6 Ghostwriting Lessons You Should Learn Before Going Professional

The ghostwriter is something of a mythical creature in the literary world. They are elusive and undercover by design. After all, part of their job is to relinquish the limelight and remain behind the stage curtain. It can be a wonderful way to make a living but it is not necessarily suited to every writer.

Before going professional, read on to discover 6 ghostwriting lessons you should learn that will help you make an informed decision about whether this is the right career path for you.

1. You Won't Receive Credit Or Royalties

This can be one of the hardest pills to swallow when making the decision to become a professional ghostwriter. In the vast majority of cases, ghostwriters do not share credit or royalties for any successful projects. Handsome financial compensation paid in advance may overshadow this truth in the beginning but how emotionally prepared you are to step aside once the project is over catches up to you. It is very natural to be attached to your work. In fact, all good writers should be able to engage their emotive and sympathetic traits when writing a story!

However, those writing for themselves get to take home their baby at the end of the day whereas the ghostwriter will need to step back and wave goodbye. You may not even be aware how attached you have become until you are in the thick of the project. This is part of the reason why hiring a ghostwriter in the first place is a pricey investment. You are not only paying for their hard won skills and their time, you are also paying for their willingness to hand over the beating heart of their passion and credit it as your own.

If you are a writer who knows deep down that this is something you could not follow through on then a client deserves a ghostwriter that can stay true to their word and deliver on their promise. No matter how emotionally gut wrenching this might be for you as the brains behind the art, a ghostwriter by definition needs to remain exactly that: A ghost.

2. You Cannot Write In Your Signature Voice

This is not your story. This is not your book.

Now that we have those stinging truths out of the way we can start to explain the necessity of voicing them out loud. It is true that you are the one writing the words onto the page but you should never lose sight of the fact that this is someone else's story. This is especially true of memoir projects. Not all people with a story worth telling have the writing ability to put it down on paper. Does this mean that their story shouldn't be heard? I don't think so. In my experience, many brilliant people have not been handed the opportunities or the privileges others have been offered. They could have been denied education, a stable childhood or were never free from religious/political persecution.

Not everybody has the luxury of reaching their potential. In that spirit, whatever book you write has be true to the clients personality, their talents and their perspective of the world. Don't be too hard on yourself if you find that your ego wants to take centre stage. It is very normal and natural to feel protective and possessive over your work, especially as a ghostwriter starting out. Many of the lessons you learn as a traditional writer will make ghostwriting feel counter intuitive and awkward in the early stages and some of these lessons you will need to unlearn in order to do a good job.

Learning to capture the voice of a client and write in way that reflects who they are is a necessary skill that takes time and commitment to learn. Yet it is near impossible to be a good ghostwriter without it.

3. People Skills Are Equally As Important As Writing Skills

Of all the ghostwriting lessons you should learn before going professional, this might be the most crucial.

No matter how amazing the story, the writing will amount to nothing if you can't draw a client out of their shell to share their truth. This can be tricky for a few reasons. People can be adept at lying to themselves about their version of events or how they feel about something.

Although it is not your job to be their therapist, learning how to spot defensive narratives that prop up self perception is a nifty skill to have.

I always emphasise to clients that nothing goes into a book without full consent and approval. Having said that, some clients aren't exactly sure of what they want until you show it to them! A client might tell you their greatest achievement with a hint of sadness in their eyes. With some gentle encouragement, you discover that it came at a price. Success cost them some of their friends and family. They lost sleep with too many late nights and not enough days to rest. What started as a cut and dry narrative about reaching the top is now a layered and complex story which paints our client as having intriguing depths and subtleties.

Nobody wants to go into detail about all the ways in which they have failed, even though this is exactly the kind of material that makes protagonists interesting to read about. The ghostwriters job is to make a client feel comfortable and safe so that they may open up about their life, warts and all. If you can build trust, you will be rewarded with a plethora of writing treasure.

4. You May Have To Navigate Trauma/Disturbing Content

This leads naturally from the last point. Some people have had incredibly difficult lives and the process of writing a memoir may be a cathartic way for them to process. Whether this is cathartic for the ghostwriter is a whole other story. Ghostwriters need to be empathetic and caring while also maintaining strong boundaries. You will need to be realistic about a project deadline, factoring in time to take a break from heavy subject matters and to take care of your own mental health.

Researching disturbing topics and hearing them explained in real time by someone you are working closely with is hard on the mind and the body. You will need to find time to process your own emotions and make room for your own growth without making the experience about yourself. As a ghostwriter, it is completely acceptable and understandable to refuse a project if it puts your own well being at risk. Tread with caution when accepting these types of projects. Not every client who approaches a ghostwriter is in a healthy place to write a book.

There is also the ethical burden of portraying various issues with factual integrity and accuracy. This leads us to our next point:

5. Creative Choices Have Ethical Consequences

Unlike writing fiction, the non-fiction writer cannot play as fast and loose with the rules of creative word choices and expression. Writing fictional characters can be carefree and fun because ultimately their actions and behaviour have no real cause and effect in the actual world. When ghostwriting a memoir or autobiography, you not only have a responsibility of telling the truth of a client, you also have the burden of making sure that whatever you write does not add to the already bourgeoning influx of misleading information.

This is especially true of narratives that explore potentially harmful ideas or practices. At the beginning of a project or when approached by a client for a potential story, it is always helpful to ask yourself a simple question: Am I educating or perpetuating?

Of course there are ghostwriters who take the view that they are ethically removed from the information shared by a client. Their job is to simply write the story as it is told to them which is admittedly easy to to do if the work is ghostwritten and their name is not attached to the final product. Personally, I want to sleep at night knowing that my intention is to leave the world a better place than I found it with every written word. I only work with clients who understand this and hold themselves to a similarly high standard of professional integrity.

6. Networking Is Vital For Finding Clients

It's not exactly a secret that writers tend to be introverted by nature. We are not known for our flamboyant party lifestyles or our love of being in a noisy and crowded room. The ghostwriter therefore needs to be able to step out of their comfort zone and embody more of an ambivert approach to writing a book.

At the beginning of your ghostwriting career, this is may not be strictly true. You can find many potential projects on writing websites such as Fiverr or Upwork. There you can browse job postings looking for ghostwriters who seek to gain some experience in the industry. Once you have some practice and are more established however, you will want to branch away from these typically low paying positions and explore more niche areas of ghostwriting where you will be compensated in recognition of your expertise.

Many ghostwriters I know find most of their clients through word of mouth, or through the ghostwriting grapevine. I myself have found clients in the most unlikely of places such as hotel lobbies and conferences! Anyone who asks about my work is usually curious to understand exactly what I do as it is so under the radar. You never know who you might be talking to so speak up and sell yourself.

In Summary,

Becoming a professional ghostwriter can be an extremely rewarding career both financially and emotionally. If you are unsure how to start, following these 6 ghostwriting lessons will give you a great foundation to build on. As long as you are aware of the realities of what it takes to remain consistent as a writer then you are on the right path.

Similarly, if after reading this article you realise that being a ghostwriter isn't for you then that's ok! The publishing world is a large ocean of opportunity. Whatever you can't find in one place you are sure to find in another.

Either way, always write what you care about and the rest will follow.