For years, I had a 9-to-5 job that made me miserable. The people were fine, but the work was boring and I felt like I wasn’t using my brain to its full potential. In my free time, though, I moonlighted as a ghostwriter for authors who needed help finishing their books.
The work was well paid and fulfilling, and before long it became clear which of the two jobs actually made me happy. So, one day I walked into my boss’s office and said: “I quit.” By the end of that year, I had started freelancing full-time as a ghostwriter and haven’t looked back since. Here’s how it all happened:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Freelancing can provide a full-time income, as demonstrated by the story of a ghostwriter. |
| Ghostwriting is a specialized form of freelancing where the writer remains anonymous or does not receive public credit for their work. |
| Building a successful freelance career requires dedication, perseverance, and continuous improvement of skills. |
| Networking and marketing oneself are crucial for attracting clients and securing high-paying freelance projects. |
| Balancing multiple clients and projects is a key skill for freelancers, including ghostwriters, to maximize their income potential. |
| Freelancing offers flexibility in terms of work schedule and location, allowing individuals to design their ideal work-life balance. |
| Constant learning and staying updated with industry trends are essential for long-term success as a freelance ghostwriter. |
| Developing a strong online presence and maintaining a professional portfolio can significantly enhance the visibility and credibility of a freelance ghostwriter. |
| Embracing a proactive and entrepreneurial mindset can help freelancers, including ghostwriters, thrive in a competitive market. |
| Collaborating and networking with other professionals in related fields can lead to new opportunities and expand the freelance ghostwriter’s client base. |
Why The Gig Economy Is Still Booming
One of the main reasons why people are still freelancing as a full-time income is because it’s an excellent way to make money. It’s also a great way to get experience, which can help you if you go on to take another job in the future. Additionally, many other benefits come from being your boss and getting paid for the work you do.
These include:
- A flexible schedule you choose when and how long you want to work each day
- The freedom of being self-employed you don’t have anyone else telling you what to do or when they expect results from your efforts
- The ability to earn extra income is particularly useful if someone has taken out student loans or needs help paying off debts
Are you a freelancer looking to track your progress and stay consistent? Check out our comprehensive guide on The Consistent Freelancer: 20 Metrics You Need to Track to discover key metrics that can help you measure and improve your freelance career.
How To Make A Living As A Ghostwriter
The first step to becoming a successful ghostwriter is to find your niche. If you are interested in writing fiction, then focus on that area. There are many opportunities for ghostwriters who specialize in non-fiction, but if you want to make a living as a ghostwriter, then it’s best to focus on one thing and do it well.
After finding your niche, start building up your portfolio. Look for ways to get published and build up credibility with editors and publishers by showing them the kind of work that you offer as a freelancer (or aspiring full-time employee).
You can also take classes or workshops at local colleges and universities about how to become an effective writer who can produce quality content without plagiarism or grammatical errors.
I Made More Money In One Day Than In My Part-Time Job Did In A Month
One would expect the opposite to be true, but this was the case for me. During the first year out of college, I earned a respectable amount working full-time at an advertising agency.
However, when I decided to start freelancing full-time and work from home which was possible thanks to technology like Skype and Google Docs I found myself making much more money than before.
In fact, during my first month as a freelance writer, I made more money than my entire salary at the ad agency!
Here’s How You Can Get Started As A Ghostwriter
You need a good idea. If your first thought is to write about something that everyone else is writing about and the market for that particular genre is saturated, then you might want to think twice before starting this project.
Have some experience and expertise in what you’re writing about. For example, if someone wants me to write a book on business strategy but I don’t have any education or experience in business strategy, it won’t work out well for either party involved because I am not qualified enough to write such an article.
As much as possible, try not to take on projects that require subject matter expertise outside of your experience levels because having such gaps will result in poor quality content and unsatisfied customers/clients which could end up costing you future opportunities down the road (or even worse they can cause legal problems).
You may also want to consider taking classes related to what type of book project(s) before accepting them since most clients prefer writers who understand their subject matter well enough.
So they can communicate effectively in written form without sounding like idiots (this includes both technical terms/concepts) while still keeping readers engaged throughout their reading experience by using active voice rather than passive voice when describing events or processes within each chapter).
Think through all these points carefully before making commitments because once signed contracts have been issued there isn’t any going back from them — no refunds!
Want to uncover the secrets of successful freelancers? Dive into our article, Secrets I’ve Learned from Being a Freelancer, where we share valuable insights and tips gained from firsthand experience in the freelance industry.
Getting Started Was The Easy Part
It’s easy to get started as a ghostwriter, but it will take some time before you’re making money.
If you want to get paid for your writing, the first thing you’ll need is a portfolio. You can start by writing to friends and family members. From there, look for opportunities to work on projects that are associated with something you’re interested in, for example, if my blog is about traveling through Europe, I might write about any number of European cities or countries.
When I was starting as a writer, I did this by accepting free samples from potential clients as part of their initial research process; this allowed me to build up my portfolio while also gaining valuable experience working with different types of clients and projects alike!
Once your portfolio is strong enough and includes both samples and completed projects (and ideally testimonials), it’s time to start pitching yourself directly to potential clients who are looking for writers like yourself:
The First Rule Of Ghostwriting Is
This is a full-time job. It’s not something you do on the side for supplemental income, or as a hobby. Ghostwriting is a career and it takes dedication and effort to make it work for you. You have to treat this like any other occupation, meaning you need to be ready to work hard from 9–5 Monday through Friday.
Some people succeed at ghostwriting while maintaining another job; however, they are few and far between because they usually write more than one book at a time (which requires even more hours).
Most successful ghostwriters devote all their time toward writing, editing, and marketing their books to make ends meet and earn extra money beyond what they need for necessities such as food and shelter!
The Biggest Struggle That Comes With Ghostwriting Is Time Management
There are a lot of struggles that come with freelancing. For example, clients can be difficult because they don’t always know what they want, and that’s understandable.
But I think the biggest struggle for me is managing my own time and by extension, managing other people’s expectations about how long something will take to complete.
When you’re working on your own and you have no one to answer to but yourself (and maybe even then), it can be easy to feel like nothing is standing in between you and success except for yourself.
You’re the boss! So much control! And yet…you’re still not getting paid unless someone pays for your services upfront or in advance, which means knowing when enough is enough so that there’s money left over at the end of the month.
Time management is especially important when dealing with deadlines both yours and those of your clients’. In my case, it was often easier just to put off writing until after midnight because I didn’t want any interruptions during “real work hours.”
That led me down some dark roads where I’d wake up late without having slept well enough; drink coffee instead of water (or maybe both); skip breakfast; stay up all night writing; skip lunch entirely; get hungry later on but also decide against eating anything else since food takes too much time away from writing more words faster than ever before…you get the idea!
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I Learned How To Balance Work And Life
The second lesson I learned was how to manage my time better. I had a lot of work to do, and I didn’t want anything else getting in the way of me doing it.
So, I started using a timer on my phone to keep track of how long each task took me and then planning accordingly for when I could move on to something else. This helped me stay focused on what was important for that day rather than trying to do everything at once.
I also found that keeping a daily routine helps with staying focused on your goals. For example, if you’re working from home or running an online business like mine, you might be tempted by all those social media notifications popping up on your desktop as well as cell phone alerts coming through every hour (or ten minutes!).
These things can easily distract us from working towards our goals if we let them get out of control!
Instead of letting these distractions affect my day’s progress negatively though, I now try not only blocking out certain times throughout each day specifically set aside for answering emails but also having specific times during which only answer personal calls so they don’t distract either myself or others around me with unnecessary chatter 🙂
And lastly – Don’t forget! No matter how busy things get there will always be time reserved within our days where we need to take care of ourselves physically/emotionally too:
Whether taking breaks throughout each weeknight evening shift job before spending evenings out eating dinner together with family members after getting off work early Friday morning following long hours weekend morning commute driving home early Sunday afternoon brunching afterward because one needs sleep rest
Curious about how freelancing can provide a full-time income? Read the inspiring story of a ghostwriter who achieved financial stability through freelancing in our article, Freelancing for a Full-Time Income: A Ghostwriter Shares His Story. Discover the possibilities and benefits of pursuing a freelance career path.
You Can Have Your Own Profitable Freelance Business, Too
As a ghostwriter and author, I’ve seen the ups and downs of freelance work. But with hard work and dedication to your craft, you can have your own profitable freelance business too.
If you’re just starting, here are some things you can do:
You don’t need a lot of money to get started you can start with a small project like writing an article or blog post for free. It may not pay upfront right away, but once it’s published online (or on social media), it’ll be there forever! Plus it’ll give people an idea of how good your writing is and make them want to hire you again in the future.
Once clients start hiring you regularly, build up your résumé by working on bigger projects that take longer than one day. Do this over time so that when someone asks if they should hire you for something big like authoring their book or creating their website content strategy from scratch–you’ll be ready!
Build up connections in whichever industry(ies) interests most whether it’s blogging/social media management; public relations; marketing communications strategies; video production etc., there will always be opportunities waiting out there somewhere!
Seek out these connections through networking events at conferences (e.-g., SXSW Interactive Festival held annually each March) as well as local meetups hosted by entrepreneurs looking forward to growing their businesses together.”
You Can Make A Good Living Freelance Writing Despite Working On The Side
If you want to make a living freelance writing, it’s possible. A lot of people think that freelancing is only for people who can’t hold down a full-time job, but that’s not the case and I can prove it.
I worked full-time as an operations manager at a manufacturing company while also doing freelance writing on the side. My income from freelancing was higher than my income from my day job!
The key is finding niches where fewer writers are competing for jobs and clients who are willing to pay more for high-quality work. One way to do this is by figuring out what kinds of clients you like working with best (I love fiction writers), then finding clients who fit that profile and offering them an attractive rate per word or project fee structure
Freelancing is no longer just the future; it is the present reality of work. Explore our thought-provoking article, Freelancing: Not the Future of Work, the Present, to gain insights into the evolving landscape of freelancing and how it impacts professionals across various industries.
Conclusion
I may not be a wealthy man, but I am a happy one. I love my job and the flexibility it offers me to work when and where I want. To me, that’s what matters most in life.
Further Reading
Freelancing vs Ghostwriting: What is the Difference?: Explore the distinctions between freelancing and ghostwriting and gain a better understanding of the unique aspects of each profession.
Make Money As a Ghostwriter: Freelancing and More: Discover valuable insights and practical tips on how to make money as a ghostwriter through freelancing and other avenues in this informative book.
Freelance Ghostwriting Jobs: What You Need to Know: Get insights into freelance ghostwriting jobs, including tips, best practices, and industry trends, to enhance your knowledge and understanding of this specialized field.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Ghostwriter?
A ghostwriter is someone who writes books, articles or other written materials for publication. The ghostwriter may be credited in the piece as an author or co-author (depending on the contract). Alternatively, some projects don’t include any formal credit for the writer at all.
How Much Do Ghostwriters Make?
It’s hard to offer a precise figure because it varies from case to case depending on the length and type of book being written. Generally speaking though, you can expect to earn between $3-$30 per 1,000 words if you’re working with an agency and more if you have your niche writing clients who are willing to pay higher rates than those offered by agencies/publishers.
As always with freelancing gigs: be sure to ask what their payment terms are before accepting any work!
What Is Content Writing Vs Ghostwriting?
Content writers write blog posts and articles while they’re sometimes referred to as “content creators.”
Ghostwriters tend to specialize in longer pieces such as books and scripts (screenplays) where they would collaborate directly with clients rather than being hired through an agency like Upwork which only connects freelancers with companies needing content created (i..e., blogging websites).
How Much Money Do Ghostwriters Make?
The average ghostwriter makes between $15,000 and $35,000 a year.
How Many Hours A Week Do Ghostwriters Work?
Ghostwriters work anywhere from 24 to 40 hours per week, depending on the client and type of project. Some writers prefer to take on multiple clients at once so they can make more money in less time; others prefer only one client at a time so they can focus on their work without having to juggle deadlines in different projects.
How Much Do Ghostwriters Earn Per Hour?
Most writers charge either an hourly rate or a flat fee for their services. The average hourly rate is between $25-$50 per hour; however, some writers especially those who have been in the industry for years can command higher prices based on their experience level as well as the demand for their skillset within the market.
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.