What Is a Ghostwriter? Everything You Need to Know

I don’t know what pops into your mind when you read the term ghost writer (also spelled ghostwriter) for the first time, but for me, it definitely felt like something from a horror movie. I was picturing some dead novelist from the 1800s holding a quill dipped in ink. Come on, I must not be alone in this… In all seriousness, what is a ghostwriter? And why, oh why, are so many people hiring them?!

What Is a Ghost Writer?

Put in simple terms, a ghost writer is someone who writes content without receiving any credit for their work. Since ghost writers are generally paid well for their efforts, they don’t usually care that the credit doesn’t make it back to them. In a sense, the content that they write is a paid service. One would hope that a satisfied client would recommend the writer’s services to others, but it isn’t always the case. In fact, since rights to the written content technically get transferred to the client, there’s no reason the client can’t claim it as his or her own work.

This is just the way the cookie crumbles in this world. Unfortunately, writers often operate under a massive hierarchy such as a freelance agency or a writing web service that routes hand-written content through a few hands before it ever makes it to the client. I’m personally not a fan of this; I believe that the best content will be created when a writer works directly with a website designer and/or its business owner.

How Do I Become a Ghost Writer?

First of all, you’re going to have to be happy with being underpaid for a good, long while. Your best bet is to start Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer profiles. Set up a few different services: 250 words for $5, 500 words for $10, 750 words for $15… etc. For the first few orders you get, make those your best client experiences ever. Your goal is to get five-star reviews; once you have several five-star, super happy customers, up your prices! Make use of the platforms’ “free” advertising to grow your business. If you go out on your own, make sure you’re prepared to:

• Build/manage a website
• Write SEO content for your own brand
• Commit to social media marketing
• Pay for digital advertising

What if I Need a Ghost Writer?

Who might need a ghost writer? Basically… anyone who doesn’t have the time to sit down at their computer and write for their website or business. That’s a hell of a lot of people! There are far more important things that a business owner needs to worry about! Unfortunately, many of them also underestimate the power of a well-leveraged blog reel.

If you seem to resonate with that ‘target audience’ of mine, let’s partner up! I can get you well-written, uber-researched, SEO-ready content for your blog and you can zippity zap it into Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter posts! I’m not too bad at graphic design, either, so we can talk about that if you’d like.

Anyway, hit me up and we’ll figure something out!