Kevin Anderson & Associates pricing starts at $57,500 for a full ghostwritten book (Premier tier) and runs to $250,000 at Executive, with a Black Card tier quoted by phone. Editing is priced per word, from $0.035 to $0.30, with minimums of $1,000 to $5,000.
Every number here comes from the firm’s own published rate sheet, checked on 8 October 2026. Rates change, so confirm before you sign anything.
In this breakdown, you will get:
- Every ghostwriting tier, and what each one does and does not include
- The per-word editing rates, worked out on a real manuscript length
- The add-ons (proposals, beta readers, coaching) that push the total up
- Where Kevin Anderson & Associates genuinely beats what we build, and where it does not
Here are the numbers.
How Much Does Kevin Anderson & Associates Cost?
Kevin Anderson & Associates costs $57,500 to $95,000 for its Premier ghostwriting package and $115,000 to $250,000 for Executive. The Black Card tier has no published price. Stand-alone editing starts at a $1,000 minimum, which is the cheapest way to work with the firm.
| Package | Published price | Writer and editor level |
|---|---|---|
| Premier | $57,500 – $95,000 | Professional writer, Senior Editor |
| Executive | $115,000 – $250,000 | Bestselling or widely published writer, Executive and Senior Editors |
| Black Card | Call to inquire | Any caliber of writer, including #1 NYT bestsellers, team of Executive Editors |
These are the floors of full-book engagements, not deposits. The firm says projects are quoted individually, so where you land inside each band depends on length, research load and how much of your material already exists.
Kevin Anderson & Associates (KAA) — A New York ghostwriting and editorial firm that sells managed book projects, staffed by a writer and an editor it assigns, with published price bands rather than a quote-only model.
What Each Ghostwriting Tier Includes
Each tier adds seniority and publishing services. Premier covers planning, writing and editing, but leaves out the line edit, beta readers and proposal. Executive bundles all three, plus query materials, an agent list and contract review. Black Card adds marketing and publicity management.
Premier ($57,500 – $95,000) includes pre-planning and research, strategy sessions with a Senior Editor and the writer, the writing itself, Senior Editor editing, and publishing navigation. The rate sheet states that beta reader review, line edit and contract review are not included, and a proposal costs extra.
Executive ($115,000 – $250,000) adds a bestselling or widely published writer, full manuscript beta testing with 20+ readers, a line edit, a book proposal, query materials, a list of agents, contract review and a bestseller-list targeting strategy.
Black Card (price on request) adds 300+ reader title and cover testing, agent or publisher solicitation, and ongoing management of your marketing, publicity and publishing team.
The jump from Premier to Executive is roughly double. Much of that gap is the traditional-publishing machinery, which only matters if you are pitching agents.
Kevin Anderson & Associates Editing Rates
KAA editing rates run $0.035 to $0.30 per word, depending on the service and the editor tier you choose. A copy edit is a flat $0.035 per word at every tier. Minimums are $1,000 (Premier), $3,000 (Senior) and $5,000 (Executive).
| Service | Premier | Senior | Executive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical review and analysis | $0.035 | $0.09 | $0.12 |
| Line edit and content review | $0.055 | $0.14 | $0.18 |
| Line editing plus | $0.11 | $0.22 | $0.30 |
| Copy edit | $0.035 | $0.035 | $0.035 |
| Minimum charge | $1,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Per-word pricing is hard to feel, so here it is on an 80,000-word manuscript:
- Copy edit: $2,800 at any tier
- Line edit and content review: $4,400 Premier, $11,200 Senior, $14,400 Executive
- Line editing plus: $8,800 Premier, $17,600 Senior, $24,000 Executive
The same named service costs over three times as much at Executive. You are paying for the editor’s seniority. If you are unsure what each level of edit does, our guide to copy editing vs line editing breaks it down, and how much a book editor costs gives you the freelance benchmarks.
What Do Proposals, Query Letters and Add-Ons Cost?
KAA add-ons range from $400 for a 10-name agents list to $30,000+ for an Executive book proposal. These are the line items that turn a $57,500 Premier package into an $80,000 project, because Premier excludes most of them.
| Add-on | Premier | Executive |
|---|---|---|
| Standard book proposal (25–60 pages) | $12,000+ | $30,000+ |
| Basic pitch materials | $3,500+ | $10,000+ |
| Original query letter | $1,250 | $1,750 |
| Original 500-word synopsis | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Book coaching | $10,000+ | $20,000 – $35,000+ |
| Blueprint Day | $4,500 | $7,500 |
| Beta reader review (20+ readers) | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Title or cover survey (350+ readers) | $3,500 each | $3,500 each |
| Agents list (10 contacts) | $400 | $400 |
If you plan to query agents yourself, our guide to writing a query letter covers what the $1,250 buys.
The Real Total: What a Premier Book Actually Costs
A realistic Premier project costs $77,000 to $81,400 before cover, publicity or distribution. That assumes the floor package, a standard proposal, beta readers and, optionally, a line edit, since Premier excludes all three.
| Line item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Premier ghostwriting (floor) | $57,500 |
| Standard book proposal | $12,000 |
| Beta reader review | $7,500 |
| Line edit, 80,000 words at Premier rate | $4,400 |
| Total | $81,400 |
Drop the line edit and you are at $77,000. The rate sheet does not mention payment terms, deposits, timelines or rights, so ask for the standard agreement and check it against our ghostwriter contract template before you pay anything.
How KAA Pricing Compares to Other Ghostwriting Services
KAA sits at the upper-middle of the managed ghostwriting market. It is pricier than Scribe Media and Reedsy freelancers, and overlaps with Gotham Ghostwriters. Unlike most competitors, it publishes a detailed rate sheet, which makes comparison easier.
| Service | Published price | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter (Our Product) | $97 one time, 2 books | AI software, you direct the book |
| Reedsy freelancers | $18,000 – $50,000 nonfiction | Marketplace, you hire directly |
| Scribe Media | $44,000 – $135,000 | Managed, interview-based |
| Kevin Anderson & Associates | $57,500 – $250,000+ | Managed, assigned writer and editor |
| Gotham Ghostwriters | $12,000 search fee + $40,000 – $475,000+ | Matchmaking, you choose the writer |
Sources: Reedsy’s 2026 cost data, Scribe Media’s FAQ and Gotham’s ghostwriting FAQ. Our full ghostwriter cost guide covers the rest of the market.
Where Kevin Anderson & Associates Beats Chapter
This is our blog, so weigh the recommendation accordingly. Here is the straight version: there are authors for whom KAA is the better buy, and Chapter is not.
- Someone else writes it. KAA delivers a manuscript without you drafting a word. Chapter does the heavy lifting, but you still direct the book and make the calls. If your time is worth more than $60,000, that difference is real.
- Senior human editors. The firm staffs projects with editors from traditional publishing and lists itself on Publishers Marketplace. A seasoned editor’s judgment on structure and argument is not something software replicates.
- Traditional publishing pipeline. Executive includes a proposal, query materials, agent lists and contract review. Chapter produces a manuscript. It does not pitch agents or negotiate a deal.
- Price transparency. In a category full of “contact us” pricing, KAA’s public rate sheet is a genuine credibility signal. Its guide to avoiding ghostwriting scams is self-serving on price, but the warning signs are worth reading.
If you have a platform, a six-figure budget and a goal of a Big Five deal, KAA is a defensible choice.
Why Chapter Is Still Our Recommendation for Most Authors
For most authors, the gap is $57,403. Chapter gets you a full manuscript in your own voice for $97, which removes the two biggest complaints about managed ghostwriting: price and creative control.
Our Product — Chapter
Chapter is AI book writing software that turns your ideas and expertise into a structured, full-length manuscript you control at every step. More than 2,147 authors have used it, 5,000+ books have been created on it, and it has been featured in USA Today and The New York Times.
Best for: Experts and first-time authors who want a finished book without a five-figure invoice. Pricing: $97 one time, 2 books included (nonfiction or fiction), 30-day money-back guarantee. No free tier or trial. Why we built it: because the space between doing it alone and paying $57,500 had nothing useful in it.
Creative control is not a minor point. Our Kevin Anderson & Associates review covers BBB complaints about voice mismatch from clients who paid tens of thousands. With Chapter, the voice is yours by default.
You can also combine them. Draft with Chapter, then buy a KAA critical review at $0.035 per word: about $2,100 on 60,000 words. That gets you a senior editor’s read for a fraction of a package. See Chapter pricing explained for what the $97 covers, or our list of Kevin Anderson & Associates alternatives.
FAQ
How much does Kevin Anderson & Associates charge for ghostwriting?
Kevin Anderson & Associates charges $57,500 to $95,000 for Premier ghostwriting and $115,000 to $250,000 for Executive, per its published rate sheet as of October 2026. The Black Card tier has no listed price. Children’s picture books start lower, at $7,500 Premier.
What is the cheapest way to work with Kevin Anderson & Associates?
The cheapest way to work with Kevin Anderson & Associates is a Premier editorial service, which carries a $1,000 minimum. A copy edit or critical review costs $0.035 per word. The agents list at $400 is the lowest single line item on the rate sheet.
Does Kevin Anderson & Associates include a book proposal?
Kevin Anderson & Associates includes a book proposal in the Executive package only. At Premier, a standard proposal costs $12,000+ as an add-on, and basic pitch materials cost $3,500+. Executive-level proposals bought separately start at $30,000+.
Is Kevin Anderson & Associates worth the price?
Kevin Anderson & Associates is worth the price if you have a platform, a $60,000+ budget and traditional publishing goals. It is hard to justify for a first-time self-published book, because the total cost usually exceeds what that book will earn back.
Does Kevin Anderson & Associates offer payment plans or discounts?
The published rate sheet does not mention payment plans, deposits or discounts; it says projects are quoted individually. KAA’s own scam guide argues legitimate firms rarely discount, so expect the listed bands. Ask about the payment schedule directly before signing.
Pricing verified against ka-writing.com/rates on 8 October 2026. Further reading: the firm’s BBB profile and a Publishers Weekly spotlight on the firm.
