Interview #25: How Peter Economy Makes Money Writing

In this interview, Peter breaks down the business of ghostwriting, and how he’s earned a living by staying selective, prolific, and quietly in demand.

Peter Economy has built a thriving career behind the scenes. With more than 135 books to his name—including Managing for Dummies and The Leadership Gap—he’s a seasoned ghostwriter, collaborator, and leadership columnist for Inc. His income mix today leans heavily on high-end ghostwriting projects, supplemented by royalties from a handful of successful books.

In this interview, Peter shares what it takes to stay in demand for three decades, why ghostwriting is the cornerstone of his business, and how he balances creative curiosity with pricing power. If you want an inside look at how long-term, sustainable ghostwriting careers really work, this one’s for you.

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• What you do: Ghostwriter and The Leadership Guy on Inc.

• Years writing professionally: 30.

• Earnings range: Well into the six figures.

“I am personally on the higher end of the ghostwriter pricing scale which translates to fewer projects, but those projects pay more.”

Peter, with more than 135 books to your credit and millions of copies sold, what does your current income mix look like across ghostwriting, royalties, consulting, and other streams? How has that evolved throughout your career?

Although I still get royalties from maybe 15 of my books, most of my writing income comes these days from ghostwriting. The mix is around 90 percent ghostwriting and collaborations with my clients, 5 percent advances and royalties, and 5 percent consulting. It has evolved quite a bit from my early days, where advances and royalties were maybe 70 percent of my writing income and other writing projects 30 percent.

You’ve collaborated with major figures like Jim Collins, Frances Hesselbein, and Guy Kawasaki. How do projects with high-profile clients compare financially to your other work, and what have you learned about pricing your expertise?