Guide
Best Ghostwriting Services for Business Books in 2026: 7 Options Compared
The best ghostwriting services for business books in 2026 are Scribe Media, Gotham Ghostwriters, Kevin Anderson & Associates, Reedsy, Greenleaf Book Group, freelancers hired through Upwork, and Entrepedia's book studio. The right one depends on your budget and how involved you want to be: Scribe, Gotham and Kevin Anderson publish five- and six-figure packages, Reedsy and Upwork let you hire a freelance ghostwriter directly for less, Greenleaf suits authors who want bookstore distribution through a hybrid publisher, and Entrepedia suits coaches and consultants who want a done-for-you business book without managing the process.
Below you will find a side-by-side table, a short profile of each option with its published prices, and a guide to choosing. We run Entrepedia's studio, so we have included it, but we have tried to be straight about where other options are the better fit.
Last updated November 2026. Every price and package detail comes from the company's own website, checked this month. Where a company doesn't publish prices, we say so.
Ghostwriting services compared
| Service | Model | Published price | Your involvement | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scribe Media | Ghostwriting and publishing packages | $44,000 to $135,000 per package | 20 to 40 hours of interviews, plus reviews | A single price covering writing and publishing |
| Gotham Ghostwriters | Agency that matches you with vetted writers | $30,000 to $300,000+ for a nonfiction book, by writer tier | Interviews and reviews over 12 to 18 months | High-profile authors and proposals for publishers |
| Kevin Anderson & Associates | In-house ghostwriting firm | $57,500 to $250,000 by tier | Interviews and reviews | Authors aiming at traditional publishing |
| Reedsy | Marketplace of freelance ghostwriters | Average $450 per 1,000 words in 2025 offers | You choose and manage the writer | Hands-on authors with a mid-range budget |
| Greenleaf Book Group | Hybrid publisher and distributor | Not published; itemized quote | Varies by service | Authors who want bookstore distribution |
| Upwork freelancers | Open freelance marketplace | $10,000 to $40,000 for a full manuscript (Upwork's guide) | You hire, vet and manage everything | Tight budgets, if you can vet well |
| Entrepedia studio | Done-for-you book studio | $5,000 to $15,000 per project | A strategy session, a mid-way draft review and approvals | Coaches and consultants who want a client-winning book fast |
For context, the Editorial Freelancers Association's 2026 rate chart puts the median for full-length nonfiction ghostwriting at 33 to 50 cents per word, and 50 cents to $1.00 for business and marketing writing. Our guide to what a ghostwriter costs works through the full math.
Scribe Media
Scribe Media sells fixed-price packages that combine writing, editing, design and publishing. Its pricing page lists four options:
- Guided Author, $44,000 total: you write the book yourself with coaching, up to 50,000 words.
- Scribe Professional, $56,000 total: interview-based, with an assigned writer, up to 60,000 words.
- Scribe Elite, $135,000 total: a matched ghostwriter, a project manager, premium editing and design, and a priority timeline.
- Scribe Publishing, $29,000: for authors who bring a finished manuscript.
Scribe says every package includes editing, cover, layout, publishing and distribution under a Scribe imprint, and that you keep 100% of rights and royalties. On the writing packages you do 20 to 40 hours of recorded interviews, and most authors are published 9 to 15 months after starting.
Best for: authors with a large budget who want one company to handle writing and publishing, and who are comfortable with a timeline of most of a year.
Gotham Ghostwriters
Gotham is a matchmaking agency. It draws on a network of more than 4,000 writers, typically introduces you to three to six pre-vetted candidates, and stays your point of contact. Its hiring guide gives these ranges for a nonfiction book: entry-level writers $30,000 to $60,000, mid-market $75,000 to $150,000, and elite $180,000 to $300,000 or more. Book proposals run $15,000 to $25,000. Fees are paid in two to four installments and projects typically last 12 to 18 months.
Best for: executives and public figures who want a top-tier writer, or authors who need a proposal to pitch traditional publishers.
Kevin Anderson & Associates
Kevin Anderson & Associates (KAA) describes itself as an in-house team of former agents and editors. Its rates page lists book ghostwriting at $57,500 to $95,000 for the Premier tier and $115,000 to $250,000 for Executive, with a Black Card tier priced on request. The higher tiers add publishing guidance for two years, beta reading with 20 or more readers, and, at Black Card, solicitation of literary agents or publishers. Book proposals start at $12,000.
Best for: authors who want help pursuing a traditional publishing deal and have the budget for a premium firm.
Reedsy
Reedsy is a marketplace rather than an agency. You filter freelance ghostwriters by genre, request quotes from up to five at a time and work with your chosen writer inside Reedsy's tools. Its ghostwriting page reports an average book ghostwriting rate of $450 per 1,000 words across 2,006 offers in 2025, which is about $22,500 for a 50,000-word book. Reedsy's FAQ says it charges a 20% commission on collaborations, split between the professional and the client.
Best for: authors who want to pick their own writer, can manage the project themselves, and want marketplace protection without agency prices. You will need to arrange cover, layout and publishing separately or through other Reedsy professionals.
Greenleaf Book Group
Greenleaf is a hybrid publisher and distributor with a commissioned sales force. It offers ghostwriting as part of its editorial services, alongside design and production. It doesn't publish prices: its FAQ says costs vary by project and authors get an itemized quote. Greenleaf says all its authors retain complete ownership of their books.
Best for: authors who want a publisher's distribution and bookstore reach, and who are happy to invest in a hybrid deal. Read more in our comparison of hybrid publishing and self-publishing.
Freelance ghostwriters on Upwork
Upwork is the budget route. Its ghostwriter hiring page says ghostwriters generally cost $20 to $45 an hour, with full-length book manuscripts at $10,000 to $40,000 per project. Clients pay a 5% marketplace fee on Upwork's Basic plan plus a small contract initiation fee, according to its client pricing page.
The catch is that quality varies enormously, and you do all the vetting, project management, editing and publishing yourself. Our step-by-step guide to hiring a ghostwriter covers samples, references and contracts.
Best for: authors on a tight budget who are confident they can vet writers and run the project.
Entrepedia's book studio
Entrepedia's book ghostwriting service is a done-for-you studio aimed at experts who want a book that wins clients. It starts with a strategy session that captures your methodology, stories and phrasing. Senior editors lead the writing, with AI-assisted refinement passes on every chapter, and you review a draft halfway through. Editing, layout and cover design are included, and you receive print-ready files, EPUB and Kindle files, 3D mockups and source files with a full ownership licence. The service page says books are print-ready in about 30 days.
The studio can also turn the same expertise into a course, lead magnets, videos or a website through its custom product service, which is useful if the book is one part of a bigger offer. It doesn't publish prices: you get an exact quote on a free strategy call.
What it is not: a traditional publisher. It delivers a finished, market-ready book package rather than a publishing imprint or bookstore sales force, so if a traditional deal or bookstore distribution is the goal, Gotham, KAA or Greenleaf fit better.
Best for: coaches, consultants and founders who want a business book in their voice, quickly, without hiring and managing a writer, editor and designer separately.
Which ghostwriting service is best for coaches and consultants?
For most coaches and consultants, the book's job is to win clients, speaking slots and trust. That points to three questions:
- Do you need a traditional publisher? Usually not. A self-published or studio-produced book does the client-winning job. If you do want a deal, Gotham or KAA can write the proposal.
- How much time will you give it? Agencies like Scribe and Gotham run for most of a year. A studio like Entrepedia is built for speed. Hiring on Reedsy or Upwork means you also manage the project.
- What's the budget? Above $50,000, Scribe, Gotham and KAA are all realistic. Under that, compare a Reedsy or Upwork freelancer with a done-for-you studio such as Entrepedia, where projects run $5,000 to $15,000.
If you are still weighing whether to write it yourself with AI, read ChatGPT or a ghostwriter first. If Scribe is already on your list, our page on Scribe Media alternatives compares the same field from that angle.
How we compared these services
We chose the companies AI assistants and search results most often name for business book ghostwriting, then read each company's own pricing, services and FAQ pages in November 2026. We compared published price, model, how much of your time each needs and what is included. We didn't use third-party review sites for facts. Prices change, so confirm with the provider before you sign.
FAQ
What is the best ghostwriting service for a business book?
It depends on budget and goals. Scribe Media suits authors who want writing and publishing in one package from $44,000. Gotham Ghostwriters and Kevin Anderson & Associates suit authors with six-figure budgets or traditional publishing goals. Reedsy and Upwork suit hands-on authors with smaller budgets. Entrepedia's studio suits coaches and consultants who want a done-for-you book quickly.
How much does it cost to hire a ghostwriting company?
Published prices run from about $10,000 to $40,000 for a freelance manuscript on Upwork, around $22,500 for a 50,000-word book at Reedsy's 2025 average, and $44,000 to $300,000 or more at agencies like Scribe Media, Gotham and Kevin Anderson & Associates. Greenleaf quotes per project, and Entrepedia's studio projects run $5,000 to $15,000.
Is Reedsy or Upwork better for hiring a ghostwriter?
Reedsy is a curated marketplace focused on publishing professionals, with an average book rate of $450 per 1,000 words in 2025. Upwork is an open marketplace with lower typical rates and much wider variation in quality. Reedsy suits authors who want a vetted pool; Upwork suits experienced buyers who can vet writers themselves.
Do I keep the rights when I hire a ghostwriting service?
With the services in this comparison, yes: Scribe Media says you keep 100% of rights and royalties, Greenleaf says its authors retain complete ownership, and Entrepedia provides a full ownership licence. With any freelancer, make sure the contract assigns copyright to you.
How long does a ghostwritten business book take?
Agency timelines are long: Scribe Media says most authors are published 9 to 15 months after starting, and Gotham says projects typically last 12 to 18 months. Freelance timelines vary with the writer. Entrepedia's studio says its books are print-ready in about 30 days.
