Ghost writing is writing getting into a contract where you get to write a book for a client and you do not have any claim, intellectual or otherwise over that book. It is a thriving business and something freelancers or people that have talent in writing should look into because it pays well.
Aside from the actual talent for writing, there are some things you need to have if you want to become a successful ghost writer.
Talent
We still have to mention talent because it is basically the first thing you need to have. Interestingly, it can be argued that the ghostwriter is the most talented of all types of writer because the work he has to do is more than the traditional writer. He or she is writing another person’s story. You have to be skilled to do that. Moreover, he or she may not have the luxury to specialize. That is, they may only be able to work according to what is currently on offer and it could be any type of book.
It is your talents that will make you stand out and determine the number of clients you may eventually have. People are looking to hire ghostwriters with proven talent.
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incomebooster.org[/caption]Discretion
A ghost writer must be discrete. They should be ready to hear all sorts of demands from their client and be ready to reject and accept the offer based on what they want. Your discretion is of high value to your client because they may need to tell you things that will never be heard outside nor written in the book itself. Those things may give you necessary insight into the mind of the person you want to project in that book especially if its non-fiction.
Another aspect of ghostwriting that strongly relates to discretion is that there are no famous ghostwriters. That is, the nature of the job is such many an NDA (non disclosure agreement) has to be signed. So you might have famous authors but you will hardly find a famous ghostwriter even when they might have written famous books. If you cannot take this, ghostwriting may not be for you. Scriptwriters are credited for their scripts; ghostwriters do not get credits. You are basically unseen and unheard.
The Chameleon in You
A great ghost writer knows how to “enter” a person or become that person. They have a strong sense of empathy. This is a necessary ability because they should be able to write in a way that reflects the personality the client wants to project. This is not a common ability. Traditional writers already know their characters or stand in the position of creating and weaving a character. You on the other hand, have to understand not a character but a real life human being i.e. the person that wants to hire you. You have to empathize with that person before you now do the job of a writer to project various characters and emotions in the book.
Dexterity
A ghost writer should be able to do all sort so of writing job. The jobs may not be so regular hence you may not have the luxury of being able to select what you would do and what you will not do. Therefore, you should talented enough to be able to tackle almost any kind of project. It could be a textbook on economics or a thriller. The greater your ability to do this, the more your income.
Discipline
You need to keep to time. You cannot afford to spend a year on a book. You have to be able to develop a pragmatic approach to your writing and deliver on time not because of your client but because you need to move to the next assignment. This may sound cold but you know I am not saying you should do a shoddy job. That could effectively destroy your ghostwriting career. Remember that you are as good as your last job and you will be measured on what you do on your current job.
A ghostwriter should be disciplined enough to run a tight schedule, meet deadlines, get clarifications, make adjustments and just keep at it till they deliver the final manuscript to the client.
Effective Use Of Working Material
At times, you will be given a working material. It will be your job to use that material to produce something the client will be satisfied with.
Work And Write With The Client
Some clients want to get their hands dirty. They want to write and learn with you. You will have to accommodate this and help them develop as writers too.
Love For The Profession
If you do not enjoy what you do, it will show. Ghostwriting could be called a thankless job as people will not publicly point at you and say you are the one that was hired to write a book. There are exceptions of course but we are speaking as a matter of rule and not exception. You have to love the job to keep at it and deliver manuscripts that the client will be proud of.
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