While it's harder than ever to land a publishing deal and the whole industry teeters on the brink, it might be a good time to consider becoming a ghostwriter.
I started ghostwriting a year ago, after publishing six books of my own. It has been a good financial move and I've also been surprised by how much I love it. I write nonfiction in my own work and being able to write in another's voice has opened up a new opportunity to expand my writing skills, almost feeling like fiction. I also love being able to "gift" someone (of course they pay for it) their story, well-written. It has been fun, fulfilling, and is strengthening my own writing skills. Great article.
Hey Rachel, thanks for sharing this! I would be interested to know--did you get started in the way outlined in this post? Are there any additional tips or tricks for someone whose considering making the jump and hasn't a clue where to start? It would be much appreciated! Thanks
I loved reading this post! For so long, I couldn’t imagine being a ghostwriter. This year, I had the opportunity to ghostwrite a book and now I want to do more. I really had no clue how much ghostwriters are used every day.
I’ll definitely do some thinking on this. It was something I thought about doing. Before I did self-publish my own. There might still be room for it in my schedule.
This is a great post! I had never considered ghostwriting --of course, I didn't know what it entailed before either. You make it sound inviting and worth looking into. Thank you most sincerely for the heads up in that direction!
I enjoyed this post a lot and thought it was a concise introduction to ghostwriting and gave an excellent, and informative, overview of the basic marketing approach for a writer interested in exploring this that doesn't have much knowledge about it. I have attempted in the distant past to try to generate interest with certain ex-professional wrestlers in ghostwriting their autobiographies and this post motivated me to begin thinking about it again and armed me with a better understanding. Thanks!
Hi Rhiannon. Thanks for sharing your perspective. I take your point about the ups-and-downs of the market, especially in the content marketing space. But I was speaking more globally and to the reality that there is far more opportunities for growth in high-level ghostwriting than there is in traditional journalism and bylined writing. That is particularly true for book ghostwriting, which is what our course is focused on.
The timing is a little odd. It's a good time to join this particular course, sure, but almost every ghoswriter I know (and I'm in a professional organisation along with a large number of fellow ghosts, many of whom are at the top of their game) is finding it hard to get a good, steady flow of high-end clients right now. The market is quiet. The best time to become a ghostwriter, it seems, was 2020. A lot of us are having to look for other types of work to get by. I'm on the brink of that, myself. Just to add a reality check to those who may think they see a fast track to a new, lucrative career.
I've never been in an industry where at least half the people thought it was the worst time to be in it, and that the glory days were years ago. I have no idea the truth of it, but 8 minutes are your comment somebody else comments that it was a good financial move, so I don't think the timing is odd, but I appreciate your comment. While you might not think it's a good opportunity, others might, and my job is to help people wade through them and find what's right for them. Sorry it's not going well for you.
It's been a good move for me, too, and it's gone well over the last year even with the drought - I just don't think now is at all the best time to get started. It might be a little misleading to say so.
I think you're making a subjective judgement. The article says "seems like the best of times" and "never been a better time". It's doesn't say the best time. If it's been a good experience for you, then I don't see the issue here.
The issue is that there has definitely been a better time to become a ghostwriter. It's not subjective when it's based on data polled from actual working ghostwriters.
There will be a better time again. Being a ghostwriter in general is a job I would recommend for those who can handle it. But never been a better time? Definitely not.
I started ghostwriting a year ago, after publishing six books of my own. It has been a good financial move and I've also been surprised by how much I love it. I write nonfiction in my own work and being able to write in another's voice has opened up a new opportunity to expand my writing skills, almost feeling like fiction. I also love being able to "gift" someone (of course they pay for it) their story, well-written. It has been fun, fulfilling, and is strengthening my own writing skills. Great article.
I love this so much.
This opened my mind to this idea. I think I had a preconceived notion of what this would be like, but I like Rachel’s perspective.
Hey Rachel, thanks for sharing this! I would be interested to know--did you get started in the way outlined in this post? Are there any additional tips or tricks for someone whose considering making the jump and hasn't a clue where to start? It would be much appreciated! Thanks
I loved reading this post! For so long, I couldn’t imagine being a ghostwriter. This year, I had the opportunity to ghostwrite a book and now I want to do more. I really had no clue how much ghostwriters are used every day.
I’ll definitely do some thinking on this. It was something I thought about doing. Before I did self-publish my own. There might still be room for it in my schedule.
This is a great post! I had never considered ghostwriting --of course, I didn't know what it entailed before either. You make it sound inviting and worth looking into. Thank you most sincerely for the heads up in that direction!
I enjoyed this post a lot and thought it was a concise introduction to ghostwriting and gave an excellent, and informative, overview of the basic marketing approach for a writer interested in exploring this that doesn't have much knowledge about it. I have attempted in the distant past to try to generate interest with certain ex-professional wrestlers in ghostwriting their autobiographies and this post motivated me to begin thinking about it again and armed me with a better understanding. Thanks!
Hi Rhiannon. Thanks for sharing your perspective. I take your point about the ups-and-downs of the market, especially in the content marketing space. But I was speaking more globally and to the reality that there is far more opportunities for growth in high-level ghostwriting than there is in traditional journalism and bylined writing. That is particularly true for book ghostwriting, which is what our course is focused on.
The timing is a little odd. It's a good time to join this particular course, sure, but almost every ghoswriter I know (and I'm in a professional organisation along with a large number of fellow ghosts, many of whom are at the top of their game) is finding it hard to get a good, steady flow of high-end clients right now. The market is quiet. The best time to become a ghostwriter, it seems, was 2020. A lot of us are having to look for other types of work to get by. I'm on the brink of that, myself. Just to add a reality check to those who may think they see a fast track to a new, lucrative career.
I've never been in an industry where at least half the people thought it was the worst time to be in it, and that the glory days were years ago. I have no idea the truth of it, but 8 minutes are your comment somebody else comments that it was a good financial move, so I don't think the timing is odd, but I appreciate your comment. While you might not think it's a good opportunity, others might, and my job is to help people wade through them and find what's right for them. Sorry it's not going well for you.
It's been a good move for me, too, and it's gone well over the last year even with the drought - I just don't think now is at all the best time to get started. It might be a little misleading to say so.
I think you're making a subjective judgement. The article says "seems like the best of times" and "never been a better time". It's doesn't say the best time. If it's been a good experience for you, then I don't see the issue here.
The issue is that there has definitely been a better time to become a ghostwriter. It's not subjective when it's based on data polled from actual working ghostwriters.
There will be a better time again. Being a ghostwriter in general is a job I would recommend for those who can handle it. But never been a better time? Definitely not.
Okay, so I changed it to it might be a good time to consider becoming a ghostwriter. Does that solve your problem?