I started Writers of the West in 2004 as a traditional publishing company. Twenty-two years and two business models later, it looks very different from that first version, and the changes came from specific problems authors kept running into. Here is what we changed and why.
From traditional publisher to A Full Service Self-Publisher
In 2020 we changed the model. We moved fully online and put our focus on self-publishing and ghostwriting.
The reason was simple. Authors kept finishing a manuscript and arriving with a new list of questions. Who edits it? Who formats it? What about the cover? Where does the ISBN come from? How do I distribute it? How do I market it once it’s live? Writing the book was one part of the job. Nobody was handling the rest.
So we kept building. Today our ghostwriting services sit inside a company that also handles editing, formatting, cover design, publishing, distribution, author websites, book marketing, advertising and audiobooks. An author can use one of those services or all of them. We work from offices in Houston, New York and Los Angeles, and we distribute through partners across the USA, Canada and Europe.
A network of more than 3,000 writers
There is no such thing as the perfect writer for every book.
Someone brilliant at memoir may be wrong for a business book. A writer of children’s stories may not suit a thriller. Two good writers in the same genre can have completely different voices and work habits.
We have more than 3,000 ghostwriters under contract, from 15 countries. That lets us match each project on genre, subject, writing style, experience and what the author wants the book to do, instead of handing it to whoever is free this week. Writers from different countries also help us respect the cultural setting of a story.
Unlimited writer changes
A large network still doesn’t guarantee the first match is right.
An author and a writer can both be talented and still not click. So we offer unlimited writer changes. If the writer isn’t right, tell us and we assign another one. If that one isn’t right either, we do it again. There is no penalty for saying, “This isn’t the right person for my book.”
I would rather deal with the hassle of a rematch than watch an author spend months on something this personal with someone they don’t trust.
Why professional ghostwriting costs less here
Experienced ghostwriters are expensive, and for good reason. A full book takes months of interviews, research, drafting and revision.
I wanted to bring the price down without hiring beginners. Our answer is a high-volume, direct model. We keep experienced writers on ongoing contracts and give them steady work across many projects instead of the occasional one-off. That lets us negotiate better rates with them, and the savings go to the author. Flexible payment plans make the cost easier to carry.
Volume creates efficiency. The author should benefit from it.
Unlimited revisions within your scope
A book is not a standard product.
A chapter needs another pass. An interview changes something in an earlier section. An author reads a page and says, “That’s technically what I said, but it doesn’t sound like me.” That’s normal.
Our ghostwriting projects include unlimited revisions within the agreed scope, so nobody is counting rounds while trying to get their own book right. The target isn’t a revision quota. The target is a manuscript the author is comfortable putting their name on.
Your book stays yours
Authors keep ownership of their books and all of their royalties. Confidentiality is part of the agreement from the start. Our clients’ names go on the covers, so the work belongs to them.
Support that continues after publishing
An author might email us three months after launch. Or three years. They need an old file, an update, an answer about their published book, or advice on another marketing option.
Our project managers answer. We provide project management support for as long as the author needs it after publication. I never wanted a book to be a transaction: take the payment, deliver the files, close the project. A book stays with an author for life.
Five questions to ask any ghostwriting company
If you’re comparing companies, these are the questions I would ask. Here are our answers.
|
Question |
Our answer |
|---|---|
|
Can I change my writer, and how many times? |
As many times as needed, with no penalty |
|
How many revisions do I get? |
Unlimited, within the agreed scope |
|
Who owns the book and the royalties? |
You do |
|
What happens after the book is published? |
Dedicated project support upto 3+ Years |
|
How many writers can you match me with? |
More than 3,000 under contract, from 15 countries |
If you want to talk through a project, our book writing services page has the details and a way to reach us.
About the author
Chris Holloway is the founder and CEO of Writers of the West, a ghostwriting, editing and publishing company he started in 2004 as a traditional publisher and moved online in 2020 with a focus on self-publishing and ghostwriting. He writes about book launches, distribution and publishing strategy.
