Ghostwriting is a lucrative business. Many writers dream of writing books and articles on their own and sharing the royalties with their business partners. The first time someone mentions ghostwriting, you may cringe—but only because it seems almost unethical to profit from someone else’s ideas, right? Wrong.
It’s actually a perfectly acceptable business practice that allows you to connect with writers who need your help in order to get their work published. A ghostwriter is an intermediary who provides another writer with support and guidance so that the original piece can be published consistently and more effectively by the publishing company or blog owner.
For example, as an editor at Sourcely , I regularly receive submissions from freelance writers looking for editing gigs.
These writers don’t have the time or expertise to edit articles on their own; they need another person to help them shape their ideas into something publishable. That’s where a ghostwriter comes in handy!
Here’s how you can make money working as a ghostwriter:
Find writers who need your expertise.
To make money as a ghostwriter, you must be open to receiving assignments. Most writers who are interested in hiring a ghostwriter don’t know where to begin, so they ask random people online. If you want to make money ghostwriting, you have to be proactive and find clients who need your expertise.
There are a few ways of doing this. You can look in your community, people who you know, and people who are relevant in your field. You can also search for writers who need help on sites like FreelanceSwitch and UpWork. You can even create a Google account for writers and build a database of clients.
Connect with writers qualified for your services.
Once you’ve found writers who you think would be a good fit for your services, the next step is to connect with them. You need to show that you are interested in the project and willing to help them get their work published. When you connect with a writer, mention that you’re interested in researching the project, learning about their subject matter, and collaborating with them to get their work published. Keep your correspondence open and transparent. Let the writer know where you are in the process, what you are working on, and what they can expect from you and the project. You can also ask them if they have any examples of work that they have published online that can give you a better idea of their writing style.
Set up payment and delivery schedules.
When you connect with a writer, you can ask them to name a price per article or a percentage of the book’s cost. While the amount you ask for is up to you, there are some things to keep in mind.
First, you want to set a price that is fair, yet could also be profitable for you. In other words, you don’t want to lower the price too much because then you won’t get any projects and you aren’t making any money.
You also don’t want to set a high price either, because that could discourage writers from hiring you. Next, it’s important to set a delivery schedule. This way, the writer knows exactly when they can expect you to deliver the work.
Offer a service—and make sure it’s available to all writers.
If you choose to charge a fee for your services, be straightforward and clear with clients about it. Explain what you can offer them and let them know what priorities you have on their project.
Also, let them know if there are any extra services you can provide them, like managing the project, or helping with design elements. These additional services could be valuable for some clients, and yourGhostWriter.com can offer them to all clients.
The most important thing to remember is that you are representing all writers in your business. In other words, you are not only representing the writers you work with, but all writers out there.
Keep track of all communication between you and the client.
Last but not the least, the most important thing is to keep track of everything. Because you are working as an intermediary between the client and the writer, you need to make sure that you have an accurate paper trail of all communication. Get Pro Writer ensures a natural writer profile for your higher rankings.
It is crucial that you keep track of all communication between you and the client. You are representing all writers, so they deserve to know where they stand with you. For example, let’s say that you have a client who paid you for an article but they never published the article.
You need to make sure that you took notes on the conversation and which actions the client asked you to take. After the project is completed, you need to send the client an email with the details of the project, the actions they asked you to take, and any other important details.
Bottom line
Ghostwriting is a legitimate profession, and it can be a lucrative business for writers and agents alike. The trick is identifying clients who need your help and connecting with them.
Once you’ve done this, it’s important to set up a payment schedule and make sure that you have a great service to offer your clients. These things will help you stay on top of your business and make sure that you’re delivering great work to your clients while making a good living at the same time.
