Must-Follow Steps for Becoming a Ghostwriter

Ghostwriting has become one of the sustainable career options where one can work as a freelancer with good pay. When you hear the word ‘ghostwriting’ you might be inquisitive to know about it. A ghostwriter is someone who writes articles, speeches, books, blog posts, email newsletters, web copy, etc for others. They aren’t credited for their work. Most of the people who are interested opt for ghostwriting as it is one of the most lucrative jobs among others. Being a ghostwriter you can grow your own business. In this article, we are going to discuss what are the good practices to be followed for becoming a ghostwriter.

A ghostwriter is a freelancer who pens a text but doesn’t get credited for the same. The job of the ghostwriter is to work on behalf of his client including non-fiction books, online content, public speeches, and book proposals. In short, he is hired to pen down journalistic work or speeches or any other kind of text that is officially credited to some other person as an author.

They are often hired by celebrities, executives, political leaders, and participants in timely news stories to draft or edit memoirs, autobiographies, and articles for magazines or other written materials. Ghostwriting or Ghosting is also a popular term in creative fields. It has been a long practice for composers to hire ghostwriters to write musical pieces and songs. Many of them have written and composed music for wealthy patrons.

Why Hire a ghostwriter?

For a long time, ghostwriters are hired for numerous reasons. In most cases, they are hired because public figures or celebrities do not have time, writing skills, and discipline to write and research for writing hundreds of pages. Even if a celebrity or any public figure can write, it might be that he or she cannot structure or edit a hundred pages of books to make them captivating to the readers or clients.

In some other cases, most publishers use ghostwriters to increase the number of books that can be published under the name of well-known marketable authors so that topical books that tie with some recent trending topics be quickly released to the market on high demand.

Ghostwriting and its Types

Ghostwriters are hired in different fields. Once you excel in the niche, you can opt for any field of your forte. We are going to discuss different types of ghostwriting to give you an overview of how to become a professional writer in different fields.

Nonfiction

Ghostwriters are in great demand and hired by public figures or celebrities to publish their work which can be a memoir, autobiographies, or any written piece of text. The ghostwriter in non-fiction writing can have minimum to substantial involvement. For example, in a few cases, they can be hired just to edit or polish a written piece rough draft. In other cases, they may be given the job to write an entire piece of an article or a book or interview sessions with a celebrity. They can also be hired to write the outline of a story.

Fiction

Once you become a professional in the field, you will be mostly in demand for fiction writing. They are hired by publishers to increase the number of books that can be published each in the name of a highly famed marketable author. Moreover, they are used by publishers to write new books where they are pseudonyms for established series.

Many ghostwriting companies sell entrance essays, thesis, term papers, and dissertations to students. Although ghostwriting in this field is considered to be academic dishonesty and might also lead to repercussions if detected by any universities. This kind of ghostwriting is allowed in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany.

Websites

Becoming a website ghostwriter is also a great option to opt for. Many authors are not skilled enough in technology or they don’t have much time to dedicate. Therefore, some websites are ghostwritten but the content, tone, and style of the write-up are credited to someone else. Most of them are freelancers who work under contract with radio presenters or pr television presenters.

This applies to social media as well where most of the social media sites like Facebook or Twitter of celebrities or public figures are handled by ghostwriters. Apart from the above-discussed areas, the medical field is criticized by a variety of professional organizations and is considered unethical. Ghostwriting is also well known in music and visual arts.

Memoir

Writing memoirs is another interesting field where being a ghostwriting you can voice the life story of your client in written form. You, as a ghostwriter, are going to weave the threads of the different touch points of your client compellingly.  

For more information, go through Steps to Become a Ghostwriter

How Much Can you Make

You must be wondering if you cannot showcase your writing on your client’s website, why do have to become a ghostwriter? The answer to this thought-provoking question is very interesting. The job of a ghostwriter is very lucrative.

You are paid well as a ghostwriter as you are hired by some great business clients or great public figures that can pay you a handsome amount for getting their work done. Ghostwriters are hired to write a book and their pay may range from 5 lakhs to 10 lakhs. Moreover, the more experienced you will be, the more you can expect.

You don’t need to promote your client’s write-up anywhere on social media. Once you have completed writing, your job is done. You need less research to start ghostwriting which is one of the biggest reasons writers opt for this profession. Your client is going to supply all the stuff you are required to go through.

Must-Follow Steps to Becoming a Ghostwriter

Becoming a ghostwriter may be your dream. But you must be wondering how to fulfill your dream. Here are a few essential steps you need to practice.

• Understanding Your Job: Understanding your job is the first and foremost thing, you need to be vigilant about in any profession. Your job stands for using the ideas of your client and giving proper structure to the content. Though you will not be credited publicly for it.
• Be a Good Listener: If you are a good listener then this job is a big yes for you. You have to listen very carefully to what your client expects you to write for him. You need to step in the shoes of your client. If you can deliver what your client expects you will be in the good books of your client. This kind of reputation will further fetch you further future projects.
• Try Out Various Styles and Topics: If you want to become successful, you need to put your hands on different styles and topics. You can test yourself by writing for magazines, blogs, newspapers, short stories, or listicles. You can also work as an editor helping authors by refining their structures. These kinds of practices are going to give you real-life experiences and also to work in collaboration with clients. In this way, you can add credits to your portfolio and also get exposure.
• Building Your Portfolio: Once you are confident enough in your niche, you can write on various topics. It is said that the more you write regularly the more your portfolio grows. So you must write regularly. You need to create your website with a professional mail id. You can also start social media account. You can update your Linkedin profile.
• Practice Writing Your Book: You need to practice a lot to sharpen your book writing abilities. Once you are an expert in it you can start writing or offer your service to authors or publishers. It is suggested to write your book first before you write for others. This will provide a sample for the client as well to grow through your work before hiring you.
• Ghosting for People You Are Familiar With: Once you have reached the level through different small projects, it’s time for you to look for something substantial. Your good reputation through your work with your client is going to help you build your career. You can use this gig to build your business as a freelancer. Your inner circle of contacts and network can help you in expanding your business.
• Joining a Marketplace: Now it is high time for you to join a marketplace to grow your business. There are many freelancing sites you can join that will bring you lucrative collaborations. While fixing the rate for your work, you should always prioritize experience over money. One of the easy ways to market yourself is to guest post. Facebook is a great platform to connect with the world. You can join a writers group and keep yourself updated.
• Strengthening Your Collaborative Skill: You need to be very careful while creating a freelance proposal with your clients to build a strong bond with your client. Your contract should be clear enough to answer any question that might pop up in the client’s mind. You also need to diversify your voice to make your client’s work more appealing. Once you become a skilled collaborator, you will not have a problem picking up a new client. Never forget to ask for feedback as this will help you grow as a writer.

Apart from all the pointers stated above, you need to be proficient enough to be self-disciplined so that you complete your task by the deadline given to you.  

Here are the best Content Writing Courses in Mumbai

Pros and Cons of Ghostwriting

Ghosting or ghostwriting has its advantages and disadvantages. It is not an easy job, but once you have expertise in it you will have many advantages. Here are some of the advantages of ghostwriting.

• As a startup, the cost is very minimal. You just need to be equipped with a computer, internet connection, and communication with the client.
• This profession is a dream for many, and one of the reasons for this is the good pay in this job. You can increase your rate accordingly if you are a freelancer.
• With books, you are going to get a big project.
• You have flexible working hours. You work according to your convenience and can balance your professional and personal life.
• Your relationship with your client can help you to get repeat business and referrals.
• If you are a person who is not fit for teamwork and can excel and evolve more working solo, ghostwriting is best for you.
• Ghostwriting gives you the privilege to work with people with ideas and also be exciting and financially rewarding too.

Before you assume ghostwriting to be a pleasant career option, you should be aware of its drawbacks. Given below are a few drawbacks that come with ghostwriting.

• You are not credited publicly for the hard work you have done. In fact, in this field, you need to keep your ego aside as your work with being acclaimed by your client.
• Your portfolio becomes limited as most of the ghostwriting agreements have a nondisclosure agreement. This limits your work as a writer.
• You’re content to become limited to your client’s requirements. You are supposed to put the ideas that your client wants in the written piece. You become facile with your writing styles.
• You have to take the suggestion of your client very politely and gracefully. If you can’t, you are going to have a very tough time.
• You work alone in this profession. This makes you a solo worker and takes away the spirit of working with a co-worker or team. So you are away from the light of socializing.

FAQ’s

Q1. Is it worthy to be a ghostwriter?

This is one of the questions that is going to pop up in anyone’s mind who is thinking to opt for this profession. If not getting the credibility is ok for you then is job is worthy enough because you don’t disclose in this profession who your clients are. If you want to be anonymous, then ghostwriting is best for you.

Q2. Who hires Ghostwriters?

Ghostwriters are hired in different fields. Apart from being hired by celebrities and singers ghostwriters are used to write autobiographies, and authors hire to write blogs. They are also hired by entrepreneurs, coaches, lawyers, dentists, and other service providers. Ghostwriters are even hired by people who are not good at writing to create content like a book, an email, an online course, and many more.

Q3. How much money can you earn?

The market for ghostwriters varies and it fluctuates as well accordingly. It depends on the type of client you are working for. If you have laid the foundation of your ghostwriting and have a good portfolio developed you will land up getting good pay for your job by your client or collaborator.

Q4. Where can I hire a ghostwriter from?

You can get ghostwriters by simply searching the internet. There are some bidding sites like Upwork, Hubstaff, Fiverr, and many others. These can be a good start to searching for ghostwriters. You will also find the ghostwriter’s profile on Linkedin. There are many companies where you can find writers like the writers for Hire, Ghostwriters Central, Scribe, etc.

Q5. Can ghostwriting be considered ethical?

As per law, ghostwriting is ethical and widely accepted worldwide they are hired for service and paid for it. They anonymously write for their clients and credit goes to the client themselves. It is a fully collaborative effort between the ghostwriters and the person who is commissioning the work. Although in some countries it is banned especially when it comes to academics.

Conclusion

The path to follow for success is similar to that of a freelance writer. The niche is a great profitable choice that understands well the criteria and is professional enough to set the parameters. In this job you are going to enjoy flexible working hours, rewarding fees for your good work, and inner satisfaction once you accomplish your job. If you have patience and go with a proper pace you with definitely build a sustainable and lucrative career in the world of writing. You need to be proficient and gain expertise in this field of ghostwriting so that you can create content regularly that could further be turned into a book. A growing trend of the stigma attached to the job title ‘ghostwriting’ has changed and opportunities are opened for the aspirants. Hope this article helps you to have all the basic knowledge for becoming a ghostwriter.