Ghostwriting for Beginners
How to Become a Ghostwriter On Fiverr
This step-by-step guide explains the role of a ghostwriter and how to define ghostwriter skills so that you can get hired as a ghostwriter
If you are reading this article then chances are that you are interested in becoming a Ghostwriter or maybe you want to know what a Ghostwriter is and how to become one.
Maybe you have heard the term “Ghostwriting” or “Ghosting”, or even spent some time on the internet to find out what exactly Ghostwriter is and how they make money. In reality, the term the Ghostwriting business is not as complex to understand as many say.
I have been in this business since the pandemic. I started ghostwriting for YouTubers (making animation videos on books) and later on, shifted to ebooks as well.
If you are thinking whether there is still a demand for Ghostwriter in this AI world, then trust me there is and I am living proof of that. If you can write proficiently in any language, you are eligible to become a ghostwriter and get paid by clients — no need to wait for 90 days as in self-publishing platforms.
So if you are new and want to know what exactly it is then this guide is for you. This step-by-step simple guide will explain to you what a Ghostwriter is, the main role of a ghostwriter, and what skills you need so that you can become a ghostwriter yourself.
Here are some of the questions I often get asked online -
- What exactly is a ghostwriter?
- What skills do ghostwriters need to have?
- What type of writing do ghostwriters do?
- How exactly to make money as a ghostwriter?
- The straightforward way to become a ghostwriter?
- Should a ghostwriter ask for credit?
- what type of ghostwriting are there?
- Is this ethical to do ghostwriting?
and so on. The list will be endless if I go in more depth.
What is a ghostwriter?
Now this is the most common question and I will answer this in straightforward terms.
I write ebooks and YouTube scripts. Sometimes ghostwriters like me produce content for blogs as well. This is the most common scenario.
What is a ghostwriter contract?
Not all will ask for this. My only client has asked for this.
A ghostwriter contract is in written form, mainly stating that I as a writer or author am giving full rights to my clients for reproducing and distributing the contents on their will.
It’s like giving full rights in exchange for money.
A contract between the author and writer usually involves a confidentiality clause, so the ghostwriter remains anonymous.
What sort of writing do ghostwriters do?
This is my personal favorite question because many think that you need to write only articles for a blog or ebooks alone. But you can write many things beyond that. I will simply list them out for you -
- Song lyrics
- Podcast or video scripts
- Blog posts
- ebooks — fiction, non-fiction (Biggest market!)
- YouTube scripts
- Memoirs (Again a big market. More than 70% of memoirs are ghostwritten)
- Speeches (rarest)
- Magazine articles (paid the least)
- Screenplay (have to be lucky)
Can you make money ghostwriting?
Why not?
I don’t make full-time money to be honest. But I make a good part-time income from it. I chose to do it part-time because I still like to self-publish books under my name as well. And would like to sell other digital products in the future too. I am thinking of myself Digital Creator more than a writer now.
for me, the first income was $12 for writing a short 1k-word script for a YouTube channel. I wrote a script for the book — Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Later for a short book, I asked for $50 because I wasn’t sure what to expect from this.
It goes beyond $400 for a short book (15k word count).
I write mostly non-fiction so the range is mostly less. Here are some genres where you can make more money. This is just an assumption and that’s how much people have -
- romance book — ebook $90 to $500 for a short book.
- Fantasy book — around $1k. Can take more if the world-building is complex.
- Memoir — can go at the most $2k. I have seen fewer real-life examples where it has gone beyond that.
Some ghostwriters also ask for a percentage of royalty (mostly 50–50) from the total profit. My advice will be to ask for money beforehand instead of a percentage.
Ask 50% before the start of the project.
I mostly go for non-fiction because I work better with non-fiction.
If you wanna make a three-figure sale with Ghostwriting then pick a genre!
How to Become a Ghostwriter
Some people take writing courses. But I have never taken anyone.
Even if you have then these courses help you to become better in this career.
Some people take clients directly but I always use Fiverr.
I have built a Twitter account under my real name and drive traffic to my Fiverr account. Some writers use Instagram as well (Food and Fitness writer).
Some also use Upwork and Freelancer but I have made 90% of my income from Fiverr.
Types of ghostwriting
There are numerous outlets and opportunities for ghostwriters, and you may prefer to become a specialist in a chosen area. I have written about it in great detail in this article — Type Of Ghostwriters.
Do ghostwriters get credit?
Occasionally, some ghostwriters get attribution for their work, but in most cases, they don’t. Sometimes, you may see a ghostwriter’s name as a co-author or contributor under the author’s name.
When I ghostwrite for someone else, I never ask for this because many buyers aren’t ready to credit others for the work they have paid fully. If possible, then be upfront about this.
Conclusion
I will ask you to make an account on Fiverr even if you don’t have much knowledge about ghostwriting. With every project, I learn something new.
But the only thing here is how much time are you able to devote to your craft.
I will highly recommend being on either of these — LinkedIn and Twitter.
I am not sure if someone will hire you if you show your Medium portfolio.
But Twitter and LinkedIn profiles help a lot.
If you want to get into the Ghostwriting business then this ebook is useful for you — How I Make Money Ghostwriting for Youtubers and Writers
