Over the past few weeks, I’ve started down the path of “ghostwriting“.
To be honest, I did not like the idea. I despised the whole concept of allowing someone to put their name next to my work. I loathed plagiarizers in school. I was baffled at how they could use someone’s work like that and still sleep well at night.
How could I give my writing to someone else so they could slap their name on it?
In the past, whenever I was offered a writing job, I inquired whether my work would be credited with my name. If I ever heard “no”, I would promptly decline the job and explain my unwavering belief system.
Until recently, anyway.
I can’t pinpoint exactly why I changed my mind, but I’ve begun to ghostwrite for a small website and it doesn’t feel nearly as awful as I thought.
What made me change my views when they were so inflexible before?
My ‘real’ job.
I’m a 9-to-5-er. Although I have never written anything controversial (I doubt my latest article about the right tools you need to work from home would rock my company’s world), I’ve wondered whether what I’ve written may impact my career in any way.
With ghostwriting, I don’t have to worry about that.
If you want to write about your field without concern of a pink slip on Monday, you may want to consider ghostwriting. It allows you to write what you want and have your work out there, without any foreseeable consequences.
I’ve gained confidence.
I never thought of myself as an “article writer”. When researching on how to become a freelance writer, part time or otherwise, I’ve thought, “I can’t write this. I write fiction. I would never know what ideas to come up with.” And etc.
Once I began ghostwriting, I knew I had an untapped resource on my hands. I did have ideas, and they were good ones.
Ghostwriting is a wonderful way to get your feet wet. The pressure isn’t quite as bad, and although you may have the stress of deadlines, the anonymity can give you the confidence you need to put yourself out there.
Remember – you have a skill to contribute.
Think of the last person that told you, “God, I could never be a writer”. It didn’t take long for you to think of someone, did it? We writers have a skill, and there are people out there who need it. (And yes, who even want to claim it.)
While it may bother you too much to even consider, by contributing your writing skills as a ghostwriter, you allow others to benefit from your skill.
It’s sort of like playing the drums in a Taylor Swift song. You may be lucky enough to get attributed in the little booklet that comes with the CD, but for the most part, you’re an unnamed person who had a skill to contribute.
It isn’t glamorous, but you can still call yourself a drummer, right?
It – ahem – pays well.
While it may be not good manners to mention money, when I compare the amount of money I made blogging for a semi-major celebrity blog (with my own special little biography tucked away somewhere) to the amount of money I have made as a ghost writer … well, I make triple for each article I write as a ghostwriter than what I made before.
Yes, triple.
This is important to me, because as a new writer, I know I won’t get paid the big bucks. But right now, I’m making the most money I can with the experience I have. If you fall into this category, ghostwriting may be a path to consider.
Of course, take every opportunity with a grain of salt. With every opportunity that comes your way, be wary of writing sample posts before you’re accepted for the job. (And if you do, write them on the condition that you’re paid for your work).
Not to mention, do some research on the website or company you write for to make sure it isn’t a scam.
All in all, the path of ghostwriting has been a greater surprise than I thought. At the end of the day, my inner ten year old who dreamed of becoming a famous novelist and talking on the Tonight Show about her brilliant novel (like you haven’t) rests well in knowing that this is just a start.
Because isn’t that what we’re all looking for?
