Because each project is (and must be) unique, process, cost and duration varies from project to project. Ghostwriting and co-writing fees can vary widely, depending on the project's genre, total word count, the time frame for completion, and what you're able to provide in terms of scoping, outline, research and draft text. Once we understand the scope of our involvement in your project, we can determine the most cost-effective and mutually equitable fee strategy.

We are good stewards of client budgets and can advise you on how to contain costs, if budget is an issue. (For example, using consultation hours judiciously and supplying us with source material and draft text can significantly reduce cost.)

All projects require an upfront retainer before we actually begin work to demonstrate your seriousness about the proposed project and to justify our time commitment to your project. The balance of the project fee is paid in installments as per our standard ghostwriting contract. We'll work with you to establish logical milestones before commencing the project. Because we'll need to remain in constant contact with you, you'll always have a good idea of accruing cost on an ongoing basis.

Fees are based on a word-count rate, hourly rate or both. Our business objectives are simple: Billing should be commensurate with the amount of the time we spend on the project, and the budget should be sufficient to allow us to do the job well; that is, to produce the caliber of work that we demand of ourselves. We're not a crank-'em-out shop.

General Fee Ranges for Services:

• Drafting Full-Length Manuscripts. Costs for complete manuscript development varies with the amount of time required from us but most tend to fall in the $6000 - $20,000 range, depending on manuscript length, complexity and the extent of your involvement in the project. In most cases, we can schedule and complete manuscripts within 2 - 4 months. We encourage you to provide us with as much advance notice as possible to ensure that we can commit to your desired time frame.

• Manuscript Editing. Editing fees vary with the length of manuscript and level of editing and/or restructuring required. We encourage you to send the full manuscript or representative manuscript samples that will help us provide a more realistic cost estimate and eliminate surprises down the road for both of us. (For example, you might include samples that you feel require little editing and enhancement and samples that you believe could use significant editing, rewriting or reconstruction.)

• Manuscript Review. Fees for manuscript review and analysis typically fall in the $350 - $600 range.

• Manuscript Coaching. Consultation fees are billed on an hourly basis and the total fee is thus dependent on the number of hours required. Coaching is often combined with elements of manuscript review and manuscript editing since it is sometimes more effective for us to show rather than simply tell.