Introduction
All bookshelves, LinkedIn feeds of executives, and political speeches contain content created by others. Ghost-writing is an often unseen part of our daily lives, it involves a professional writer producing work that is attributed to someone else. Ghostwriters agree ahead of time to remain anonymous. It is an ancient practice but has never been so prominent in careers.
Founders, consultants and creators are looking to create their own brand, meaning they require constant content such as articles, books, newsletters, and speeches. Discovering how ghost-writing works, why it is used, how projects work and how to build a career in this area will show you it is a much more strategic, collaborative and rewarding area than the name suggests!
What Ghostwriting Actually Means
Essentially, ghostwriting simply refers to writing as a service where authorship rests with the client. The ghostwriter is responsible for researching, drafting, and refining the material, while the byline, publicity, and in many cases the copyright, belongs to whoever hired the writer. This means ghostwriting is different from editing, where the author’s own draft is enhanced, and different from co-writing, as both names are on the cover of the book.
A ghostwriter must imitate the voice of the other author so well that the readers never guess that someone else is helping write it. Ghostwriting can take place in any format like memoirs, business books, authoritative articles, blogs, social media content, speeches, opinion articles, and newsletters. Some ghostwriters work in total anonymity throughout their life while others are mentioned as “with” in the book or in the acknowledgments depending on the contract details.
A Long History Behind the Curtain
Ghostwriting is not a recent concept. Ancient Greek orators, who were known as logographers, wrote speeches for commoners and read them out themselves. In all eras, kings, politicians, and celebrities have needed talented writers to put their message across. Nowadays, almost every famous political leader has hired someone to write his/her speeches, and several memoirs of celebrities and executives have been written professionally.
One can safely say that in the world of ghostwriting, there is an industry secret which is that a significant proportion of nonfiction publications, especially in the business and memoir genres, benefit from ghostwriting at least to some extent. What has changed is the numbers. With the advent of the digital economy, the numbers of people publishing regularly have increased significantly, and thereby, the profession has opened up to a larger range of writers.
Why People Hire a Ghostwriter
Clients engage in ghostwriting for quite practical reasons instead of the deceitful ones. Many busy professionals have expert knowledge and interesting stories but do not have enough time to convert it into written material. Book writing demands hundreds of hours of work, and if a chief executive or physician uses that time for writing, they’ll fail at their regular job.
Others know what they want to say but are not able to organize their thoughts properly. There are also brilliant speakers who can’t write down what they want and foreigners who want their ideas be expressed in their second language beautifully. Ghostwriting is a good solution providing consistency, which is important for content marketing and personal branding.
The Benefits for Clients
The first benefit for the clients is obvious: time. By delegating the work of writing, the client can dedicate themselves to business, serving clients, or career development, while still being heard by the people. The second advantage is the increase in quality. By getting a trained ghostwriter who specializes in such things as structure and story telling, the client will get a product that is much more likely to be read to the end.
The third advantage is the increase in authority. An eloquently written book or series of published articles will make the person a credible expert, thus opening doors for presentations, media coverage, clients, and partnerships. The fourth advantage is the reduction of emotions involved in the process of writing.
The Benefits for Writers
For you as a writer it presents many benefits. As a ghostwriter you will be paid regularly, which is great in an industry that can often be uncertain. You will get to work on a wide variety of topics within different industries and with a range of different people which is always a great learning experience.
You may work on a venture capitalist topic for a month and then move onto working with a chef! You will improve your skills as you have to really listen, be flexible and have a wide range of writing styles when writing in someone else’s voice. Many writers enjoy the fact that ghostwriting takes away the ego. This means you can fully focus on delivering the best message possible without the pressure of creating your own platform.
How the Ghostwriting Process Works
Typically ghostwriting projects start with a discovery session. This can include a sample piece to ensure the tone is right. You will discuss all aspects of the project including what you want to achieve, who the audience should be, what tone you’d like and how much content you need. Following this we will have an agreement put in place for payment, timelines, how many amends you would like, confidentiality and who owns the content at the end.
Once you have signed the contract the real work begins. We will carry out research and interviews. Ghostwriters often carry out long interviews with the client, look at previous speeches, emails and articles they may have written and see how they naturally write. From this we will create an outline for you to approve.
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We will then start to write. You will receive a section or chapter of your content. This will then go back to you for feedback. The best collaborations will receive detailed and honest feedback. For example if there is a phrase that doesn’t sound like them or the story needs to be more detailed. Once your content has been amended it will go through a final edit and proof read.
Your content will then be handed over to you with the rights as outlined in your contract. Communication is key throughout the process. You will need to feel comfortable to share your personal stories and thoughts. Our writers will also need to feel comfortable to ask some in-depth questions to get the best out of you.
The Skills That Make a Great Ghostwriter
Good writing is just the beginning. An excellent ghostwriter is, above all, a good listener. He must be able to pick up on the client’s verbal nuances, be it his way of speaking, his expressions, or even his blind spots. Moreover, the ability to adapt to different situations is crucial since ghostwriting for a strict engineer is nothing like ghostwriting for a warm-hearted wellness coach. Correspondingly, good research skills matter, coupled with the ability to get familiarized with new topics and explain them in a straightforward manner.
The ability to keep secrets cannot be overstated either, as secrecy is an essential part of this profession. The importance of management skills is also underestimated by beginners, as deadlines and clients’ opinions as well as simultaneous working on multiple projects are a huge part of a writer’s everyday life. Finally, good emotional intelligence helps the ghostwriter deal with delicate content, especially in the case of memoirs, where the client goes through difficult and important parts of his life.
Career Opportunities in Ghostwriting
There are a wide variety of career opportunities open to ghostwriters. Book ghostwriters will write memoirs, business, self help books and novels (these tend to be where they make the most money as there is lots of content and it can be complex). Content and thought leadership ghostwriters will write articles, LinkedIn posts, newsletters and white papers for senior leaders and companies. This has become an increasingly popular area in recent years with the rise of personal branding.
Speech writers will write speeches for politicians and senior corporate members. They will usually require excellent listening skills. There are also ghostwriters that specialise in specific industries such as health care, financial services, technology and law. They can charge high rates as they have specific knowledge in an industry. Ghostwriters can also work as freelancers. They can also be employed by agencies, publishers, PR departments and writing partnerships.
How to Start a Career as a Ghostwriter
Establishing credibility is usually the top priority. Often aspiring ghostwriters will start off writing as themselves so they can build up a portfolio demonstrating their ability to write in varied styles, clearly and to a high standard. As many clients will not be able to publish your work, you can display your writing examples, testimonials and references. Having a niche will also help. You have more appeal to clients in this industry if you have expertise in certain areas.
Networking is extremely important. Many opportunities will come from your word of mouth, professional networking, freelancing sites and contacting founders, consultants and agencies directly. Being transparent on your pricing, having good contracts in place and being upfront with timeframes will help build your reputation and therefore build repeat business. Many successful ghostwriters will choose to increase their rates, niche further or create small teams to increase capacity.
Earning Potential and Pricing
The amount of money ghostwriters earn will differ between individuals depending on their level of experience, area of specialism and the quality of the project. New ghostwriters will start off with a small amount for each article or word. However, experienced writers with a specialism in book ghostwriting can charge extremely high rates.
Well known professionals can earn even more! Ghostwriters charge different rates for their services. Some charge an hourly rate, some charge per word, some charge per project and some charge a retainer fee per month. Ghostwriters who run their business professionally can earn a consistent and permanent income.
Ethical Questions and Common Misconceptions
Ghostwriting has sometimes been criticized for confusing readers regarding the authorship of pieces. In fact, most audiences are aware of the fact that famous people, politicians, and executives have writing help but that ideas, stories, and approval belong to the literal author. In some situations, ethical boundaries seem to be clearer.
For example, in academia, submitting someone else’s work as one’s own is against integrity rules, and responsible ghostwriters refuse to work with such customers. Many people believe that ghostwriters simply create everything from scratch. In fact, good ghostwriting involves real stories and opinions of the client, while the ghostwriter’s job is only to convey them. Transparency in the relationship, moral contract, and respect for the truth makes ghostwriting profession-based.
The Role of Technology and AI
With new technology such as transcription software, research assistants and AI writing tools, ghostwriters can make their work much faster. However, these don’t replace key aspects of ghostwriting that clients enjoy – critical thinking, emotional intelligence and telling a story they have never told before.
So many clients look for ghostwriters who can work with these technologies and keep their writing genuine. Writing can come across as generic and can be detected easily, so it is an opportunity for writers to use technology as a tool to help them with the mundane parts of their job.
Conclusion
Ghostwriting can be seen as so much more than just writing in the background. It creates a partnership between you and your client, transforming knowledge into influence, stories into books and ideas into content. It helps clients save time, improve their writing and add authority. For you as a writer it provides variety, regular income and a challenging skill. It rewards you for listening, building trust and being professional.
It can provide opportunities from freelance articles to full books. With more individuals and brands wanting to regularly publish content in this busy digital world, the demand for skilled, discrete and flexible ghostwriters will likely increase. If you love language and enjoy making others’ voices shine then ghostwriting can provide you with a career where your work will speak volumes!
