Find the best Ghostwriting jobs

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.