process is: developmental editing > line editing > copy editing > proofreading. Think of it as a microscope increasing its magnification from 1x to 100x. Each step of the process narrows its focus.

What does a book coach do?

A book coach helps you cross the finish line.

Coaching combines planning with feedback and accountability. The author writes the book while the coach provides a focused mind to bounce ideas off of. The coach may (or may not) offer in-manuscript comments and edits. Monthly, biweekly, or weekly check-ins are essential. The coach also keeps the author on track for their deadline. And, when necessary, provides encouragement to keep going.

Jefferson Fisher has no shortage of drive as evidenced by his podcast, newsletter, masterclass, and social media. But he needed a coach to help him meet a tight deadline against a busy schedule for his first book. The Next Conversation became an instant New York Times bestseller, as did Conversation by Vanessa Van Edwards, another book coaching client.

Between ghostwriters, developmental editors, and book coaches, book coaches tend to vary the most in what they offer. When you’re considering hiring a book coach, learn as much as you can about their exact offerings.

You should hire a book coach if:

• You want every sentence of your book to be yours.
• You do your best work when someone else is expecting it.
• You fear you may not be able to meet your deadline.
• You feel lost as you’re writing.
• You can protect five to ten hours a week for writing.

Ghostwriter vs. Developmental Editor vs. Book Coach

Why is the cost range so wide?

The costs vary because the work varies.

• Length: A 50,000-word book is not the same as an 80,000-word book. Yes, this is obvious, but it’s a central factor that authors may unintentionally overlook.
  • FYI: Prescriptive nonfiction, self-help, and business books tend to run between 50,000 and 75,000 total words. Memoir and “big idea” books tend to run longer, from 70,000 to 90,000 words.
• Type of work: Ghostwriting is very time-intensive. Developmental editing has the potential to be very time-intensive. Book coaching is less time-intensive than either of those.
• Material: Is the hired writing professional starting from scratch or will they have access to blogs, transcripts, and other content that can shorten the prep time?
• Research: Books with many studies, interviews, or citations can take longer to ensure accuracy.
• Timeline: Typically, the nearer the deadline, the higher the cost. For instance, my book coaching costs more per month when the timeline is shorter.
• Experience: You should expect to pay more for more experience. This is particularly noticeable with ghostwriting. An NYT-bestselling ghostwriter should cost multiples more than a novice ghostwriter.

Payment schedules vary based on the type of work and the writing professional’s preference:

• Ghostwriters are typically paid in halves or thirds by milestone, e.g., the project begins, the manuscript is halfway complete, the manuscript is complete. Some projects may be publisher-dependent, e.g., the project begins, the publisher accepts the full manuscript, the book is published (often a year or even longer after publisher acceptance).
• Developmental editors may be paid in halves or thirds, or monthly. They may charge per word or per project.
• Book coaches are typically paid a monthly retainer for a set number of months, e.g., my book coaching clients agree to a three-month minimum.

The fastest way to know what kind of writing help you need

Answer two questions:

1. How many hours per week can you give to your book for the next six months to a year?

• If you only have 1-3 hours per week, you may need to hire a ghostwriter.
• If you have 3-5 hours per week (plus a draft and/or sufficient material), you may need to hire a developmental editor.
• If you have 5+ hours per week and want to write your book yourself, you may benefit from hiring a book coach.

2. Do you like writing sentences?

One of my clients described working on their book as “the dark hell that is writing.” The funny thing is that they’re an incredible writer. Still, it’s daunting work no matter who you are. If writing drains you, or you’d rather speak your book into existence, a ghostwriter is your best hire and the best return on your time.

By contrast, if writing energizes you—if you discover new ideas as you write—then a book coach or collaborative writer may be a good hire.

And whether you like to write or not, a developmental editor is always a good hire. They bring new, experienced eyes to your manuscript that can make you consider fresh perspectives on structure, flow, readability, and relatability.

But can’t AI be my ghostwriter, developmental editor, or book coach?

AI can attempt these roles, but you’ll be getting the most general, down-the-middle advice possible. It’ll compare your book to all books and won’t provide advice on speaking to your target market. An experienced writer or editor in your genre will know how best to position your book for your market.

You also risk believing AI’s sycophantic lies, that your manuscript is the greatest ever written. A human writing professional will challenge you where necessary.

Plus, if you use AI to generate text for your book, you can’t copyright the AI-generated portions. And most publishing contracts, especially at the Big Five, require you to warrant that the work is your own.

If you’ve written an AI-drafted book and are considering hiring an editor to make it sound human, know that untangling machine-generated prose is much more difficult than editing a human-written draft. Readers get enough AI-generated material everywhere they look; make your book unequivocally yours.

An important request: If you do use AI in any way connected to your book, please do yourself and your ghostwriter/editor/book coach a favor and disclose your usage before hiring them.

Frequently asked questions

Is it dishonest to hire a ghostwriter?

No. Ghostwriting has been standard practice in nonfiction for decades. The Pulitzer Prize–winning Profiles in Courage (1956) may have JFK’s name on it, but his speechwriter Ted Sorensen drafted most of the chapters.

The use of ghostwriters is especially high for busy experts, executives, public figures, and celebrities. The ideas, stories, and expertise are all theirs. The ghostwriter just transforms that knowledge into their voice on the page.

Can one person be my ghostwriter, developmental editor, and book coach?

Yes, but it’s not recommended. Many writing professionals offer all three services, but I suggest hiring one person to fulfill one service.

Note: If you hire a ghostwriter, you shouldn’t need a developmental editor or book coach. If you hire a developmental editor, you shouldn’t need a ghostwriter or book coach. If you hire a book coach, you might need a developmental editor or, to a lesser degree, a ghostwriter.

Do I need a book proposal before hiring a ghostwriter, developmental editor, or book coach?

No. However, if you’re interested in seeking a traditional publishing deal for your nonfiction book, you will need a strong and compelling book proposal. Many ghostwriters and editors (myself included) assist authors in crafting book proposals.

Can a ghostwriter, editor, or book coach guarantee a bestseller?

Nope. So many factors go into a bestselling book that no writing professional can guarantee that status. What a good collaborator can guarantee is their dedicated work to making your book the best that it can be prior to publication.

Do you need a ghostwriter, developmental editor, or book coach?

Now that you know the major differences, you’re prepared to take the next step.

As an experienced ghostwriter, developmental editor, and book coach who’s worked on multiple New York Times bestsellers, I’d be glad to help. And even if I’m not the right fit, I’ll gladly refer you to experienced colleagues who can.

Tell me about your book and let’s see what happens next.