Your Guide On How to Become a Ghostwriter
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New to ghostwriting? Not sure what it is? Read the following step-by-step guide for a comprehensive look at ghostwriting and how you can become a professional ghostwriter. And we promise – it’s not as scary as it sounds!
What Is Ghostwriting?
Ghostwriting is when a company, executive or celebrity hires a “ghost” to write content in their name. A common example of ghostwriting is when a celebrity hires professional ghostwriter to write their book. The ghost, being the writer, essentially trades their rights to putting their name on the work for their paycheck.
Why Do People Hire Ghostwriters?
In the last few years, ghostwriting has become a very common practice. Many times, there isn’t enough time in the day for these important people to do research on a topic, write a blog post or article, and then edit it. Therefore, ghostwriting was born.
What To Expect As A Ghostwriter
Realizing you’re a natural born writer and ghostwriting would be perfect for you? Well, here are some things you should expect:
Creating Content From Scratch
Depending on who you’re working for, this is one of the most common situations you’ll be in. The client or company will approach you with a topic of the article and expect you to do the research, come up with a creative idea, write the article and then send off to review, and most likely make edits after.
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Obviously, this requires a lot of time and energy. One tip to keep in mind: these companies and clients are very busy (hence why they hired you to ghost write for them) so make sure to clearly communicate your timeline for the project and be transparent about your workflow so everyone is on the same page.
Creating Content With Their Research
Oftentimes clients or companies will have published a book or articles in the past or have statistical information that they want you to use. In this case, you will be presented with the necessary information that they expect to be included. However, you will have the creative freedom to position the information within the article as you please.
Creating Content Verbatim
Creating content verbatim is rare, but does happen. This would happen when the research on the topic is very specific, the audience they want to capture is narrow, or the way in which it is communicated is crucial in order for it to be understood.
Oftentimes you’ll receive specific quotes to include, the statistical data you will need to pull from, or a voice recording from the client explaining the process. You might feel like your creative hands are tied in this situation but go with it! Remember, this is what the client wants and what the client wants is all that matters.
How Is Ghostwriting Beneficial For Both Parties?
For The Client
Hiring a ghostwriter will be your best bet for having quality work for your website, blog or published article. When you hire a ghostwriter, you not only save time, but boost your online presence and overall digital footprint. Yes, you might need to adjust your budget accordingly to prepare for this, but in the long run, it will be worth hiring a professional freelance writer. It’s like magically having an extra person on your team producing work for you! Take advantage of it. You will be able to see the increased quality of work and efficiency by hiring a ghostwriter.
For The Ghost
One of the major downsides to ghostwriting is that you will be creating work for someone else and your name won’t be mentioned. Unfortunately, this is something you need to get over because the exposure to these clients and people you are working for will be worth far more. As long as your work is top notch, the client will most likely vouch for you and connect you to others in the industry.
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In the world of ghostwriting, and business in general, your reputation is everything. Make sure to complete projects on time, be in constant communication with the client, and produce your best work. At the end of the day, if you’re doing that, you will see the benefits far beyond your name being on the article that you wrote.
Ghostwriting is beneficial to both the client and professional writer as long as the expectations are clearly stated. Whether you see yourself being the ghost or see yourself hiring a ghostwriter, know that time is money in this world and the land of ghostwriting is out there for the taking. Was this blog post written by a ghostwriter? You’ll never know…