Name one renowned writer who didn’t start as a ghostwriter. If they weren’t, chances are they were lucky or had loads of previous work to prove their expertise. Still, you’ll find that most of these presented “past projects” were freelance jobs that the writers themselves don’t take credit for.
For beginners, the art of ghostwriting is easier said than done! You must be willing to represent someone else and stand for what they stand for in your writing style and tone.
What does it take to be a ghostwriter and launch a career in this industry?
Well, tricky as it sounds, nothing is really technical about ghostwriting. In truth, many professional freelancers begun as ghosts and later gained a foothold in the industry. Thus, to build a career in this field, you must spend quality time understanding your role and learn how to graduate from a newbie level to an expert writer.
Ghostwriting jobs also vary in nature. Some expect you to write website content, others require you to produce an ebook, and others will hire you to create social media content.
No matter your project’s nature, it’s vital to follow client instructions as that’s the whole essence of ghostwriting–to write on behalf of.
What is a ghostwriter?
Ghostwriting is the art of writing an article, ebook, or social media post without enjoying your content’s rights. Instead, your client or employer owns the rights.
A ghostwriting project consists of two primary parties:
- The client or the author, who designates work to a freelancer (like you) to create content for a specific fee and owns the rights for all the newly produced work.
- You, the “ghost,” or the freelancer who completes a project for a given amount of money: In exchange, you surrender the rights for the works you complete.
Most of these projects happen remotely; you link with a client through the various freelance sites that onboard writers like you.
Is Ghostwriting a Lucrative Career?
You’ve been producing content for months, but no client is willing to let you take the credits for your content? Don’t worry; you still have a chance to make it as a ghostwriter!
This spot remains lucrative because you can easily land multiple jobs, especially if you register in a freelance platform that posts hundreds of ghostwriting projects.
Ghostwriting allows you to build your profile while linking with potential clients who may recognize your work and choose to hire you on a weekly or monthly basis. In the best cases, these relationships can escalate to long-term deals and increased recognition, especially in websites that allow you to build your profile like Bunny Studio.
Another advantage to being a ghostwriter is that some clients fall head over heels with your work and may choose to onboard you as part of their team. Getting a client on your side also positions you as an expert to express your personal opinions as a freelancer. Plus, there’s more to this, you also get referrals, and more projects come your way.
Ghostwriting reduces your workload a great deal. However, you get paid once you complete the assigned work. Remember, most clients worry about every other aspect, such as posting and marketing the final piece on social media.
Also, with ghostwriting, a freelancer only does little research. Clients often provide complete details of what they expect you to produce. This saves you hours to channel into other projects.
Writing for other authors introduces you to the world of communicating with clients. Even though most of these authors expect you to follow specific rules and instructions, working time and again helps you master the art of winning deals and discussing differences with prospects.
Lastly, your writing talent also improves with time because you learn how to handle other author’s styles the right way.
How to Launch Your Career as a Ghostwriter
Ghostwriting isn’t as“all donkey work” as it sounds. The truth is most clients don’t let writers take credit for the work the content they produce.
But this doesn’t limit your potential or goals as a writer. You can still rake in a per-month lumpsum enough to solve all your needs like rent, food, and clothing.
Bonuses and extra earnings from clients and your freelance website can cover entertainment and other wants. Plus, after all that spending, you’ll still have plenty to throw into your savings account.
So what are the steps to build your name as a competent ghostwriter?
1. Kick off as a Freelancer
Dive into this industry knowing that nothing comes on a silver platter. Most newbies jump in, hoping that everything will go their way, only to realize that you need a well-thought-out strategy to survive and thrive.
Many expert writers will tell you most of their top-dollar clients acknowledged their potential after multiple ghostwriting projects. It takes time and lots of effort to gain a foothold here, but opportunities keep knocking once you’ve proven your know-how.
Freelancing is a free pass to building a robust online presence and a perfect opportunity to prove your worth as a professional writer.
2. Hone Your Freelance Editing Skills
Most freelancers don’t fancy the “editor’s title,” yet proving your experience in this sector can make a huge difference.
Remember, while some clients will let you do lots of the work alone, the majority only want you to edit their original position and add a professional tone to it. Editing often involves employing troves of professional skills, and a positive result could earn you extra points as a top-notch editor.
To succeed in this career, don’t hesitate to remind your client that you can help them handle all their editing work. Do this for free sometimes to build a stable client-freelancer relationship.
By honing your editing skills, they will market you as an expert content creator, further making you a favorite for many authors.
3. Pay attention to detail
Attention to detail is part of being a ghostwriter; many authors give specific instructions for their projects and expect freelancers to follow all rules to the letter.
Thus, spend 10 to 15 minutes going through your clients’ instructions before committing to any project. Remember, some of these tasks are time-sensitive, so you don’t want to accept anything you’ll struggle to complete and submit in good time.
It would be best if you also prepared to represent your boss’s interests per their requirements or risk being flagged as unfit for that particular project.
Paying attention to all the instructions also reduces the annoying to-and-fro exchanges. You don’t want to submit the final copy only to receive paragraphs of instructions asking you to stick to the client’s needs.
4. Prepare to Handle Huge Writing Projects
Ghostwriting pays but nothing will earn you dollars working on a long project, e.g., an ebook.
While these projects take lots of time and research to handle, you must be willing to take on significant content writing work involving lots of to and fro communication.
Short projects are money-spinning. However, tackling an entire ebook to your client’s needs can reveal your strengths.
Long projects are a nightmare for most freelancers because you must spend days researching and tweaking your work to meet your client’s needs.
No matter how meticulous your client is, always focus on coming to a peaceful resolution.
5. Produce Your Work
After spending lots of time working on other people’s work, you indeed have everything it takes to create your original work.
Authors (your clients) give you many insights that you must utilize to expand your bottom line and share with the world.
Why not create an ebook on a favorite topic to show your prowess in the sector or focus on a theme that will interest your client and share for free.
In a nutshell, nothing comes for free. Even in ghostwriting, you must be willing to go the extra mile to get clients on your side.
6. Learn to fit someone else’s shoe
Months of writing can boost your skills as a freelancer. However, learning to tweak your tone (& style) to meet client needs is the real deal.
While walking in another author’s shoes may seem difficult initially, you must understand that these projects serve various industries. Being flexible ensures you accommodate virtually all sorts of clients.
For instance, after an official business tone, some clients prefer a conversational tone to help engage their clients. Expert freelancers know when and how to switch to meet different client needs.
Also, it takes lots of research and attention to detail to write an autobiography about someone else’s experiences.
The Pros of ghostwriting jobs
Are you still wondering whether to consider a career in ghostwriting or not?
Well, these many pros may help change your mind;
· Instant payments
Freelance ghostwriting guarantees quick money into your account, unlike when trying to pose as an expert writer from scratch.
· Earn per your wish
Ghostwriting is an excellent opportunity to win clients. Having several clients on your side often means more project opportunities. In essence, you earn as much as you wish based on your effort.
· You finish the job once you produce the content
In ghostwriting, you receive payments as soon as you submit the assigned work. Your client (or the author) worries about other tasks like posting the content online or sharing it on social media platforms.
This job relieves you of all marketing duties.
· You choose what you write about
It’s important to double-check all client instructions before committing to any project. Ghostwriting projects allow you to choose the topics you’re most interested in. This also impacts your performance positively because you take on themes that you’re comfortable with.
· You boost your writing skills.
Handling multiple projects for different clients with various needs sharpens your writing skills.
There are many more pros to being a ghostwriter, like the freedom to work when you wish. You control your schedule as long as you meet the deadline.
The Bottom Line on a Ghostwriter
Ghostwriting is an excellent place to launch and grow your writing career. Signing up with a competitive site exposes you to lots of new projects, further increasing your success chances.
Be ready to work your way up because this career requires dedication and months of practice.
