How to Become a Successful Ghostwriter: the 6 Essential Skills Needed

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Ghostwriting is big business. Professional ghostwriters can earn tens of thousands of dollars writing for a wide variety of clients, including some pretty big celebrities. A veteran freelance ghostwriter told NPR in 2014 that Leslie Nielsen, Terry Bradshaw, Serena Williams, and Denzel Washington, among others, worked with ghostwriters to publish their bestsellers. And the list has only grown longer. It's not just books either, either. Ghostwriters produce blog posts, magazine articles, white papers, and video scripts. There are fiction ghostwriters, non-fiction ghostwriters, and versatile word-makers who can switch between them at will. Some ghostwriters specialize in a particular subject, industry, or genre. Others prefer to be generalists and take on projects in a wide range of areas. As a ghostwriter, you decide which gigs to accept and which clients to work with, assuming you can prove your worth and get the job. You don't have to be a best-selling author to get started.

Some professional writing experience can be helpful, but it's more important to develop the skills that will allow you to do great work. If you're thinking about becoming a ghostwriter, here's what you need to know. Compose.ly Managed Services Banner Contents Why get into ghostwriting? 1. Versatility 2. Creativity 3. Flexibility 4. Organization 5. Research 6. Trust TL; DR: How to Become a Ghostwriter Why get into ghostwriting? Ghostwriting is a lucrative option for skilled writers. PayScale puts the average Negro hourly wage at $48.94, with the high end being closer to $72 an hour. (Image credit: PayScale) CareerTrend estimated that an experienced ghostwriter could make industry email list an average of $20,000 per project, and newbies could make $5,000. Of course, it all depends on the project, the client and the freelancer.

In general, however, ghostwriting work tends to pay more than comparable signed work. (Having a byline means you're named as the author.) Think of it as compensation for not being able to add the piece to your portfolio. You write it, submit it, and then it belongs to the client. Writers used to signatures may struggle with this aspect at first, but career ghostwriters find it liberating. It's rewarding to create a piece from scratch and see it through to publication, then move on to the next project on your plate. Ghostwriters don't have to deal with marketing, interviews, book tours, or any of the trappings of publishing. It's all in the writing. Ghostwriting is a great way to make a living…if you have the right skills. Below are six skills essential to becoming a successful ghostwriter.