I’m sure you know what ghostwriting means, but let’s kick off with a definition just the same:
What’s Ghostwriting?
Ghostwriting is writing for someone else, with their name, and in their voice.
If we unpack that definition, you can be writing anything: articles, blog posts, novels, non-fiction books, etc.
You won’t get a byline; it is going to be published with your client’s name. And because it has to look like they wrote it, you have to sound like them.
Is it ethical?
Yes. Not everyone who has a great idea or story to tell can write or has the time to write. So it is only natural that they want to hire writers to create this content for them.
How can I get clients if there are no bylines, hence no portfolio?
Chances are, your clients who hire you to ghostwrite for them don’t want the fact that they didn’t write their own content known. So you may not be able to display exactly what you created on your portfolio. That said, you get to negotiate the terms of ghostwriting agreement with your clients.
What I do is to quote a higher rate than I’d if I were writing it under my own name and ask if I can use their name as a referral. Whether you get to show this client’s name on your website, or just mention them when you are emailing another client is up to you and your client.
How’s the writing process different?
To me, it means more research. Most writers have been writing for a long time. Maybe they just started getting paid for it or making a name for themselves, but many of them have started creating a long time.
This means that a writer already has a voice. When you are writing for a publication under your name, you still have to do some research so that your style matches theirs. But you don’t disappear completely into the background.
However, when you are ghostwriting, you have to sound exactly like another human being. This might involve talking to them on the phone, or capturing their choice words while reading other things they have written.
And because it takes more time to learn to write like someone else, it is only natural you’ll quote higher fees for your work.
How can you get your first ghostwriting work?
I emailed successful bloggers I knew and had been following for a while. I should note that they also knew who I was. Through social media and their blogs, we had already built a rapport.
And with one blogger, I had already written for her several times under my name. So they knew I was reliable, and they knew I could write.
Is ghostwriting right for me?
Only you can answer that. It certainly has its pros and cons. For me, the biggest drawback is the lack of bylines.
And while I ghostwrote articles and blog posts, I haven’t yet penned a longer piece of content. It will be a lot more time and energy-consuming to sound like someone else for longer.
But the fact that you can demand higher rates is certainly a plus.
At the end of the day, this is a question only you can answer.
Can you recommend any resources on ghostwriting?
I can definitely get you started:
How to Be a Successful
How I Ghostwrite Other Authors’ Books by Joe Bunting(article on The Write Practice)
Make Money as a Ghostwriter by Sally Miller and Cruz Santana (e-book)
*This post contains affiliate links to products I already own and love.
