5 GHOSTWRITING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

Are you just starting out in Ghostwriting, and you need some help? Trust me, you actually need all the help you can get, and that is why I am here!

I got into ghostwriting 2 years ago. When I began, I simply was not so sure of what to expect. I was writing so well for people without even knowing that I was “ghostwriting” until I learned about it. That sounds funny, right? Well, that was what happened in my case.

However, it has been such an interesting curve for me to know that ghostwriting isn’t just about writing. Rather, it is about helping people.

How?

Truthfully, ghostwriting is about helping people pass across their messages to an audience in their own voice and expression. I believe that’s a very simple definition of what it is. Another explanation is to let you know that it is an endeavour to write without taking credit to the work. Instead, the author takes the credit (Now, how does that sound?).

Beyond every other thing you might have been told, ghostwriting has given me the opportunity to make people happy. That, in itself is something I want to always experience as a noble cause. Beyond the money I get, what makes the whole day worth it is getting feedback from writers and authors across the world. It is amazing to hear them sound so happy to share with me about how my writing has helped them achieve their results. And that means so much to me.

But, how did I get here?

A lot goes into ghostwriting beyond mere writing. This is because it is never an easy thing to deliver someone else’s message in their own voice, just the exactly the way they would have done. For me, it’s been a long journey and I would love to share with you things that have helped me over time.

Ghostwriting Tips for Beginners in 5 Ways

So, here are the first 5 basic things you should do when you get a ghostwriting job and how to make the process a better one for you.

Know the Author, His Message and His Audience

When someone has asked you to write his work, you may want to do all you can to give him a result he could not have achieved all by himself. After all, that is why he called on you anyway.

The first things you want to ask your client are: who he is, what he does, what his message is, and who his audience is. Trust me, if you don’t know these things, there is no way you will be able to capture the essence of your ghostwriting endeavour. This automatically means you have lost the work, even before starting.

Know What He Wants to Achieve

The second thing you should know is what your client wants to achieve with his message. For you to do an exceptional ghostwriting job, you must be able to convey your client’s message and leave his audience with the right feeling. Knowing this will give you the goal to focus on while writing.

Understand His Tone

Everyone has a tone of communication. Over time, I have come to understand that there are unique communication tones to every author, even if they try to pass the same message across.

For instance, in a case where two clients are trying to encourage their audience to work hard, Client A may say, “Get up and work now, or else you will end up poor”. However, Client B, with the same intention may say, “Endeavour to do all you can to work hard; it’s your only way to success”. Although, both may have the same intention, their voices are different.

One of the best, yet seemingly difficult ways to become an exceptional ghost writer is never to alter the voice of your client in your work. To do this, you have to put yourself in the shoes of that client and look from his perspectives without letting your opinions interfere with it.

Most of the time, what I do to understand the tone of my clients is to read their written works, and study their passion in the audio notes sent to me. Then, I begin to search for them on social media platforms to know what they have been passionate about over time – ranging from their random posts to their specific captions.

Doing all of these this gives me an idea of the things my clients can say and the things they would most likely never say. It is a process which has greatly helped to guide my writing process, and to stay in the communication tones of my clients.

Transcribe and Research

If the client has sent you voice notes or audio books, begin to transcribe as soon as possible. This is to ensure you don’t get pressured with deadlines, and to avail you all the assistance you need from the client early enough.

As you transcribe, remember that the client has not only given you the job to write verbatim what he said. Of course, he could have done that himself if he had the time or resources. So, ensure to carry out adequate research on the subject topic and get sufficient information to help you deliver a good job.

Avoid Plagiarism

In a bid to deliver a good job and while you research, be careful not to use other author’s works as though they were yours, or use them without citation. That would be literary theft, which is grossly offensive. If you would use other people’s words the way they are, learn to cite them.

I also encourage you to turn in your work into online plagiarism checkers when you are done ghostwriting. You could use the Plagiarism Checker by Grammarly or Free Small SEO tools to help you out. Doing this would ensure you do a plagiarism-free job for your client.

Ghostwriting is worth it!

Now, in case you are wondering how much Ghostwriters get paid, well, I’m most delighted to let you know it’s not peanuts. Indeed, Ghostwriters get paid immensely for what they do. Of course, it is never so simple to get someone else’s message across in their own voice and expression. It might be stressful, but in the long run, it is worth it. Plus, you are at the advantage of becoming better at writing as you consistently do your work.

Should you wonder how to get someone else to write your work without you actually writing it? Then you might be so interested in what we have here.

Do you have opinions and comments to share with our writing community? We’ll be more than glad to hear you in the comment section below!