A new poll conducted by Gotham Ghostwriters has found that 1/3 of ghostwriters make upwards of $100,000 per year. Gotham surveyed 269 working ghostwriters and collaborators following the first Gathering of the Ghosts Conference, at which ghostwriters called for more fee transparency in the field. The findings of the survey reinforce PL’s reporting from earlier this year that high-quality, experienced ghosts mostly charge in the six figures for long-form projects, but provided this additional, more granular data: -25 percent of ghostwriters charged at least $100,000 for their last nonfiction manuscript -8 percent of ghostwriters charged more than $150,000 for their […]
Compensation
After SPD’s Closure, Independent Presses Find Distribution Solutions
Last March, the indie press world was rocked by the abrupt closure of Small Press Distribution, which had operated since 1969 and represented about 300 client publishers. The company cited declining sales and loss of grant support as the reasons for the shuttering. Its 300,000-book inventory was transferred to Ingram Content Group, and many presses were left in a bind, without a distributor or access to inventory data, and in some cases had to pay to have their stock returned to them. Since the closure, indie presses have regrouped, finding alternate distribution solutions. Some have been made deals with Ingram […]
Book Scouts Share the Financial–And Existential–Realities of Their Business
Book scouting might be seen as one of the more glamorous positions in publishing, but the job is more than gossipy lunches and international travel. Scouting is a rigorous job with ties to all aspects of the business, influenced as much by local book trends as the global economy. As part of our compensation series, we spoke to literary scouts about how the job works, where the money comes from, and why the segment is shrinking. Scouts are essentially consultants hired by foreign publishers and film/TV studios to help them acquire books for publication or adaptation. They trade in information, […]
For Editors, Going Freelance Can Offer Freedom, But Not Necessarily Stability
As consolidation has reshaped publishing, the business has seen a steady stream of editors leaving their jobs at major houses to go independent. But a 2020 survey on freelance rates conducted by the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) indicates that while going independent may lighten an editor’s workload, it does not necessarily pay well. The survey, which polled members of all kinds including proofreaders and copywriters, put the median editorial freelance income of respondents at $25,974 annually. Of the 576 members who participated, only 11% had other income streams. At the high end, the survey recorded that 5 percent make between […]
Barnes & Noble Employees Claim Daunt Has Campaigned Against Union Votes
As workers at a number of individual Barnes & Noble stores vote to unionize — and as the chain itself embarks on a significant expansion of locations this year — employees tell the Guardian that ceo James Daunt has “embarked upon a months-long campaign to dissuade employees from voting in favor” of unionizing. They also “accuse the chain’s management of dragging their heels during contract negotiations.” Jessica Sepple, a bookseller at the flagship New York City store in Union Square, says: “He would come in and essentially try to talk us out of unionizing. The big argument against us unionizing […]
Freelance Publicists Keep the Stress of In-House Publicity But Earn Higher Paychecks
It’s a common fantasy. On a stressful day in the office, inbox overflowing, being pulled from meeting to meeting, while the work never seems to end: What if I worked for myself? In reality, is the flexibility of freelance work worth the financial worries, the hustle for the next contract, and being constantly available to clients? For many freelance book publicists, the answer is a resounding yes. As part of our continued series on compensation, we spoke with independent publicists—those working solo or at small firms—about their rates, their take-home pay, and how the stress doesn’t go down when you’re […]