“All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary—it’s just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.”
– Somerset Maugham
Dear Future Novelist,
When I was 12 years old, I read a novel called The Outsiders that changed my life. But it wasn’t the words that had such a profound effect on me—it was the author.
You see, S.E. Hinton was only 16 years old when she wrote The Outsiders—just 4 years older than I was at the time. From the moment I learned this, I wanted to be a writer too.
In the 40+ years since, I’ve written hundreds of things—both for myself and for other people. I’ve written screenplays, how-to books, business books, memoirs, marketing manuals, international newsletters, newspaper and magazine articles, style guides, and trivia books… not to mention 2 young adult and 5 children’s novels.
Of everything I’ve written, by far my favorite things to write were the novels. I love telling stories, and I love seeing the characters I’ve invented come alive on the page.
On the other hand, fiction is also one of the hardest things to write—which explains why so many people who claim to have an idea for the next Great American Novel never write a word of it.
The Solution
Are you one of these people I’ve just described? Do you have characters, plots, and magical lands floating around in your head, but don’t have the first idea how to get your story down on paper?
If so, you’ve come to the right place. I’m a professional ghostwriter, and I can help you transform those characters, plots, and magical lands into a novel you’ll be thrilled to show to your family and friends.
What’s my secret weapon? Well, in addition to the novels I’ve written, I read constantly. I read 50 or 60 novels a year, which has given me an excellent sense of pacing, style, dialogue, and characterization. More importantly, it teaches me what works—and what doesn’t work.
Why Should You Write a Novel?
You might be thinking, “Why should I write a novel?” Well, there are several possible reasons:
Legacy—If you have children (or grandchildren), what better gift to give to them than a novel written by their mother or father (or grandparent). This is more meaningful than any material gift they’ll ever receive.
Desire—I wrote my first novel, The Cootie Kisser Convention on Canterbury Court, because not writing it was making me crazy. Until I actually sat down and spilled my story out onto the page, I felt like I had a huge itch that needed to be scratched. You might feel the same way about your story.
Business—Let’s face it, people are impressed when they hear you’ve written a novel. If you’re in a career where you regularly leave behind a business card, how about leaving behind your new novel (perhaps one that illustrates some important concept of your business) instead.
Publicity—If you do a lot of public speaking, or have a large presence on social media, writing a novel is an entertaining and effective way of “furthering your personal brand.”
The Ethics of Ghostwriting Fiction
Now, some people consider using a ghostwriter to write fiction to be unethical. And I agree—in certain situations.
For instance, there’s the real-life example of the pseudo-celebrity who “wrote” a best-selling novel—then later admitted she had never even read it. This is obviously unethical—and, let’s face it, a little bit sad.
But let’s take a slightly more realistic example.
Suppose Stephen King says to me: “Write me a novel about an evil zombie king who plans to destroy the world. I’ll give you three pages of notes about the characters and the plot and the imaginary world. You flesh it out to 150,000 words, then we’ll stick my name on it and make millions of dollars.”
This hypothetical example would also be unethical, even though Mr. King has provided me with a bare-bones synopsis. Why? Because when somebody plunks down $22 to read the next book by Stephen King, they are only paying $22 because they assume Stephen King himself has written it.
In other words, they’re paying for his imagination… not mine.
Therefore, I will write your novel as long as we follow 1 basic rule:
You must give me an adequate amount of detail about what you want the completed manuscript to look like—the more detail, the better. I can’t take a single line and turn it into a 60,000-word novel; I can, however, take a 50-page synopsis, or even a muddled first draft, and turn it into something you’ll be proud to call your own.
Your Investment
The fee and timing of your novel will depend, of course, on what type of novel it is, how long it will be, and how complex it will be (is research required?). We’ll discuss all of this when we first talk together.
Regarding fees, be warned that there are many ghostwriting hacks out there—and when somebody says they’ll write your young adult science fiction trilogy for $800, your B.S. meter should be going on overload.
When hiring a ghostwriter, you really do get what you pay for.
I am a professional ghostwriter, and when you hire me to write your novel, I consider it no different than if you hired me to remodel your kitchen or landscape your garden. I will devote myself entirely to your project, and I guarantee you’ll be overjoyed with the final result.
That being said, my novel-writing fees are:
| Type of Book | Length of Project | Fee (approximate) |
| Adult (100,000 words) | 12 months | $30,000+ |
| Adult (60,000 words) | 9 months | $30,000 |
| Young Adult (15,000 words) | 4 months | $5,000 |
| Kids (6,000 words) | 2 months | $3,000 |
These fees are, of course, estimates—and I give a generous discount for writing multiple novels. For instance, I might charge $30,000 to write one 60,000-word novel, but only $58,000 to write two novels, and $82,000 to write three.
Now, unlike most ghostwriters, my fee covers more than just the final manuscript. It also includes:
- For adult books, a physical trip (anywhere within the U.S. or Canada) to talk with you in person about your project. All other contact will be via Skype/Zoom/FaceTime, telephone, or email.
- Paying to have your novel professionally proofread.
- Paying to create a professional-looking cover for your novel.
- Writing a query letter and book proposal you can submit to publishers and literary agents.
- Setting your novel up on Amazon (including the ISBN number)—both print and Kindle editions.
As I mentioned above, I completely immerse myself in every project I do. Therefore I’m only able to work with one fiction author at a time. Somebody who is simply itching to see his or her novel on the printed page.
If you are that somebody, please call or email me today!
Jim Gratiot
916-805-4875
jimgratiotghostwriting@yahoo.com
P.S.: I’ve worked for over ten years as a professional editor—so if you’ve already written a draft of a novel and just need somebody to make it better, I can help with that as well. 916-805-4875 or jimgratiotghostwriting@yahoo.com.
Jim Gratiot Ghostwriting 