From the first time I ever heard the term “ghostwriting” a few years ago, I thought it was someone who specialized in horror stories…wow, was I far off! We have a special guest writer today to explain ten things to expect about true ghostwriting. Please welcome our guest writer today, P.A. Raymond!
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He has been a freelancer since 2016 when the situation in his country made it easier to make a living as a freelancer than as an English teacher. Since then, he has worked in projects of different natures: writing academic articles, translating documents and books, and most recently, providing content as a ghostwriter. He migrated to escape the situation of Venezuela and nowadays he teaches at an English institute in Colombia while he works in freelance projects and the release of a fantasy book.
The year was 2017 and the inflation in my country had turned my English teacher salary into a useless pack of pocket change in less than six months. So I had a job, but it wasn’t of much help and every month we could only buy less and less. It was a matter of time before we had serious troubles if we didn’t have them already.
By March, I got the opportunity to work for a company that specialized in academic research. I read the terms in the contract as one should always do when starting any sort of job. I was voluntarily surrendering every copyright I would have over the academic creations I made for them. This is how I became a ghostwriter, a form of freelancing with a particular aspect that we will discuss next in these ten things you should know if you wish to become a ghostwriter.
A ghostwriter writes for someone else to get the credit of your creation. In this sense, you give that piece of your intellectual property to someone else in exchange for profit. There is literally nothing else in exchange for your work. Ghostwriters don’t get promoted by their clients often because nobody is willing to admit that someone else wrote what they claim as theirs.
The contract I signed forbids me to disclose who I work for. And this is only one of the confidentiality clauses that you must accept when doing this sort of job. Usually, you will have to accept that in the event that you’re disclosing info that harms your client, there will be some monetary compensation that you will have to cover. The court will care little about your intellectual property being taken by someone else. The core of the argument will be that you are failing to comply with a contract that you willingly read and signed.
If you want to be a published author in the literary world, I would advise you to stay away from artistic ghostwriting. If you want to be an authority in academic writing, then try to keep your best articles for yourself. I say this because you could be selling the rights of something that could help you in your future projects. And then there is no way to complain about it. I was an academic ghostwriter, which was fine for me because I am into artistic writing and I don’t plan to make a social life as an academic writer.
I would say that one of the things I got from ghostwriting for a couple of years is something that no one can take from me. I am talking about experience, and it comes handy to sharpen your writing skills. After 99 articles written as a ghostwriter, I can say that a few tricks help me deal with blank pages, and I rarely get stuck on a page. This experience also applies to time management, I learned to measure how long would it take me to research and write about a certain topic. In general, I am a more proficient writer now than back in 2016.
It is sad to see that those 99 articles are out of my portfolio, they cannot be posted on blogs or somewhere else because I gave up the ownership of all those 99 articles. With just enough text to fill a small book. Once again, at this point, you must remember that you signed a contract, and that complaining is not an option. The best thing to do is to forget about those creations and start new ones with your name on them.
There is a difference between writing under your name and writing under someone else’s name. Not all articles and papers will match the way you write or even think. You must be prepared to write in the way that the client asks because it is supposed that he or she wrote it, not you.
As mentioned in the previous point, whether you are a freelance ghostwriter or part of a company of ghostwriters, you will stumble upon projects that go out of your line of thinking and will even oppose your ideas. There you have two simple options: reject the project right away, or swallow your opinion and write it out. If you do accept the project, avoid acting like an angry kid and do not sabotage the project because it could bring worse consequences to you than if you just rejected the project. Be as professional as you always are with all projects and deliver the project.
On two occasions I had people approach me asking me to write a book for them, they had the idea but they lacked the skills to write it. One does not really count as ghostwriting because he offered to place me as the redactor of his real-life story. The second had outlines, plot, and almost everything required to write the story; she just needed someone to write the story for her. These types of projects are different because the ideas are theirs and you’re basically helping them materialize, but if you are able to do that, then consider the next fact.
With the experience that ghostwriters gather, there is an array of other things that they can do in the future that will grant them both portfolio and reputation. For example, I currently have enough experience to be an editor, tutor and writing coach. We can openly assist writers with their projects. The difference will be that it won’t be behind curtains but publicly. This will allow them to recommend you to others and build a client base.
I’ve been a ghostwriter for the last two years because I needed the money. I am currently at a level that I feel I could be doing better in another way, and I’m close to quitting ghostwriting. Every time I start a new job, I ask myself, “How long will I be doing this?” It isn’t because I am already tired of it, but it is not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I must think of the next step ahead so I don’t feel trapped.
Being a ghostwriter is relative in regards to being good or bad, but I strongly advise avoiding being one forever. Just stay there as long as you need it and learn all you can meanwhile. Then, put it to good use and it will be really worth it. Don’t let people own everything you create forever. You don’t know when your breakthrough is coming, and you want it to be yours when it comes.
Ghostwriting is just one of the many writing opportunities out there. If you have any other questions about ghostwriting, connect with our guest writer on LinkedIn!
Have you had any experiences as a ghostwriter? What are some pros and cons that you have experienced? Please share your story in the comments below!
If you are interested in exploring other writing opportunities, I recommend keeping a copy of “88 Money-Making Writing Jobs” by Robert Bly near by and make sure to sign up for the newsletter to be notified of future learning opportunities!
And as always, please remember to just live your life one story at a time!
Take care,
Kyndall Bennett from Kyrabe Stories
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