|
Ghostwriting - Making Money by Being Invisible
by Marg McAlister
My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family room, from floor to
ceiling. It shows my eclectic reading tastes... fiction, non-fiction,
Harry Potter next to murder mysteries and metaphysical literature. Also
there are books I've written for the business sector - on negotiation,
writing letters, communication skills, real estate sales and a lot more.
The business books, however, have other people's names on them. I'm
merely the ghostwriter.
These days, I've moved from writing fiction and being a ghostwriter to a
new career as an information marketer on the Internet. (What is an
"information marketer"? Just what it sounds like. I do extensive
research to find out what information people are searching for, and then
I find a way to create it, package it and sell it to them. It's a bit
like ghostwriting, really, except that I'm doing it for myself instead
of someone else.)
My experience as a ghostwriter was invaluable for doing what I'm doing
now. So was my experience in writing fiction. Fiction writers make
excellent ghostwriters, because they use their skills to bring scenes
and people to life in non-fiction. You see, people love to read about
people.
Not things.
Not places.
Not strategies.
Rather, they like to read about the people behind all these things: this
is what brings non-fiction to life. If you are a skilled fiction writer,
then you can easily adapt your talent to ghostwriting. And the happy
news is this: you will probably earn a lot more as a ghostwriter than
you ever will writing fiction.
"Ghostwriter" will be only one of the terms for what you do. Sometimes
you will find yourself acknowledged as a "consultant"; sometimes as a
"copywriter". Most often, you will not get any recognition at all...
because that's why people hire ghostwriters: they want to produce a book
(or e-book or article or a report) without having to slog away at the
actual writing. So... they hire a professional.
Really, the label is not important, and nor is whether you get
acknowledged for what you do. What is important is that you get paid
regularly for doing something you enjoy. Plenty of people would kill for
a job like that!
Any competent writer can earn a steady income from ghostwriting. You can
establish a ghostwriting career online or offline - but I would
recommend that you start ONline, if you haven't done this before. Thanks
to the Internet, it's possible to establish a portfolio of work and get
up and running within weeks. Yes, that's right: not months... weeks. If
you already have a few samples of articles or work done for others, then
you're off to a running start!
Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Start Building Writing Credits.
My first work in ghostwriting came about because I had a portfolio of
published articles. What I did not have was a background in journalism.
I learned how to write articles by reading how-to books and articles in
writers' magazines, and by analyzing the structure of articles in a
range of magazines and newspapers. Then I started sending my work out.
Luckily, you don't have to take as long as I did to build up credits.
You can write a number of articles on different topics, post them to
article sites on the Internet, and earn yourself an 'expert' rating
within DAYS. The
Essential
Guide to Ghostwriting shows exactly how to do this.
2. Talk About What You Do / Network.
ONLINE: (1) join in forums and mention that you're a
ghostwriter; (2) email your friends and acquaintances and asking them to
put the word out; (3) create an email signature that advertises your
ghostwriting services; (4) set up a website to promote your services,
and (5) take the fast route and sign up at Internet sites where
potential clients post work.
OFFLINE: (1) Always mention what you do (you never know
who knows somebody who knows somebody etc etc...); (2) Do a mailout to
businesses in your local area; (3) Put an ad in the paper; (4) Join
professional organizations where business people go (the local Chamber
of Commerce; Rotary etc)
3. Create a Professional Image From Day One.
Make sure that your work is as close to perfect as you can make it:
DEFINITELY no typos or grammatical errors. Sample articles, book
outlines, reports etc should be attractively presented and easy to read.
As soon as you start getting work, make sure you MEET YOUR DEADLINES.
This is crucial!
Invest in quality equipment. With a computer, a high-quality word
processor and a laser printer, you can produce not only books and
articles, but also proposals, fliers, and an attractive letterhead for
your business. For fast, efficient online research: a broadband
connection is well worth the additional expense. These days, an
entry-level broadband connection is almost as cheap as dialup anyway.
4. Organize Your Material.
As your client base increases, you will find yourself speedily becoming
an "expert" on a dazzling variety of subjects. Keep your subject matter
organized by client, by subject or both. Eventually you will be able to
save time by looking up previous articles - but always give it a new
slant.
5. How to Decide What to Charge for Your Services.
Initially, I suggest you charge modest fees and concentrate on building
up your client list and your reputation. As a rule of thumb, decide on
what you would like to earn in an eight-hour day, then derive from that
an hourly rate to use as a basis for costing work. If you start working
for online outsourcing agencies, you will be able to get an idea of what
to charge very quickly - you'll be able to browse the jobs posted and
the bids being made.
6. Time Management - a Dual Writing Career?
You can tackle ghostwriting full time, or create a dual career (use
ghostwriting to give you a part-time income while you write your novel).
You will find that mastering the art of writing pacy, entertaining
business articles and books pays off in all your writing. Your editing
skills will improve as you get used to cutting articles and copy; your
fiction-writing skills will help you in writing anecdotes for articles.
The essence of managing a writing career in different fields is forward
planning. Keep a desk or computer diary, a pocket diary and a wall
planner. Write in deadlines, assignments and consultation times (and
make sure you transfer the information from one to the other). Always
have a mental map of what is due in the next week or two. Write out a
'to-do' list each morning, and rank jobs in order of importance.
7. Different Clients, Different Styles.
Different clients like to work in different ways. I had one client who
cheerfully admitted he "couldn't even spell, let alone write". For him,
I worked from audio interviews or a few brief points on a page, and did
a lot of research. Other clients sent me each chapter as it was
finished, then I set to work fixing elements of style and tone;
re-writing or adding anecdotes, and making suggestions about structure.
When it comes to Internet clients, you're likely to find that they want
a swift turn-around (2-4 weeks for an e-book of between 50-80 pages with
straightforward research). Information marketers will often provide you
with a list of questions to be answered or points to cover, and require
you to do the research.
8. Confidentiality.
If you want to be a successful ghostwriter, it is VITAL that you
maintain confidentiality. Unless your client gives you permission to use
his or her name as a reference, don't do so. Some people are happy to
acknowledge you as a 'consultant', but not as a ghostwriter. That's
their decision. As a ghost, you're supposed to be invisible.
You'll find plenty of work out there a good ghostwriter if you set about
looking for it. You don't need to work from 9-5 outside the home in
order to pay the mortgage or put food on the table. If you need to earn
an income, why not choose a job in which you can use your skill with
words? You could find that ghostwriting is the perfect solution for you.
(c) copyright Marg McAlister
www.TheEssentialGuidetoGhostwriting.com
Home |
