Ghostwriting Basics Every Writer Should Know

Ghostwriting can be a great source of income for both experienced and struggling writers. Once a writer develops a strong enough reputation, he/she can even start working with celebrities and other public figures through this occupation. In fact, bestselling ghostwriter Andrew Crofts charges fees averaging six figures and has worked with the likes of Alexandra Burke (The X-Factor) and Pete Bennett (Big Brother). But what exactly does ghostwriting entail? Through a mixture of very recent personal experience and online research, I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are the most important things that a writer needs to know/understand before deciding to delve into the complicated–and sometimes thankless–world of ghostwriting.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Pricing is tricky.
               Knowing what to charge is probably the most confusing and stressful part of any freelance work. What’s worse is that you’ll always get different advice, sometimes drastically different, depending on where you look. Ghostwriting is the same way. I’ve come across places saying that you should receive 10-33% of the advances plus royalties and others that suggest $5,000-50,000. (Mind you, that’s just for books; articles and blog posts are an entirely different can of worms.) In addition to the kind of writing that you’ll be doing and the length of the piece, you have to take into account research, the writing tools you’ll have to use, and even the clients themselves and the platform through which they contact you when pricing your services. For instance, you can expect to be paid much less for ghostwriting an article for a blogger on Fiverr than when a well-known online newspaper or magazine contacts you or you pitch an article to them. I’ll admit, I still struggle in this area. I undersell myself often, but I’m working on it. The best I can offer for guidelines is this pricing guide from Writer’s Market. However, remember to do your own research before giving a client a quote. Start high and then offer to lower it if necessary. That way, you won’t be cheated or sell yourself short.
            2. Timelines vary.
               Ghostwriting projects are just like any other writing project; some will take longer than others, and you never know how long it will take you ahead of time. You can give your client an ETA for the first draft, but there’s always a chance that you’ll have to move that deadline at least once. Hopefully, the client will be flexible enough to allow such extension within a reasonable time frame and for a reasonable amount of times. If your client is a stickler for the initial deadline, though, it’s still doable. Just expect a lot of late nights and a lot of stress.
            3. You have to be careful where you offer your services.
               There are a lot of places to offer your services both as a freelancer and as a writer. However, not all of these places will serve ghostwriters well. Places like Upwork and Fiverr take a cut of your earnings, and platforms like Fiverr in particular require you to be more flexible (and cheaper) with your prices in order to get much business at all. From my personal experience, places like Upwork are overly strict, allowing for very little or no slip-ups even momentarily, and seem more on the client’s side than the freelancer’s. Most of these platforms also have the potential to hook you up with scammers, something which I have encountered at least once on one of these sites. The only way to know which will be best to promote your services is to try them out for yourselves, including sites and organizations specifically made for ghostwriters. Huffington Post, in telling clients where to find ghostwriters, lists the following sources as places where ghostwriters can sell their services: ghostwriter agencies, LinkedIn, freelance writer marketplaces, Reedsy, MediaBistro, American Association of Ghostwriters, Freelance Writer Search, Upwork, Scripted, Guru, Fiverr, and, of course, the ghostwriter’s own website.
            4. The client calls the shots.
               This one might seem pretty obvious given the nature of ghostwriting, but it’s also very easy to forget. You’re not in control of what you write, not entirely. The client has the last say. If you disagree with them on something, you either have to convince them to see it your way or concede and make it as they have specified. Usually the latter occurs. It’s no big deal; it’s part of the job description. Nevertheless, if you find yourself constantly arguing with your client, feeling unheard, or just feeling frustrated overall, you might want to reconsider continuing a working relationship with this individual. You also have to watch out for the clients who ask for rewrite after rewrite after rewrite. You have to draw the line somewhere. On Fiverr, this means making sure to specify a number of revisions you will allow. On Upwork, it means making sure that you have copies of the messages in which you tell the client how many rewrites you will be willing to complete. Outside of freelance sites, it means having the client sign a contract which clearly states how many rewrites your service will include and the price of additional drafts. It’s a pain in the butt, but endless rewrites are even worse.
            5. You won’t always agree with what you’re writing.
               Because of #4, you might not always agree with what you’re writing. You might not like the genre, the topic, the messages, the writing style, etc., but it’s really not up to you. After all, it’s the client’s vision that you are trying to bring to life, not yours. Unfortunately, when it comes to things like the topic, messages, or themes, this issue can become particularly bothersome. You always have the choice to walk away from a project before you start it if you learn something about it with which you vehemently disagree. However, it’s not always that easy. Writers have to eat, and sometimes it’s a choice between money and values. I’ve had such an experience before, ghostwriting something which contains messages that I don’t necessarily support. Still, the person was nice and easy to work with and I needed the money, so I took the job anyway. Such projects kill you a little inside, but sometimes it has to be done. Just remember that you always have the option to work against any negative influence by publishing your own works and, sometimes, your name won’t even appear on what you have ghostwritten.

               

            6. Your name might not be on the final product.
               That brings me to the final point of this post, which is a mixed blessing: your name might not be put on the final product. According to The Guardian, Christy Walsh, who coined the term “ghostwriter”, set a strict code of conduct for ghostwriters with the first rule being “Don’t insult the intelligence of the public by claiming these men write their own stuff.” The article in The Guardian claims that this rule still holds true, with many books including such credits as “written with”, “edited by”, or “as told to”. Regardless, this is not always the case. Ghostwritten articles, blog posts, and books, especially those that are not of a biographical nature, can easily be attributed to the client or even a pen name, excluding the ghostwriter altogether. Even some ghostwriters given credit are only partially credited no matter how much they actually contributed. If you want a good example, check out this article on the man who ghostwrote President Trump’s The Art of the Deal. Ghostwriting can be a thankless job, but if you have issues like #5, that’s not always a bad thing.

Ghostwriting is not for everyone. It takes a lot of time, effort, and patience with little acknowledgement. Still, for writers in need of money (which is most writers), it’s a viable solution. You just have to be prepared for all that it involves.

Have you been a ghostwriter? Collaborated with one? Whichever end of the partnership you were on, what was your experience like? Any words of advice? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!