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Check out a sample of the 425 Ghostwriter jobs posted on Upwork

US$5
Fixed-price

Expert
Experience level

Looking for a wordsmith who understands how the body whispers its wisdom! I need a ghostwriter to help craft engaging books about som…

Ghostwriting Article Writing Article Fact-Checking English Content Writing Writing
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US$300
Fixed-price

Intermediate
Experience level

We are an expanding publishing house and are looking for new talent for our team. We offer stable, long-term job opportunities, provide…

Ghostwriting Legal Consulting Legal Assistance Legal Research Criminal Law Academic Proofreading Proofreading Book Writing
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Less than 30 hrs/week
Hours needed

Less than 1 month
Duration

Intermediate
Experience level

We are seeking a skilled freelancer to quickly and efficiently place three children's books and one mystery novel in the appropriate ca…

Ghostwriting Fiction Proofreading Writing
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Narrative Nonfiction Ghostwriter Fixed-price ‐ Posted 7 days ago

US$400
Fixed-price

Entry
Experience level

We are seeking an experienced ghostwriter with a degree in Creative Writing or Publishing to craft four engaging 2,500-word narrative n…

Ghostwriting Writing Biography Short Story Writing Narrative Nonfiction
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Need Adult Erotic Writer for new BDSM brand. Fixed-price ‐ Posted 6 days ago

US$875
Fixed-price

Expert
Experience level

"Dom's Ultimate Blueprint: Unlock the Secrets of Submissive Training—A Must-Have Guide for Every Dom & Master to Transform Your BDSM Re…

Ghostwriting Book Writing
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US$1,000
Fixed-price

Intermediate
Experience level

We are looking for talented writers who are passionate about Scottish history and romance to join our ongoing projects. Your role will…

Ghostwriting Writing Romance Fiction Writing
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FPA: Ghostwriter Opportunity Hourly ‐ Posted 7 days ago

Less than 30 hrs/week
Hours needed

3 to 6 months
Duration

Expert
Experience level

Thank you for considering this job posting. Our intention is to find a capable story-teller and interesting ghostwriter, with whom we c…

Ghostwriting Fiction Writing US English Dialect Storytelling
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Less than 30 hrs/week
Hours needed

1 to 3 months
Duration

Intermediate
Experience level

**Job Opportunity: Cozy Mystery Ghostwriter** We are on the lookout for a talented ghostwriter with a strong background in cozy myster…

Ghostwriting Writing Ebook Writing Ebook Fiction Writing
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Content Writer for the mortgage industry Hourly ‐ Posted 7 days ago

Hours to be determined
Hours needed

More than 6 months
Duration

Intermediate
Experience level

I am looking for an experienced content writer who has experience with the mortgage and/or real estate industry. You must be able to:…

Ghostwriting Journalism Writing Content Writing Financial Writing Article Writing
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Not sure
Hours needed

1 to 3 months
Duration

Intermediate
Experience level

We are seeking a talented ghostwriter with expertise in Learning & Development to create high-quality content for our business publicat…

Ghostwriting Article Writing Content Writing Writing
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Ghostwriters on Upwork
can earn US$20–US$45/hr.
Learn more below about how you can earn a career on the world’s work marketplace.
Ghostwriter average prices bell curve

US$20 US$45

Median hourly rates (USD)

How to Become a Freelance Ghostwriter

If you have experience writing high-quality content and are skilled at writing in different voices, you might be able to put your writing skills to use as a freelance ghostwriter. Ghostwriters master a client’s writing style, creating content that the client then publishes. As a ghostwriter, you can help clients to create content that they might not have the skill or time to craft on their own.

What does a ghostwriter do?

Ghostwriters create content on behalf of other people, who will then publish the content under their own name. Ghostwriters commonly create non-fiction books and blog posts for celebrities, businesspeople, and experts who want to share their insights, thoughts, and experiences with the world.

Ghostwriting services often involve deep research. Writers delve into subjects to learn about a specific topic so that they can write about it accurately and intelligently. If the client has already published other content, the ghostwriter will need to study that content so they can write in the client’s voice.

What skills do I need to become a freelance ghostwriter?

As a freelance ghostwriter, you will create large amounts of content for others to use under their own names. Expect decent compensation because they will benefit from your work but they will not be required to credit you with a byline or list you as a co-author in the finished product. Instead, you’ll need to be able to write in the client’s voice, and they’ll publish your work as theirs.

Ghostwriters benefit from having certain key skills:

  • Be able to deeply research, analyze, and understand topics to present them in written form.
  • Be able to write original content for publication. That often includes but is not limited to content writing and creative writing for websites, magazine articles, blog posts, and book writing.
  • Be able to compile existing information and material to create new content.
  • Be familiar with content formatting for delivery through multiple mediums such as blogs, traditional publishing, ebooks, etc.
  • Be able to work with other professional writers and editors to polish content.
  • Be comfortable using writing software to format and edit text.
  • Be able to work directly with ghostwriting clients on specific freelance writing projects.
  • Understand how to adhere to strict word counts.

Since ghostwriters are unable to cite work that they have sold the rights to without permission, many ghostwriters struggle to amass a portfolio of successful work. In the old days of ghostwriting, reference requests and calls were a common way of verifying ghostwriters’ skills. Platforms such as Upwork have massively improved the process of building a portfolio of work through data anonymization.

Ghostwriter use cases

Ghostwriters are able to fill a variety of roles within businesses. Brands produce marketing materials, web copy, sales letters, and other collateral, but it’s not uncommon for one or two ghostwriters to craft the content. Ghostwriters bring value in their ability to adopt a business’ brand voice.

Further value is derived from the type and depth of research that ghostwriters carry out. This skill allows many ghostwriters to tackle book writing, content marketing, filling out biographies, and finalizing stage or video scripts. Even technical and research papers may be completed by ghostwriters.

What are the job responsibilities of a ghostwriter?

As a ghostwriter, you will need to take ownership for researching, creating, and editing content for whatever publication(s) your client plans to submit the material to. Some publications do not allow ghostwritten content, so it’s important to understand where the content will be published.

It’s similarly important to understand this because you will need to be able to meld the professional’s voice with the voice requirements of the outlet. We’ve aggregated these job responsibilities from multiple postings to hire ghostwriters and simulated some of the best requirements here for you.

  • Create and develop content for blogs, marketing material, and other related ghostwriting work
  • Write newsletters, whitepapers, articles, social media, blogs, and other forms of copy
  • Perform research to fully understand the overarching topic and related concepts
  • Follow a logical writing process for both drafting and editing
  • Communicate regularly with clients to determine needs and preferences as they arise and change
  • Aggregate research sources and reference materials to fulfill any and all citation requirements
  • Collaborate with other freelance writers to develop increasingly expressive content for the brand
  • Write quality content that adheres to the specified style guides, including the brand voice guide
  • Ensure projects are completed on time
  • Manage multiple ghostwriting projects for clients within specified guidelines

If you’re looking to launch your ghostwriting career or want to bolster your income potential, seek out your first gig on Upwork. If you need additional information about becoming a freelance ghostwriter, please review the resources listed below.

Eager to learn more about freelance ghostwriting jobs on Upwork? Check out these additional resources:

Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this section. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyse and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.

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