What Is Freelance Ghostwriting?

What is freelance ghostwriting? It's an increasingly popular aspect of work that appeals to writers of all different backgrounds.Ghostwriting refers to an instance in which a writer creates work anonymously, allowing another person to publish it in his or her own own name. Celebrities, for example, may often publish books that are credited in their name, which were in fact written by a ghostwriter.

In many cases, this is because the individual does not have the time, or very often the skill, to write. Freelance ghostwriters undertake this work on a self-employed basis, often obtaining contracts from work from multiple publishers. Ghostwriters' work may appear in books, magazines, newspapers or online in blogs and newsletters.

Freelance ghostwriting can represent a lucrative and rewarding career option for individuals looking to find different ways of earning a living through their writing. While some writers may balk at the idea of allowing somebody else to take credit for their work, others take a more pragmatic view and accept that there is merit in being paid for your writing, regardless of the way in which it is published.

What qualities are required for a freelance ghostwriter?

Freelance ghostwriters need to be able to work to tight deadlines. Publishers will very often require a submission within a short period of time, and ghostwriters must be able to work quickly. Discretion is also vital, as the ghostwriter must not disclose details of any of his or her clients. Ghostwriters should also be detached from their work in a way that enables them to see this as business relationship. The ghostwriter is being paid for his work, but is surrendering his ability to claim credit for the writing and needs to be entirely comfortable with that.

What sort of assignments are required?

Ghostwriting covers a host of different styles and publications, more often for fictional writing. The project brief for each assignment will differ considerably. In some cases, the publisher will have a very clear view on what is required, even citing the basic plot, along with the style in which the text needs to be written. This may be extremely prescriptive, and freelance ghostwriters need to be very adaptable to cater for all the different assignments that they may be asked to undertake. In other cases, the brief may be very loose, and will still offer opportunities for creativity and interpretation.

Establishing your role as a freelance ghostwriter

Your ability to market your skills as a ghostwriter will dictate how successful you are in this career. You will need to network actively with publishers and other writers, through online forums, and through websites and social media. You cannot afford to be too selective about the work that you undertake. Although one assignment may not appeal to you, by undertaking the work through a particular publisher or for a certain client, you may be increasing your chances of repeat work in the future. Your ability to demonstrate a proven history of delivering quality work by the deadline is critical to finding further work to undertake.

How you are paid

Rates of pay per assignment vary enormously, according to the size of the project and the publisher. Like any other field of work, there are plenty of unscrupulous individuals out there willing to dupe writers into working for nothing, so most freelance ghostwriters insist on an advance payment of between 25 and 50 percent of the total fee. This indicates both parties' commitment to the project, and reduces the risk that the ghostwriter will end up working for nothing.

The issues faced by ghostwriters

It is vital that freelance ghostwriters adhere strictly to the requirements outlined in the project brief. Failing to stick completely to the guidelines could result in rework or nonpayment for the assignment. Some clients may not initially provide very prescriptive guidelines, but it is worth establishing as much detail as possible up front to prevent wasted time later on. As a freelancer, you are completely dependent on your reputation to secure further work, so client satisfaction is critical. You need to be able to balance the different demands in your life to ensure that you always deliver what was agreed, according to the deadline set by the client.

Freelance ghostwriting can offer writers a reliable and profitable means to maintain a living. Ethically, some writers may struggle with the concept of helping to publish material that will ultimately be passed off as somebody else's work, but if you can accept the concept of ghostwriting, then you may be able to realize a good income by working on a freelance basis.