How Much Should I Charge For This Writing Project?

Hi Angela,

I do believe your publishing company is going to be the answer to my prayers. I had come to the conclusion that I would never be able to afford to get my book published, but I do believe I have found a publishing company that I can work with.

But that’s not why I’m writing you.

A couple of days ago my childhood best friend sent me a message on FB asking to write her book. I want to help her tell her story, she’s an incredible woman. A lot of people are self made people, but this woman has had to reinvent herself not once, not twice but 3 times. Even now she’s having to endure hardships with her family.

She has a very successful catering business, but her writing skills are well almost none existent, I can’t count the hours I spent helping her compose her English papers.

I know that I will be forming the outline of her book from the brain storming stage right up to the final writing of it.

I need to know how can I go about determining what a fare price for my services would be. This project will be largely a labor of love, but at the same time I would like to be fairly compensated.

I hope you understand what I’m asking, basically what would be a fair price to charge a friend to write her book, when I know I will be writing it from her verbal accounts.

The title of it she has purposed is False Adoption, so it’s safe to say this biography is going to encompass her whole life of 48 years.

Thank you

Johnette McInerney

I definitely recommend charging an hourly rate for this type of project. You don’t know how much time it will take for outlining, researching, interviewing, etc. You also won’t have any control over changes she’ll want to make. This type of project can take hundreds of hours over several months (or even years). Charging an hourly rate is the. only way to guarantee you will be fairly compensated. 🙂

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