Organic, social & brand marketing

Books and taxes for ghostwriting agencies.

Retainers priced by how many posts a month an executive gets, a bench of ghostwriters paid per client, unpaid onboarding calls to learn a new client's voice, and a scheduling tool posting under someone else's name. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
FebruaryExample month
$8,300
what you made

February came in at $8,300. A new client's onboarding call ran long before any posts went out, so I did not book any revenue for them until the first batch actually shipped.

  • Retainer, 12 posts a monthRetainer revenue
  • Retainer, X threads packageRetainer revenue
  • Freelance ghostwriter, Client NContractor payouts
  • Freelance ghostwriter, Client OContractor payouts
  • Buffer subscriptionScheduling software
Money in$26,500
Money out$18,200
Set aside for taxes$2,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Ghostwriting agency books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees a retainer payment and a writer invoice. Your business is retainers priced by post count instead of hours, a bench of ghostwriters each matched to one executive's voice, and onboarding weeks that cost real time before a single post ships. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell which clients are actually profitable to keep.

  1. 1

    A retainer's post count does not match what shipped

    A client pays for twelve posts a month but only gets eight some months because approvals stall, so revenue looks steady even as delivery quietly falls behind, and nobody notices until the client asks why engagement dropped.

    What we doFlags when retainer revenue holds steady but writer activity for that client drops, so a delivery gap shows up before the client brings it up.
  2. 2

    A ghostwriter's per-client pay hides real margin

    One writer covers three executives at different post volumes and different rates, all paid through one invoice, so it is hard to tell which client relationship is actually worth what the retainer charges for it.

    What we doTies writer pay to the specific client it covers, so margin per account stays visible instead of buried in one writer's total pay.
  3. 3

    Onboarding weeks look like unpaid dead time

    A new client's first two or three weeks go into voice-matching calls and drafts before anything is approved to post, and that stretch can look like the agency did nothing for a client who is already being billed.

    What we doNotes when a client is in onboarding, so a quiet posting month reads as voice-matching work in progress, not a dropped ball.
  4. 4

    A confidentiality clause blocks normal invoicing details

    Some executive clients do not want their name tied to ghostwriting anywhere, including in an invoice description, which makes it easy to lose track of which payment belongs to which account.

    What we doKeeps client names off anything that leaves the business while still tracking revenue per account internally, so confidentiality and clear books both hold.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a ghostwriting agency.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Retainer revenueMonthly billing priced by post count for LinkedIn or X.
  • Onboarding feesOne-time fees for the voice-matching process with a new client.
  • Content repurposing feesTurning one piece of writing into posts across more than one account.
  • Strategy audit feesOne-time engagements reviewing a client's existing presence before writing begins.

Money out

  • Contractor payoutsFreelance ghostwriters paid per client account.
  • Scheduling softwareBuffer, Hootsuite, and similar posting tools.
  • Editing and grammar toolsWriting assistance software used across every client's drafts.
  • Coworking and officeShared office space or a home office setup.
  • Business developmentThe agency's own outreach and proposal tools.

What we watch for you

  • Retainer revenue

    The steady piece of income that predicts next month, separate from onboarding fees.

  • Cost per client

    What a ghostwriter's pay actually costs against what that client's retainer brings in.

  • Delivery gap

    Whether post volume delivered is keeping pace with what a client is billed for.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month so a slow onboarding stretch never throws off the number.

Ask Gus

Things ghostwriting agency owners ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

One client's retainer looks the same every month, but I think we are behind on their post count. Can the books catch that?

Often, yes. When writer activity for a client drops while their retainer revenue holds steady, I flag it so you can look into it before they do.

Do I need a 1099 for the writer who covers three of my clients?

If you pay her $2,000 or more this year and she is not on payroll, she gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. I keep that list running across her whole workload.

A new client's first month was all onboarding calls with nothing posted yet. Does that look like a problem in my books?

No, I note when a client is in onboarding, so a quiet month reads as voice-matching in progress, not dropped work.

The tax side

The tax side of a ghostwriting agency.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. A retainer counted before posts ship, a writer treated like an employee, and a set-aside nobody started until April.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, a freelance ghostwriter, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
  • Foreign ghostwritersA ghostwriter based outside the US usually does not get a 1099. The accountant collects a different form for foreign contractors and decides what applies.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operated agencies can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. The accountant checks how much of that survives once income passes roughly $200,000 single.
  • Self-employment taxA solo owner without payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base.

Deductions ghostwriting agencies miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Buffer or Hootsuite subscription
  • Writing and grammar software
  • Freelance ghostwriter payments
  • Business liability insurance
  • Coworking space
  • Business phone and internet
  • Conference tickets and travel
  • Website hosting for the agency
  • Accounting and legal fees
  • Proposal and outreach software

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

A ghostwriting agency's year, kept every month.

New clients can start onboarding any month, but tax deadlines do not move. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Open the year's books

    Last year's return gets started, the ghostwriter 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Signed, filed, done

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, since the set-aside kept pace with every retainer since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check-in

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether cost per client is holding up across your roster.

  4. October

    Before executive renewal talks

    Executives often set next year's personal brand budget around this time. Gus looks at which retainers are worth their cost before renewal talks.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for ghostwriting agencies. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions ghostwriting agency owners ask first.

A client's post count seems to be slipping but their retainer stays the same. Would Gus catch that?

Often. When writer activity for a client drops while retainer revenue holds steady, Gus flags it so you can look into delivery before the client raises it.

One writer covers several of my executive clients at different rates. Can Gus show me margin per client?

Yes. Gus ties writer pay to the specific client it covers, so you can see which accounts are actually worth what the retainer charges.

Some clients do not want their name anywhere in our records. Can the books still stay accurate?

Yes. Gus can keep client names off anything that leaves the business while still tracking revenue and cost per account internally.

A new client's first few weeks are all onboarding calls with nothing posted. Does that hurt my numbers?

No. Gus notes when a client is in onboarding, so a quiet posting month reads as voice-matching work in progress, not a dropped ball.

My books mix retainers and writer payments with no real system right now. Can that get sorted out?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus separates retainer income from writer pay, the accountant checks it, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

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We keep books for the business next door too.

What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for

Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever