The ghostwriting industry is a unique one. It’s full of people who are good at crafting stories and sentences, but not necessarily people who are good at communicating on social media or with clients.
We’re a special breed, and we stick together because we know that there’s nothing like the bond you share with others who have been through it all.
For those unfamiliar with ghostwriters: we’re the unseen authors behind many famous blogs and books out there. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a ghostwriter or if you want some examples of how I do my job keep reading!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. The unique challenges of ghostwriting |
| 2. The art of writing in someone else’s voice |
| 3. Maintaining confidentiality and anonymity |
| 4. Balancing creativity with client requirements |
| 5. Navigating diverse genres and writing styles |
| 6. Collaborating closely with clients and editors |
| 7. Negotiating contracts and fees |
| 8. Tackling extensive research and fact-checking |
| 9. Dealing with critiques and feedback |
| 10. Meeting tight deadlines and managing time efficiently |
| 11. The satisfaction of seeing your work published anonymously |
| 12. The camaraderie among fellow ghostwriters |
1. Naps Are Everything
Naps are your best friend, your secret weapon, and your trusty co-pilot during those long days when you feel like you’re about to lose it all.
Let’s be honest: there’s nothing more satisfying than rolling back into bed after lunch and drifting off for an hour or so to recharge your batteries before diving back into the day. And if that doesn’t work out? No problem!
You can always start taking naps on Fridays as well or even Saturday mornings (it isn’t unheard of).
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2. Status Updates Are For Work Friends And Strangers
As a ghostwriter, you know that status updates are for work friends, and strangers. If you have “friends” on Facebook, they’re probably not the people you know in real life.
They are more like those strangers that quickly become acquaintances the ones who say hi at the grocery store or nod their heads when they see each other at the coffee shop.
But what happens when your work friends are also your offline friends? Can you tell them about how great your book is doing without making it seem like bragging? The answer is: yes!
You need to be careful with what you share online no matter who it’s with because all of our information can be used against us, but if your friend knows that you’re a writer as well as a person (and vice versa) then sharing updates makes sense and will benefit both parties.
3. It’s Okay To Deceive Clients
There’s a lot of lying that goes on in the ghostwriting world. You have to be able to lie, or at least hide your true feelings and that’s not even counting the lies you tell yourself about how much you can handle and how secure your job is.
You also have to keep secrets from clients, often because they don’t want anyone else knowing what they’re doing.
And then there are the times when you simply say no to requests for more work than you’re willing or able to do, or when a client asks something that crosses ethical lines for whatever reason (maybe it’ll take too long and make them unhappy).
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4. Writing Is An Addiction
If you’re a writer, you know what I’m talking about. You can’t help yourself. You just have to write.
You start with the best of intentions to write a blog post or maybe send out that email newsletter and then suddenly it’s two hours later and you’ve written 3,000 words about the joys of being an introvert in an extroverted world.
Or maybe, if your brain is all fired up from writing about introverts (like mine), you decide to write another 500 words on how useful it is for introverts to find their power animals.
It’s not like this process happens every time you sit down at your desk or pull out your laptop; usually, it’s when some small thing sets off an avalanche within you:
Maybe something someone said during a meeting or because they didn’t say something important enough, maybe what happened during happy hour last night the list goes on and on.
And no matter what is happening around us as writers (or aspiring writers), we are compelled by our inner voices telling us that there should be more words right now!
5. There’s A Lot Of Pressure To Produce Content
Ghostwriting is a job that requires you to meet deadlines, produce high-quality content, and work well with your clients. You have to be able to meet the demands of your clients quickly and efficiently for them to trust in you as a ghostwriter.
The same goes for your readers: if they don’t like what they read, then there won’t be any more requests for future projects from them or others who might also like their writing style.
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6. Everything Is Worth The Time And Effort
As a ghostwriter, you might feel like you’re not getting paid for your time, effort, and creativity. But in reality, it’s all worth something.
When I first started ghostwriting as a teenager (yes I was an accidental ghostwriter), I thought that my work was only worth my client’s payment of $50 per page of content they wanted me to write. That wasn’t enough to pay the bills!
But after a while, I realized that my value system had changed because I began looking at things differently:
By charging less than minimum wage but working harder than anyone else at their job ever did on those tasks and doing so with excellence I learned how much value there is in doing quality work even if someone else isn’t paying top dollar for it right away.”
7. The Readers Don’t Care How Hard You Worked On Your Piece
The final stage of a ghostwriting project is the proofreading and editing stages, which are the most challenging ones since they require you to pay close attention to all the details and ensure that everything is as it should be.
This can be quite time-consuming because it involves going through each paragraph and checking if there are any typos or grammatical errors.
This process may take several hours depending on how long your manuscript is, but once it’s done, most people will forget all about this work because they’ll only remember what they read in their books.
If you’ve ever published something before (and even if you haven’t), then chances are someone has asked you why certain things were included in the book or why something wasn’t included at all.
One thing I’ve learned from being a ghostwriter is that no matter how much effort goes into writing something, it’s usually up to other people who weren’t involved in creating the content itself (i.e., readers).
Whether or not what we write will be successful is based on factors outside of our control like marketability or aesthetic appeal instead of whether or not there are any errors within its pages such as spelling mistakes or missing words/sentences here and there.
This means unless those types of errors exist throughout their entire manuscript instead of just one paragraph at a random time throughout the entire book(s), then chances are good those problems won’t cause reader dissatisfaction either!
8. Your Contract Should Be Addressed To Your Name Only
Ghostwriting is a clandestine business, so your contract should be addressed to Your Name Only.
You’re going to have to share some personal information with the person who hires you, your name, address, email address, and phone number (as well as any other details relevant to their project). But that’s where it ends.
You don’t want anyone finding out who you are through the internet or social media. That means don’t use any of these things in your professional life: real name;
Real address; real email address; real phone number; real social media account(s) (and don’t make a new one just for this project); personal photos of yourself on Twitter or Facebook that show more than just what’s above your neckline/collarbone level.
For example: if someone wants me to ghostwrite an article about how much they love cats, I’ll need their name and contact info so I can get paid for my work but if I’m hired through Upwork (where freelancers post job listings).
Then once our business is complete and payment has been made by credit card or PayPal transfer, they won’t receive anything else from me except some text files containing said cat-loving article!
9. You Need To Know Who Your Clients
It’s important to know the names of your clients, but you should never know their details.
It’s also necessary to be able to speak comfortably with them and understand their writing style. However, you can’t go around knowing too much about your client’s life outside of business hours.
For example: Let’s say you’re working with a client who is an entrepreneur and writer. You may have met them at an event.
Or via email correspondence for a couple of weeks before their project was completed, but you don’t know much about them outside of what they tell you about themselves during those meetings/conversations.
That means that if someone asks whether or not they have kids (which would probably be considered personal information), it wouldn’t be appropriate for me as a ghostwriter to respond with anything other than “I’m not sure.”
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11. You Will Receive Free Gifts From All Your Blog-Writing Clients
You will receive gifts from all your blog-writing clients. This is especially true if you’re working with a client who has a successful blog or an online business and appreciates the value of having an expert ghostwriter help develop their content.
On one occasion, I was working with a client who had recently launched her first book and signed up for my blogging service because she needed help producing regular content for her website and social media pages.
At the end of our first month together as clients, she gifted me with some expensive yoga pants, which cost more than $100 a gift that would have been worth more than half what she paid me in fees!
Another time, I worked with a health coach who gave me hundreds of dollars worth of supplements after just three months’ work on her blog posts (which were all about nutrition).
12. You Will Have A Terrible Sense Of Humor Most Of The Time
You will have a terrible sense of humor most of the time.
You will be able to laugh at yourself and others, or at least fake it well enough that it won’t matter. This can be difficult, especially when you feel like you’re being made fun of or put down by someone who really should know better.
But remember: they don’t know any better than you do! And being able to see the humor in situations like these is part of what makes your job so rewarding.
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Conclusion
Ghostwriting is a great way to make money, but it’s not for everyone. You need to be able to write fast and well, but also work with an editor who can help you improve your writing skills.
It’s also important that you can adapt quickly and bring out the best in your client’s voices so they sound like themselves when they’re writing something new!
Further Reading
Behind the Scenes of Ghostwriting: Uncover the hidden truths and insights into the world of ghostwriting.
Traits of a Good Ghostwriter: Explore the essential qualities that make a ghostwriter exceptional in their craft.
10 Things You May Not Know About Ghostwriting: Discover lesser-known facts and interesting tidbits about the art and business of ghostwriting.
FAQs
What is ghostwriting?
Ghostwriting is a practice where a writer creates content, such as books, articles, or speeches, on behalf of someone else, who is often credited as the author.
Why do people use ghostwriters?
People use ghostwriters to leverage their writing expertise, time constraints, or to adopt a specific writing style while maintaining authorship credit.
How do ghostwriters ensure confidentiality?
Ghostwriters sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with their clients, ensuring that the content they produce remains confidential and the client retains full ownership.
How much does ghostwriting typically cost?
Ghostwriting costs vary based on the scope and complexity of the project, but it often involves a negotiated flat fee or a percentage of royalties.
Are ghostwriters experienced in specific genres?
Yes, many ghostwriters specialize in particular genres, such as fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, self-help, or academic writing, to cater to the specific needs of their clients.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
