How to Get Hired as a Book Ghostwriter
For the past five years, I’ve ghostwritten books while traveling the world — eating stracciatella gelato in Italy, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, journaling in Copenhagen cafés, and (now) continuing to build my six-figure freelance writing business from my sunny apartment in San Francisco.
I’ve written memoirs for Olympians, tech entrepreneurs, and legacy-driven founders. I’ve shaped stories with clients everywhere from mountaintops to Manhattan penthouses — because every great book starts with a conversation in an unexpected place.
Ghostwriting books has changed my life, and it can change yours, too.
If you’re looking for ghostwriting jobs, crave remote writing jobs with real meaning, or dream of becoming a freelance author writing memoirs, novels, or nonfiction — this is the place to start.
Let’s dive into how to get hired as a book ghostwriter.
How Do I Find Book Writing Jobs?
Spoiler alert: nobody’s hiring full-time book writers with 401(k)s and kombucha on tap. Ghostwriting is a freelance game — and that’s a good thing! Full-time staff positions for book writers and ghostwriters are rare, underpaid, and creatively stifling. You’re better off building your own career — one that gives you autonomy, financial upside, and the ability to choose your clients.
To help, I created my writing job board — a curated hub of remote freelance writing jobs updated twice weekly. You’ll find leads for:
Memoirs for moguls
Business books for brand-builders
Romance novels (yes, ghostwritten yearning is a thing)
And other remote freelance author jobs that pay in actual money (not ‘great exposure!’ promises from someone with 42 Instagram followers)
Many of these leads come directly from clients who reach out to hire me. When I’m unavailable or a project isn’t the right fit, I pass it along to my network — a talented group of freelance writers who subscribe to my job board.
To get access (plus freelancing tips and my exclusive ClassStack library), subscribe here at From the Desk of Amy Suto: Make Writing Your Job.
How Much Can I Earn as a Freelance Book Writer or Ghostwriter?
Rates for freelance book writing vary wildly — from $15,000 to $500,000 per book — depending on:
The type of book (memoirs and business books often pay more)
The client’s budget
Your experience and niche expertise
Some clients want full-service support: interviews, outlining, writing, and revisions. Others come with a rough manuscript that needs serious shaping. Regardless, freelance book ghostwriting is one of the highest-paying niches in the remote writing world — especially when you build a strong portfolio and reputation.
What’s the Difference Between a Book Writer and a Book Ghostwriter?
It comes down to credit.
A ghostwriter is invisible. You write in the client’s voice, sign NDAs, and your name doesn’t appear on the cover. You’re paid well for your discretion.
A book writer or co-writer might receive cover credit and sometimes royalties, depending on the contract.
Personally, I prefer ghostwriting. It lets me reserve my byline for my own fiction and nonfiction — and it keeps the collaboration clean. I’m not writing to build my platform. I’m writing to build theirs, which allows me to be a better freelancer for the client, which makes for happier clients.
How Can I Build a Book Ghostwriting Portfolio?
Even if you’ve never written a book before, you can still build a compelling portfolio. Start by:
Writing spec projects (think: ghostwritten essays or sample memoir chapters that say, ‘Hire me — I’m already in your voice’)
Collaborating on short-form projects to get testimonials
Creating ghostwritten samples for hypothetical clients to show your range
Inside my ClassStack archive in my Substack, paid subscribers can access my on-demand class: How to Build a Portfolio That Attracts High-Paying Clients — including special tips for ghostwriters who can’t share client work due to NDA’s they’ve signed.
How Should I Price My Freelance Book Ghostwriting Services?
You can charge per word, per hour, or — my recommendation — per project. Most book clients prefer a flat rate, broken into milestones. When setting your rate, ask:
What’s the lowest you’d feel comfortable earning for this book?
What number would make you excited to open your laptop — not dread your inbox?
Does this project require travel, interviews, or additional rounds of revision?
Protect yourself with a contract that covers scope creep, extra revisions, and the occasional client who ‘just had one tiny idea’ that somehow adds 20,000 words.
Choosing Your Book Ghostwriting Niche: Memoirs, Money, or Make-Believe?
Every freelance book writer eventually faces the genre crossroads. Do you want to help someone crystallize a legacy, boost a personal brand, or invent a billionaire vampire love triangle from scratch?
Memoir ghostwriting is my home turf — and one of the most rewarding freelance book writing niches out there. Memoirs are heirlooms. Clients take them seriously because they’re usually writing one, not ten. These books capture a lifetime in a few hundred pages, and the best ones often blur with other genres: part business book, part personal essay collection, part novel with a few names changed. If you like working with high-net-worth folks who value craft and are willing to invest, memoir is a rewarding (and well-paying) niche.
Nonfiction and business books are where the ROI shines. Entrepreneurs, coaches, and thought leaders see books as tools — ones that land clients, keynotes, and credibility. That’s why they have real budgets. You’ll be ghostwriting for people who can expense your entire rate with a smile — and maybe a branded tote bag.
Fiction ghostwriting, on the other hand? I’d recommend writing fiction for yourself. It’s competitive, the pay is usually lower, and you give up the upside — royalties, recognition, and the chance to go viral on BookTok. If you’re building your author brand, keep the dragons, romance, and plot twists for your own name.
Of course, there’s also freelance book editing, which quietly thrives — especially in the fiction world. Indie authors want to write their own books but still need expert eyes to shape them. If you’re a strong developmental thinker, editing might be your secret weapon in the fiction space.
Whatever you choose, remember: your niche is only one part of the equation. The real magic happens when you combine strong storytelling skills with a smart portfolio, solid systems, and a clear brand. That’s how you go from “trying to make it” to “fully booked.”
Can You Actually Make a Living as a Freelance Book Writer?
Yes — and not just a “cover your coffee habit” kind of living. A real one. Freelance book ghostwriting helped me build a six-figure career that paid for five years of global travel (including core travel memories like drinking out of coconuts in a Singapore food hall, or watching sunrise hot air balloons drift past my boutique hotel in Cappadocia!) before I settled down this year in San Francisco. Book writing funded my novels and gave me the time and space to put my autoimmune condition into remission.
It’s not just about money — though that’s a nice perk. Freelance book writing connected me with some of the most fascinating people on the planet. Founders. Olympians. Artists. Clients with stories that matter — and the willingness to invest in telling them well.
So yes, ghostwriting jobs — the right ones — can absolutely fund your creative freedom, your business, and your next chapter.
Subscribe to the Writing Job Board Today to Get Started as a Freelance Book Ghostwriter
Stop scrolling job boards with nothing but $50 gigs from people who want “a bestseller in 2 weeks.” Join a vetted network where real clients are already looking for you.
Subscribe to From the Desk of Amy Suto: Make Writing Your Job. You’ll get:
Access to the twice-weekly Writing Job Roundup
Curated freelance book ghostwriting leads
On-demand classes and tools via ClassStack
A thriving community of writers making writing their job
