How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Memoir Ghostwriter?

If you've started looking into working with a memoir ghostwriter, you've probably noticed that most websites won't tell you what it costs. That's not an accident! Pricing varies a lot from writer to writer, and a lot of businesses would rather get you on a call before they talk numbers.

I'd rather you know upfront.

Here's what it actually costs to work with me, broken down by format:

Legacy Portrait — starting at $1,500. This is a short-form memoir, 1,500 to 2,000 words, built from a single recorded interview with two rounds of revision. It's the right starting point if you want your story captured well, without the scope of a full book.

Memory Booklet Series — starting at $2,500. Three to five themed stories — love, motherhood, travel, whatever matters most — each 300 to 500 words, developed across two 45-minute interviews and delivered in a keepsake booklet format.

Legacy Letters Series — starting at $2,500. Two to three personal letters, 500 to 800 words each, written to specific people in your life. These are often the most emotional projects I work on.

Full Memoir — starting at $15,000. A complete, book-length manuscript, 30,000 to 50,000+ words, built from multiple in-depth interviews over several months. Price scales with length and complexity.

Why the range? A memoir ghostwriter doesn’t just type what you say. I spend dozens of hours of interviewing, structuring, drafting, and revising, with the judgment to know which stories carry the emotional weight of the book and which are just scaffolding. The price reflects that work, not just the word count. You can read more about this on my Services page.

Payment plans are available on every format: a 50/50 split for shorter projects, and quarterly installments for a Full Memoir.

If you're still deciding which format is right for your story, that's exactly what a free consultation is for. No pressure, just a conversation about what you're hoping to leave behind.