What Is Ghostwriting and What Does a Ghostwriter Do?

Everything you need to know about ghostwriting and a few tips if you're interested in becoming a ghostwriter yourself

If ghostwriting conjures up haunting visions of phantoms armed with pen and paper, fear not! There’s nothing scary about it. Ghostwriting is simply the term used to describe any text that is written by one person, but officially published under the name of another. In other words, the real author is invisible, or a “ghost”, whose name won't appear next to the piece of writing in question.

As a profession, it is surprisingly diverse. Wherever there is a need to create high-quality written material, there may be a ghostwriter behind the scenes, whether it’s literary or journalistic works, autobiographies, speeches, or memoirs. In fact, ghostwriting also occurs in other creative fields, such as music. One example is Mozart, who was famously hired to ghostwrite music for wealthy patrons.

Why do we need ghostwriters?

There are many different reasons why you may need to hire a ghostwriter. The most obvious one is to achieve a higher standard of writing than you alone are able to produce.

Perhaps the most common example of this comes in the form of celebrity autobiographies. While a celebrity may be extremely talented in their own line of work, be it acting, dancing, or singing, they're not necessarily born writers and may find it a challenge putting their thoughts onto paper. They may turn to the aid of a professional writer to tell their story, while still keeping their own name on the book cover for marketing and publishing purposes. A skilled ghostwriter will be able to adapt their voice to whoever they are writing for, as well as know how to write what sells.

Another reason is time. Imagine, for example, that you're the busy CEO of a company or even a politician. With such a packed agenda, it’s unlikely you’ll have the time to write all your own material such as speeches, press releases, or other official correspondence, so you may hire a person or team of people to do it for you.

Even authors do it...

Believe it or not, even authors hire ghostwriters. This may be because they have a great idea, but need help developing the plot because they are still relatively inexperienced writers themselves, or due to time restrictions. Ghostwriters are often skilled and talented authors in their own right, so will be able to give valuable input and expert opinion as well as bring the discipline needed for such a large-scale project.

Are you interested in becoming a ghostwriter?

If you are a talented writer and thinking about becoming a ghostwriter, here are some useful points you may want to consider before deciding if it's the right profession for you:

Taking credit for your work
While some patrons are happy to mention their collaboration with another writer, you must be prepared to accept that you will not be able to take the credit for most - if not all - of your work, no matter how many hours you have spent on it or how proud you are of the outcome.

Finding your area
As writing is such a varied discipline, it is unlikely you will be skilled in every single field, so narrowing it down to the areas you have experience in is a key consideration. For example, if you're not a published author yourself, it’s unlikely that you will be commissioned to ghostwrite a novel. Instead, choose an area where you already have plenty of examples to build an impressive portfolio and reach out to network with potential clients.

Payment
As a general rule, the more experience you have, the more money you are likely to make, especially if you have worked on some high-profile pieces. But no matter how big or small your commission, you should always do your research to find out how much you should be charging as well as make sure that there is some kind of written contract in place specifying what you are expected to deliver and how much you will be paid for it. (Remember: you are not getting any credit for this work, so there must be a financial reward.)

Self-discipline
Any freelance creative is expected to meet their client’s expectations in terms of timing and quality, and ghostwriting is no different. You will be hired because you have the skill and expertise in a given area, but do you have the self-discipline and stamina to stick to an agreed timeline and meet your deadlines? Bear in mind that some projects, such as a novel, may take years to complete.

A business mindset
To be a successful ghostwriter, you need to think and act with a business mindset. This means dedicating time to building a network of contacts who will help you get your next gig, researching the kind of prices you should be charging, managing project timelines, and marketing yourself and your skills in the right way to the right people.

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a ghostwriter, it takes time and effort to perfect your craft, establish yourself in the field and gain a reputation in the world of ghostwriting, but there are lucrative projects out there and opportunities to make a successful career in the field if you are ready for the challenge.

You may also like:
- 7 Online Writing Courses for Crafting Great Stories From Scratch
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-10 Essential Online Creative Writing Courses for 2021
- Memoir Writing: Write a Personal Story for a Universal Audience, a course by Courtney Maum
- Creative Writing for Beginners: Bringing Your Story to Life, a course by Shaun Levin