Become a ghostwriter – how you can make money immediately as an invisible author
Those who enjoy writing, have perfect command of their language and are fluent in their words can turn their passion into a profession and earn money as a ghostwriter.
But what qualifications does a ghostwriter need? Where do newbies find jobs and is it worth financially getting started in the ghostwriting business?
What exactly is “ghostwriting” and how do you become a ghostwriter?
In ghostwriting, an author writes a text for his client, on behalf of another person. So ghostwriters are often the authors of many texts, but are not mentioned by name as the authors of their works. The ghostwriting industry is therefore not for authors who are looking for public recognition for their talent for writing, but it offers a lucrative source of income for hardworking writers who don’t mind if their texts are published under a different name.
“Invisible authors” are required in numerous areas and the assignments are very diverse. For example, ghostwriters write non-fiction, novels, biographies, speeches, scientific papers, business presentations, product texts and much more.
Many ghostwriters work on an independent basis – a permanent employment contract with an agency is rather rare. This also has a number of advantages: The author decides for himself which orders to accept, he has the option of freely allocating his time and doing the work conveniently from home.
There is no specific training for professional ghostwriters, but just enjoying writing is not enough. Ghostwriters are usually experienced writers who are fluent in their language. A good general education is essential – if you want to work as an academic ghostwriter, you often have to have in-depth knowledge and experience in writing scientific texts. However, other projects such as writing novels or marketing material require a flair for creative writing.
If you want to earn money as a ghostwriter in the long term, you also have to be a good communicator, know how to respond to the client’s requirements and demonstrate a high degree of self-discipline and organizational talent in order to deliver the work properly and on time.
Where can ghostwriters find jobs?
There are numerous portals online like Fiverr, UpWork, Freelancer, TextBroker where authors can search for suitable clients and interesting writing jobs that correspond to their own area of interest.
Such platforms are well suited for beginners, because they offer the opportunity to immediately look through a wide range of text orders, to get in direct contact with potential clients, to discuss details and to negotiate deadlines and fees.
Many ghostwriters can also find jobs through agencies. Here, the tedious search for suitable orders and direct customer contact are eliminated, since these tasks are taken on by the agency. For inexperienced ghostwriters, however, the path via the agency is usually rocky, since beginners are only awarded a few jobs. In addition, agency fees are often non-negotiable and high agency fees are sometimes charged.
How much does a ghostwriter earn?
Unfortunately, the question of what kind of earnings a ghostwriter can count on cannot be answered in general. An author’s income usually varies from month to month, depending on the number and type of jobs he lands, the skill of the writer, and how much time he spends writing. Some ghostwriters pay for each word, others negotiate a price per project. Earnings are generally influenced by three factors: the length of the text, the deadline set by the customer and the text level. In principle, the remuneration for academic texts is better than for example for product texts. And anyone who writes a short blog article with a long deadline earns less than someone who delivers a complete novel in a very short time.
The fact is: writing texts is a popular service. Academics, organizations or even private individuals often lack the time, motivation and/or ability to write their own texts – and they are happy to hire and pay an expert to do the work for them. This is exactly where ghostwriters come into play, who take over the writing of the work and can thus earn a good (additional) income.
Regardless of whether as a full-time ghostwriter or as a sideline: writing texts can make excellent money immediately and the author has the opportunity to work independently and independently. Numerous portals make it possible to find potential clients in no time at all. Talented writers who bring a lot of hard work, discipline and perseverance can quickly get started and be successful as successful ghostwriters.
Disclosure: The information you read here is always educative & objective. However, we sometimes receive compensation when you click on the links in our articles.