Screenwriting : How Much to Charge? by Lauran Childs

I got a bit below that low number for a similar project. Here is the WGA compensation schedule for writers. If you get 120K, you will be my HERO! Good luck and happy negotiating! http://www.wga.org/uploadedFiles/writers_resources/contracts/min2014.pdf

You don't want to price yourself out either. I always ask for the their budget first. If it's not worth my time and effort, especially 3-4 months for a solid first draft, I'll turn it down. The funny thing is, when folks find out you're a writer, everyone wants you to write their "super interesting" life story. I shy away from that. lol

It depends on your level of experience and what he's willing to pay. if you're not repd, not sold, not wga, and still somewhat "aspiring", I'd say between $5-10K would be appropriate. If you're more experienced, I'd say 7500-20K. anything more than that and he can find a professional working writer to do it. 120k!!??? if he's willing to pay that, I'll gladly co-write it with ya lol

I would consider time, research, and deadlines to price it properly. When is the first draft expected; that will determine how much time, and research you put into the project, subsequently how much to charge.

You need more info...How much time are you spending each day or how many days you will need to complete the task. The other route is to low ball as Mr. Manus suggest. If your breaking in and no writing prior, ask why they want you to do it. Really all the above are good responses. Good luck, update us

Everything said above is absolutely correct. You obviously are what Danny called a "somewhat aspiring" screenwriter. Hence, if the $ 80,000 to $ 120,000 are "somewhat mentioned" by your client then take it as everything over $ 15,000 will be a great compensation for "a somewhat aspiring" (love that expression). But if I got you right then this is the result of your researches. Hence, from my experience be happy if you get something about $ 8,000 or so. If you've already written some features then you know how to do it. But think about the work this story includes. You need to know his complete life, meaning literally everything he tells you - no matter what, no matter how strange, nasty... And you have to take it for the truth not knowing whether it is or not. Hence, no place for your own creativity, your own story, your ideas. You then have to write in your words what he tells you. So, the story as weird as it might be will run completely through you as I call it. Maybe there already exists a self-biography which would make it a little easer - you didn't give us that information. If not, then you first have to spend weeks by writing down what he will tell you. Should that be the case I would advice you to run away as fast as you can - even if he offers half a million. Btw, such people then suddenly come up with that they are short of money, have to put the project on ice, pay you $ 1,000 upfront and you never see the rest. Again: RUN!

@Dan - I can't tell you how many emails I get asking me to ghost write people's ideas. problem is, 95% of them want it for free for hypothetical money when it sells which obviously is bullshit. but if people do want to hire a ghost writer and pay appropriately, then I'm all for it as long as it's a story that is somewhat interesting a b day that I can connect with

The guy is a doctor - $120,000 is pocket change to him. When I had my last surgery, my doctor said he'd have me walking in two weeks. And he was right - I had to sell my car to pay his bills.

Thx Bill - great link that I should've checked myself. Yes $120,000 would be sweet...

He he Bill... Thanks for all the great replies. The situation is that first he wants me to finish the last third or so of his autobiography - the rest has already been written. I've ghostwritten books before and know what I'll quote him on that. He can definitely afford it. Then we might go on to a screenplay - and he's very excited about this. As of now we have yet to talk/meet and should communicate later today. Will keep you posted! BTW - agree with all the comments that most people who want you to ghostwrite for them want it for free and often don't have much of a story.

If you manage to wrangle 120k from the dude, let me know... I got dibs on ghostwriting the sequel for him.

I agree Jim - $120,000 isn't chump change for most doctors. I like your idea of percentage of ownership - any idea what's usual?

Indie writers usually get 2-2.5% of production budget as writing fees. So, you can figure accordingly. Otherwise most people just use WGA minimums to guide them.

Dan... exactly :) Ghostwriting is pointless unless you're desperate for money... which most writers are :)

Jeff - ghostwriting is not a bad way to make a living. And according to the most recent information available, over half of working Americans live paycheck to paycheck. A sad commentary of our times indeed. Make your potential client a variety of offers that he/she can't refuse, Lauran! Good luck and happy negotiating!

Bill--I don't disagree. You can make a living that way... and nothing wrong with it. I just think that if Im going to take all that time to write a novel or a screenplay... it better be for my career :)... everybody has to make their choices and ghostwriting is one way to go for sure.

The beginning of something great, is humble beginnings, waiting tables, being a messenger, ghostwriting, in other word, sacrifice. Talents always bubble to the top, but before it does, like a seed, it must endure the dirt. Talent is not limited to one work, it is a fountain that keeps giving until the end of life. Lauran Childs, happy ghostwriting, many wishes to be in your position but aren't, and that will not be your only great work, but one many to come. Cheers.

Thanks so much Sam and Dan! And you're right about enduring the dirt Sam... Re. being credited on Imdb, couldn't a ghostwriter use a pseudonym? Guess what happened with this potential client? Suddenly disappeared. This is after me doing research on what to charge him for the ghostwriting also. Typical waste of time with many people who say they want a ghostwritten book but don't want to pay. Also a couple of days ago I learned I'd won a ghostwriting contract a few months ago, over quite a number of people on a writing website, but they'd never bothered to let me know. All I'd needed to do was press a button to accept and I would have had a useful few thousand deposit. Ouch. This particular website is one I'd been on for years and no, I hardly ever check back there. And most of the jobs are ridiculously cheap. I don't know a good website to get writing work from - does anyone?

Kevin Anderson and Assoc. in NYC is one of the "biggest" ghostwriting and editorial consulting companies ... I used to work for them. Also, New York Editors, but they require you to have worked as an editor for a big 5 publisher first. KA is a good place to approach. They all pay crap... and the work is crazy making because the writers are 99% of the time amateurs and they are clueless what they're doing. That's ghost writing... if you're looking to just do basic editorial work (evaluations, copy, dev editing, etc.) then contact Author Solutions. This is the biggest subsidy publisher out there. Again, the quality of the writers is horrible (mostly) and the pay is mediocre... but if you can pass their audition it can be steady work and that's always good. Just be ready to want to fling yourself off a building after a few months of working. But, work is work. I've worked for all these companies and they are all the same... low pay, but fairly steady work if you can get hired. They burn through editors and writers pretty fast, so they are always looking for new meat.

Hi Jeff - funnily enough I started doing ghostwriting because I thought it'd be well paid, though taxing. Which it has not been - and most people who've gotten in touch me with want attention and not to pay for it. Interesting what you wrote.

Ouch...that stinks. I'm sorry to read that. You should consider making a series of templates that showcase your skills and distinguish you from your competition - a variety of services that you can provide to your clients and that you will be able to cost-effectively use over and over. Business of any type is hard and competitive in the world today, and please keep a positive and determined attitude in what you are trying to accomplish. I just had two rather large deals happen today, with companies that I felt were going to stay with our competitors and not do business with me. They chose us for the reasons I stated above. Good luck and happy selling/writing/negotiating/getting deals, Lauran!

Congratulations Bill! And thank you for the good wishes. I did have a website before that went into a lot of my skills etc and I let the domain lapse. I felt that a lot of the work I put into advertising myself as a writer, for example on sites, just didn't go anywhere useful.

Lauran - having a website is nice, and probably necessary for writers from an informational marketing standpoint. It really can't generate unsolicited traffic (people you haven't reached out to in some manner) or search traffic unless you pay big money to the companies that have commoditized Internet advertising. I was just talking to a guy whose company is the leader in his industry, and he pays over $200K a month for his package - and that's not even with all of the bells and whistles. I'd imagine the company that Jeff mentioned pays at least five figures a month for their Google ad that returns their company as the third search when you search for "ghost writers." Internet advertising sure has come a long way in the last 15 years. The latest milestone that I'm aware of: if a company doesn't have a mobile web site, and if someone does a search on a mobile device, that company won't return anywhere in the search. Gotta have a mobile web site now, too, peeps! You probably already know this, but I'll say it anyway, just in case: whatever type of marketing you do....make sure you can accurately measure the results to quantify the results. Good luck again, Lauran!

Thanks Bill! Wow those figures are daunting. Jeff - those companies you mentioned - what do they pay?

Lauran - yes they are daunting. But tough writers and business people eat "daunting" for breakfast! Heh-heh.

Perhaps I am misinformed; isn't "ghostwriting" writing with no credit? The actual writer never gets any credit at all and the name (and copyright) on the script is the person who paid. Any points or other payments are paid to the credited writer and not to the ghost.

It depends.... I usually use this example of an interesting ghostwriting situation - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_I_Did_It

Hi D. Marcus - with books ghostwriters can get credits - as in 'As told to...' and other ways. I have an agreement with one of my clients like that. Her book hasn't been published yet.

Some very nice information in this thread. Amazed at the generosity of some of the people here.

It is their balance to say the universe. If you treat others as you want them to treat you, life in general is much easier. I give away ideas of value say a cookie recipe . I find people get shocked I don't try to licence it with a big company. They really enjoy my Droolin Oatmeal. I get more out of the smile or happiness it brings others then any profit I might make. It is the same here. It also gets ideas following and what they give out comes back to them even more. I have respect for those that post without need of compensation.

James Drago - yes very generous people here.