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Ghostwriting Agreement Template

You write it, they're the author — agree the credit, the confidentiality and the rights before the first interview.

Use This Template — Free See the Agreement Signers don’t need an account
Ghostwriting agreement
The blanks in brackets are what you fill in. VergeHR adds each signer’s signature and date boxes.
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Ghostwriting agreement — page 2 of 3
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Use This Template Fill in the blanks, name who signs, and send — from VergeHR eSignature.

What is a ghostwriting agreement?

A ghostwriting agreement is the contract between a ghostwriter and the person or company whose name will go on the work — a book, memoir, article series, blog or speeches. It has to settle questions ordinary writing contracts don't: will the ghostwriter be credited at all, may they ever mention the work, and does the client end up owning every right, including the right to be named as the author?

This template describes the work and its length, the interview sessions and revision rounds included, and optional dates for the outline, first draft and final manuscript. The fee is paid on a milestone schedule you set, with an optional royalty share. You choose the ghostwriter's credit (none, acknowledgements, or "with" on the cover) and what they may say about their involvement. It includes strong confidentiality, a transfer of all rights on full payment with a waiver of authorship rights where the law allows, the client's responsibility for facts and legal review, and no guarantee of publication or sales.

Best for
Book and memoir ghostwriters, speechwriters and thought-leadership writers
Signed by
The ghostwriter and the client
Credit
None, acknowledgements only, or "with"/"and" on the cover
Length
About 3 pages, initialled on every page

When to Use a ghostwriting agreement

  • A founder commissions a business book written from interviews
  • A family hires a writer to turn a parent's stories into a memoir
  • An executive needs a monthly thought-leadership article under their name
  • A speaker commissions keynote speeches
  • A ghostwriter wants milestone payments on a long book project

What You Fill In

21 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: ghostwriter, client.

1 The parties

  • Ghostwriter (your business or name)*
  • Ghostwriter address
  • Client (person or company)*
  • Client address

2 The work

  • Agreement date*
  • Type of work* a book · a memoir · a series of articles · blog posts · speeches · a thought-leadership series
  • Describe the work*
  • Approximate length (words)
  • Interview sessions included
  • Rounds of revisions on the full draft*

3 Timeline

  • Outline delivered by
  • Full first draft delivered by
  • Final manuscript delivered by

4 Fees

  • Currency*
  • Total fee*
  • Payment schedule*
  • Invoices are due within (days)*
  • Share of royalties or income for the Ghostwriter

5 Credit and confidentiality

  • Credit for the Ghostwriter* The Client will be named as the sole author, and the Ghostwriter will not be credited · The Ghostwriter will be thanked in the acknowledgements, but not named as an author · The Ghostwriter will be credited on the cover and title page as "with" or "and" the Client
  • May the Ghostwriter mention the work?* Beyond any credit above, the Ghostwriter will not tell anyone that it worked on the Work · Beyond any credit above, the Ghostwriter may tell prospective clients privately that it worked on the Work, but will not say so publicly · After publication, the Ghostwriter may list the Work publicly in its portfolio
  • Governing law*

6 Who signs

  • Ghostwriter signature and date, job title, initials on every page
  • Client signature and date, initials on every page · The person or company the work will be credited to.

What the ghostwriting agreement Covers

  1. The Work
  2. How the Work is written
  3. Fees
  4. Credit and confidentiality
  5. Rights in the Work
  6. The Client's content and publication
  7. Ending the agreement
  8. General

Using the ghostwriting agreement, step by step

1 Describe the work

Choose the type of work and describe its subject, audience and working title, with an approximate word count. Enter how many recorded interview sessions are included and the revision rounds on the full draft.

2 Set the timeline

Add dates for the outline, full first draft and final manuscript if you have them. They move if the client misses interviews or feedback.

3 Agree the fee

Enter the total fee and a milestone payment schedule — the default is 25% on signing, outline, first draft and final manuscript. Add a royalty share only if you've agreed one; otherwise the fee is the ghostwriter's full payment.

4 Choose credit and disclosure

Decide whether the ghostwriter is credited, and whether they may mention the work — never, privately to prospective clients, or publicly after publication.

5 Send it

Add the client and send. Both of you sign and initial every page; the signed agreement is filed in Files.

Tips Before You Send It

  • Tie payments to milestones so neither side carries all the risk on a long project.
  • Agree how interview recordings are stored and when they're deleted — the agreement lets the client ask for them.
  • Flag anything that could be defamatory or intrusive early, and suggest legal review before publication.
  • If a royalty share is agreed, ask for copies of publisher or platform statements, as the agreement requires.

Sign It Online In Minutes

  1. Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
  2. Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
  3. Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Use the ghostwriting agreement Template — It’s Free

Ghostwriting agreement: frequently asked questions

Is ghostwriting legal and ethical?

Yes. Ghostwriting is a long-established practice for books, speeches and articles. Some settings, such as academic work submitted for assessment, have their own rules about authorship — this template is for commercial and personal publishing.

Who owns the book?

Once all fees are paid, the ghostwriter transfers all rights in the work, including drafts and outlines, to the client, and waives authorship rights to the extent the law allows, subject to any agreed credit.

Does the ghostwriter get royalties?

Only if you enter a royalty share. Without one, the agreement says the fee is the ghostwriter's full payment.

Is an agreement signed electronically legally binding?

In most countries, including the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, an electronic signature is generally valid for an ordinary commercial contract like this one. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as evidence of who signed and when.

Is this template free?

Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR. Your client doesn't need a VergeHR login to sign.

Use This Template — Free