Ghostwriting: Break into ghostwriting

Want to get started ghostwriting? Katherine asked, via our little Skribit widget (left sidebar): “Ghostwriting – breaking into this field. What does it pay, etc.”*

Thank you for the suggestion, Katherine, ghostwriting is a great field to write in.

I gave you a simple way to get started ghostwriting in this blog post, Ghostwriting On The Web – Getting Started | Writing Hacker by Angela Booth, and said there was one major drawback:

“There’s one drawback to ghostwriting. Someone else gets the byline – your own name never appears on your ghostwritten work, and you can’t add any of the material to your portfolio. The big benefit is the rewards, both monetary and in getting your name known.
Yes, getting your name known. While your clients don’t want anyone to know that ‘their’ words are really your words, once you’ve completed a few ghostwriting jobs, you will get known as a competent ghost.”

Basically getting started is this simple:

* Write samples

* Promote yourself as a ghostwriter

You can ghostwrite anything others want written: articles, speeches, presentations, ebooks, Web content, books…

Re ghostwriting fees, that’s up to you. You charge what you charge. There are no standard rates.

I may be wrong, but I think that Katherine’s really asking about ghostwriting books. That’s where the real money is in ghostwriting, of course.

How to become a professional ghostwriter for others’ books

If you want to make real money as a ghostwriter, you can do that when you ghostwrite books for others. All of the celebrity-authored books you see on the bestseller lists are ghostwritten. If the ghostwriter has some clout, you may see an “as told to” mention on the book cover, but that’s unusual. Celebrities want their fans to believe that in addition to being famous for whatever they’re famous for, they’re also writers.

So how do you get a ghostwriting gig for Big Name Celebrity’s forthcoming autobiography, or other project?

It’s simple: you’re asked.

If you’ve written a book or two, your agent, or a publisher via your agent, will approach you with ghostwriting gigs. Whether you accept or not is up to you — if you need the money, you’ll accept.

Remember however, that you won’t get a byline, although if you do a good job, and manage to survive the celebrity’s gatekeepers and minders, you’ll be offered other gigs. The public may not know that a celebrity’s book was ghostwritten, but everyone in publishing knows.

Payment for these book ghostwriting projects varies. You may be offered a flat fee, or a royalty arrangement (a flat fee is the most common arrangement). It’s up to your agent to negotiate your fee. Depending on how much the publisher is paying the celebrity, you may get a small fee, or a larger one, in the six figures.

If you’re interested in ghostwriting books for others, you’ll need to write your own book and get it published — you need a sample, remember.

It’s a good idea to join Publisher’s Marketplace. You can make contacts and can advertise your services there.

Additional opportunity: ghostwriting book proposals

There’s an additional opportunity in ghostwriting books: writing book proposals. Many business people and academics want to publish a book because it enhances their image. In the case of academics, it builds their reputation and gets them jobs. Therefore, if you’re a good writer, consider ghostwriting proposals.

When you ghostwrite a book proposal, you’ll write the complete outline of the book, and the first three chapters. In addition, you’ll write a query letter for your client to use to approach publishers.

Re fees for book proposals: upwards of $10,000, depending on the amount of work involved.

* Ask the questions you want answered. What do YOU want me to write about? Just enter a question or idea into the Skribit widget in the left sidebar.