Ghostwriting - How I Make $26k a Month

If you’ve ever wanted to turn your passion and expertise into a business, then ghostwriting is the way to do it. It might not be as glamorous as writing a novel or screenplay, but the pay is even better.

Ghostwriters make between $15k-$35k per project depending on their skill and experience level.

I Hired 3 Ghostwriters From Fiverr | How Did They Do?

Key Points
Monthly Earnings: $26,000
Platform: Fiverr
Time Invested: Around 5 hours per day
Earning Potential: High, based on experience and skills
Strategies: Focus on quality, repeat clients, and upselling
Niche Expertise: Business, marketing, and self-help
Career Flexibility: Work as a full-time freelancer
Client Relations: Build trust and maintain confidentiality
Income Growth: Continuously seek higher-paying projects
Work-Life Balance: Manage time effectively and avoid burnout

Table of Contents

Negotiate Your Ghostwriting Salary

Know your worth! The first step in negotiating a ghostwriting salary is to know what you’re worth. To do this, you should research the average rates for your type of writing and location.

As an example, we can look at the average rate for a blog post in California: $30 per 1,000 words (or $0.03/word). This gives us an idea of what publishers are paying their writers but it doesn’t tell us how much we should be making!

Know why YOU are valuable! You don’t want to undervalue yourself because clients will see that as a sign that you need more money or aren’t as valuable as someone else who charges more per word.

On the other hand, if you’re offering something unique and valuable that few others can offer, then by all means sell yourself at top dollar!

Discover the secrets of successful ghostwriting and how to earn big bucks from it. Check out my personal journey and strategies in Ghostwriting – How I Make $26k a Month to unlock the potential of this lucrative writing career.

Know The Price Of Your Ghostwriting Services

The next step is to know how much your ghostwriting services are worth. This is important because you want to make sure that when you quote a project, the client doesn’t feel like you’re charging too much or not enough.

You can do this by calculating your hourly rate, per word rate, per page rate, and project rate.

Once you’ve calculated these numbers, stick to them! The most common pricing mistake is underestimating the value of your time and effort (and being too generous).

Understand Your Word Rate

Before you begin, it is important to understand the difference between your writing rate and the amount of money you can earn per hour.

Your writing rate is the amount of money you charge per word. If you are writing a short article for an online publication, your rate may be $0.05 per word.

On the other hand, if you are writing a book for a traditional publisher and charging them by word count (rather than hourly), then your average writer’s salary could be $0.10 per word or more!

The key here is to realize that there is no “standard” rate each project has different needs that will impact how much money someone makes on it:

Short articles typically pay less than books (since they require less time).
Personal essays tend to pay better than news articles (due to their higher perceived value).

Want to become a prolific ghostwriter? Learn the art of writing ghost-written articles efficiently and quickly from the expert’s perspective. Dive into the techniques shared in How I Write Ghost-Written Articles Effectively and Quickly to enhance your ghostwriting skills and productivity.

Create And Negotiate A Package

Now that you’ve figured out the market rate, it’s time to start negotiating your deal. Your first step is to create a template that outlines what you’re offering and what you expect.

For my ghostwriting packages, I start with a base rate and then add a premium if they want me to do editing or marketing services on top of writing. It looks something like this:

General-purpose ghostwriting package at $500 per 5,000 words ($10/hour). This includes copyediting and formatting as well as research assistance for sourcing images and facts used in the text (e.g., finding photos of a historical building).

Additional work beyond the scope of this package can be negotiated at an hourly rate of $25/hour that includes all other services such as fact-checking, and research assistance for sourcing images and facts used in the text (e.g., finding photos of a historical building), etc.).

Consider Special Projects

One way to make extra money is through special projects. These are one-off gigs that can be done in a short amount of time, so they’re perfect for someone who doesn’t want to commit full-time but still wants an opportunity to work with big-name clients.

A good example is writing a book or ebook on your topic of expertise, or creating an online course on how to do something. This can also be a great way to build your portfolio and get your name out there as an expert in your field.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in doing, then keep reading!

Create A Portfolio

Create a portfolio. If you’re early on in your ghostwriting career, it’s important to start building up your portfolio. This can be done with either just one or two pieces or it can include a whole collection of your best work.

Either way, make sure that the piece(s) you display shows off exactly what you are capable of writing and how long it takes you to complete each task.

This is also an opportunity for you to showcase any special skills or knowledge such as graphic design (or even just Photoshop).

Most professional writers have these skills but not all clients want them included in their article so if they don’t ask for them specifically then keep those hidden away until they do!

Start your journey as a ghostwriter and earn money through your writing skills. Our comprehensive guide on How to Become a Ghostwriter – Make Money Writing for Others will walk you through the process, from honing your craft to finding potential clients.

Build A Client List

Now that you have a clear idea of what kind of work you’re going to be doing, it’s time to start building a client list. You can do this in a variety of ways, but here are some ideas:

Connect with clients on social media.
Network with other freelancers in your industry and ask them for referrals.
Use Google Alerts or Social Mention (formerly Talkwalker) to keep an eye out for opportunities online and reach out when appropriate.
Make sure you have all the information about yourself and your services listed somewhere so that potential clients can find it easily (e.g., LinkedIn page/profile).

When people want someone who knows something about how social media works to help them grow their brand or lead generation efforts, they won’t be able to find anyone better than someone who has already done it!

But getting started is often the hardest part so if possible, start immediately by asking friends if they know anyone who needs help growing their business through blogs posts like this one 🙂

Type Out A Freelancer’s Contract

A freelancer’s contract is a legal document that outlines the terms of your working relationship.

It’s important to include certain information, like payment details and how you’ll work together. If you’re hiring a ghostwriter, there are specific things they need to know before starting their project.

Your freelance writer will want to know what type of content they’re writing; that way, they can make sure it aligns with your goals for the project and their own portfolio.

You’ll also need to decide on deadlines and word count limits so your team stays motivated and productive throughout the process.

Finally, both parties must sign this contract it establishes trust between them (and makes sure everyone knows what expectations are).

Keep Records On Every Dime Spent And Received For Your Business And Taxes

If you’re self-employed, it’s important to keep track of every dime that comes in and goes out. This can be a challenge if you’re running a business from home, but it’s crucial for keeping your finances on track and understanding how much money is coming in when taxes are due.

Keep records on every dime spent and received for your business and personal life so that they are easily accessible at tax time. Record keeping will also help with filing taxes and prevent an audit!

Track Billable Hours, But Don’t Get Lost In The Details

You should track billable hours, but don’t get lost in the details.

Don’t track your time for free. If you’re doing something for free, it doesn’t count as billable work.

Don’t track time for charity or nonprofit clients.

Nonprofits often pay less than market rate, so their projects won’t be profitable unless you have other sources of revenue coming in from other clients or projects at the same time that can cover your expenses and make up for a lower income from those pro bono gigs.

And if all of your income comes from society-supported activities, then it will be hard to pay off student loans or save up enough savings to invest in future business ventures.

Don’t track personal errands as billable work either! Nothing will kill your productivity faster than trying to get things done while also keeping track of how long each task took (especially if those tasks include going out shopping or running errands).

Entering the world of ghostwriting for bloggers? Be aware of potential pitfalls! Gain insights and valuable tips on what to watch out for in Ghostwriting for Bloggers – What to Watch Out for to ensure a successful and rewarding collaboration with bloggers.

Don’t Work For Free, Not Even For Charity Or Nonprofit Clients

Everyone knows that you shouldn’t work for free. But, what if the project is for charity or a nonprofit? The client is your friend or family member and can’t pay you much? Or, what if your client can afford to pay but doesn’t want to because they like you so much?

No matter the situation, don’t work for free.

There’s no reason why anyone should ever have to work without getting paid. If someone wants something done and they are willing to give their time (i.e., their most precious commodity), then they need to be compensated accordingly.

This applies whether we’re talking about working on a personal project or professionally ghostwriting articles on freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr

Find Work Easily – Be Where The Work Is!

I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t have the time to do all of those things!”

Don’t worry, I’ve got a solution that works for me. In addition to using social media and job boards, I also use email marketing (a strategy called “Inbox Sweeping”) to find work.

It’s a simple process: I sign up with companies who offer services like book editing or ghostwriting and then they send me emails every few days letting me know about new available projects.

When one of those emails comes through, I’ll look at it to see if it fits my needs (and budget) and if it does then I’ll contact the client directly and start working on their project!

Set Aside Time To Promote Yourself

I’ve been working as an independent writer for about two years now, and I’ve learned a lot about how to promote myself. Here are some tips that will help you get started on this process:

Set aside time to promote yourself. This is crucial if you try to do other things while promoting, it’s going to be hard for you to stay focused on your work.
Think of new ways to promote yourself regularly, even if they’re small steps at first. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that success comes through persistence!

Use Productivity Tools Like Penzu And Evernote

Let’s be honest. You can’t expect to make money from writing if you don’t have a system in place to help you get things done.

It’s not enough that you write well and produce quality content for clients; you need a way to manage your time, organize your thoughts, keep track of finances and clients, and keep track of projects so that everything gets completed on time.

There are many tools available for organizing all these aspects of life as a freelancer writer (and plenty more besides).

I use Penzu, Evernote, and Google Calendar but there are plenty more options out there too such as Trello or Asana which might suit your needs better than the tools above do mine!

Discover the personal experiences and motivations behind becoming a ghostwriter. In This is Why I Became a Ghostwriter – My Story, you’ll find inspiration and valuable lessons from a seasoned ghostwriter’s journey, shedding light on the unique world of ghostwriting.

Conclusion

It’s been a few years since I started ghostwriting full-time, and it’s still going strong. I’ve learned a lot about running my business along the way and continue to do so every day. But if there’s one thing that stands out above all else, it is this: I am very fortunate to have this job.

Many people are eager to pay me to help them tell their stories (and they did not take any shortcuts along the way). If you want your own ghostwriting business to succeed, then make sure you understand that it takes some work on your part too!

FAQs

What are the benefits of ghostwriting for aspiring writers?

Ghostwriting offers aspiring writers an opportunity to hone their writing skills, gain valuable experience, and earn income while staying anonymous for their clients.

How can I find potential clients as a ghostwriter?

You can find potential clients through online platforms, freelance marketplaces, networking within writing communities, and reaching out to publishers or agencies.

What genres or niches do ghostwriters commonly work in?

Ghostwriters often work in various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, self-help, business, and blog content, catering to diverse client needs.

Is it essential for ghostwriters to sign confidentiality agreements?

Yes, confidentiality agreements are crucial for ghostwriters to protect their work and maintain the anonymity of their contributions to the client’s project.

How much should I charge as a ghostwriter?

Ghostwriting rates vary based on experience, project complexity, and word count. Research industry standards and set competitive prices that reflect your skills and value.

Costantine Edward

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.