Whats a Ghostwriter (And How to Become One)

Ghostwrite â€Å"to write (something, such as a book) for someone else using that person’s name† – MerriamWebster.com If Merriam Webster dictionary’s definition of ghostwrite is what you think of when you hear the term ghostwriter, it’s time to re-adjust your thinking. While ghostwriting was once the practice of writing content for another with their name attached to your content, today’s version of ghostwriting is much more inclusive of multiple versions of content creation. Yes, some ghostwriters still craft content for specific authors and allow that author to take credit for the piece. But ghostwriting as an industry is increasingly becoming the practice of on-demand writers crafting content for brands. Ghostwriting as an industry is increasingly becoming the practice of on-demand writers crafting content for brands. Click To Tweet What’s A Ghostwriter A growing number of global companies publish content on their blog, LinkedIn, or Medium under their brand’s moniker. They don’t attribute the content to a specific writer on their staff, but rather attribute the composition to the brand itself. As the popularity of content marketing has continued to explode, there is increasing demand for quality content. With some brands publishing new content on a daily basis (sometimes multiple times per day), keeping up with the demand for fresh, quality content becomes a challenge for digital marketing teams. This is where content creation companies like Constant Content and ghostwriters come in. Offering ghostwriters as a service, Constant Content connects companies in need of high-quality content with pre-vetted writers capable of delivering the written content these brands seek. A common practice in the freelance writing community, ghostwriting serves a business need while connecting freelance writers with savvy brand builders. Should I Become a Ghostwriter? If you are a writer who thinks ghostwriting sounds like an attractive career option, there are a number of essential tips about becoming a ghostwriter you should know. There are numerous benefits of becoming a ghostwriter, but also a few caveats you should be aware of. 1. Cover a Variety of Topics Ghostwriting allows you to explore multiple genres of writing or specialize in areas relevant to your education and background. If you ghostwrite for a service like Constant Content, you might find yourself writing content marketing posts for a social media influencer one day and product descriptions for an e-commerce merchant the next. If ‘variety is the spice of life’ is an adage that resonates with you, ghostwriting for multiple clients might be a perfect way to put your writing skills to work. Conversely, if you prefer to write for a single industry like lawyers, accountants, or financial planners, you have the option of becoming a ghostwriter for a specific industry. Writing for multiple industries might sound more exciting, but you should be advised generalist ghostwriters often earn less per piece of content than niche specialists. 2. It’s a In-Demand Skill Becoming a writer-for-hire is an excellent option if you are a wordsmith with excellent content crafting skills and a nose for research. The intersection of your writing skills with the global need for quality content is the stuff ghostwriting dreams are made of. The intersection of your writing skills with the global need for quality content is the stuff ghostwriting dreams are made of. Click To Tweet 3. It’s Not Just About Books Ghostwriters craft content for everything from company blog posts to landing pages and mobile apps. There are numerous forms of ghostwriting including sales/advertising writing (copywriting), book/e-book writing, white paper writing, case study writing, and technical writing. The sheer depth of possibilities for ghostwriters makes crafting content for others an exciting career option. 4. You Don’t Get a Byline One drawback to becoming a ghostwriter is that you will likely not be credited as the author of content you write. If building your portfolio or building a brand as a published author is important to you, ghostwriting may not be what you are looking for. Some freelance writers negotiate with clients as to the inclusion of their byline, with niche experts charging more for their services if the client wants to include the freelance writer’s byline. It can take longer to build your own brand as a published author if the majority of your content has been written for others. You may have penned thousands/millions of words, but if all your content was written for others, establishing your own identity as a talented wordsmith may take a strategic plan on your part to grow your own brand. If you want a long-term career as a professional ghostwriter, writing in the voice of others is a skill you need to hone. Being able to write like your client would speak brings authenticity to your crafted content to ensure your client’s voice is woven throughout the piece. Writing for executives is commonplace in the ghostwriter-for-hire sector. Busy executives often don’t have time to spend hours crafting a blog post or writing an article for their company’s LinkedIn page. As a ghostwriter, you must be able to capture an executive’s voice and speech mannerisms if you want your finished content to truly represent your client. If you want ghostwriting tips for capturing an executive’s voice, following are 5 essentials you should bear in mind. 5 Tips for Becoming a Strong Ghostwriter 1. Understand the Message Understand the message an executive wants to deliver before you start writing. You can’t possibly capture an executive’s voice and deliver the content they’re seeking if you’re off-target on messaging. Offer clients a standard questionnaire they can respond to with answers you need before you can start ghostwriting, for example, what the target audience and goal of the piece are. Review the executive’s spoken and written words online. Are there videos of them giving a speech at a conference? Do they have a Twitter account where they communicate with their target audience? You must get an idea of how they speak and the phrasing they regularly use if you expect to write in their voice and capture their mannerisms. 3. Do Your Research Research the topic you are writing about on behalf of an executive. Review how the subject matter is discussed on their website or how their sales and marketing team discusses the matter. If an executive wants you to write about a specific topic, there’s a good chance they’re passionate about it and/or want to build a reputation as a knowledgeable expert on the subject. The more you research about their expertise, the better you’ll be able to deliver a stellar piece of content. 4. Conduct an Interview Interview the executive you are writing for. A telephone interview or a video conference call can help you get a sense of their speech preferences. Are there key phrases they repeat during your conversation? Are their sentences short and choppy or long and eloquent? Developing a relationship with an executive is key if you are to appropriately capture their voice. 5. Chat With Colleagues Speaking of relationships, building a connection with those around an executive can be especially helpful to a ghostwriter. Do they have an executive assistant you can communicate with to learn more about the executive you are writing for? Or a PR person who handles their public appearances? Building relationships with those who surround an executive can make your job much easier as a ghostwriter. This is especially true if an editor will be reviewing/tweaking the ghostwritten content you create. You don’t want an editor to remove all the personality you so carefully injected into a ghostwritten piece; develop a relationship with the editor to make sure they understand why you’re using specific phrases and terminology. To Be or Not To Be (A Ghostwriter) If ghostwriting sounds like the writing opportunity you have been looking for, check out the myriad of writing opportunities available via Constant Content. Whether you want to offer your services as a technical writer, an e-book ghostwriter, or even a press release writer, you can do so via the Constant Content platform. Think of Constant Content like ‘Uber for writers’ and you’ll have a better idea of the power of using Constant Content to build your ghostwriting career.