How to Become a Ghostwriter

By Helen Woodhouse
Nov 01, 2023
8 min read

How To Become A Freelancer

All sorts of people – from celebrities to small businesses – use freelance ghostwriters. In fact, they’re used across the full spectrum of written content, from social media posts and website copy to speeches, ebooks, and white papers. So, what is ghostwriting exactly? Why do people hire ghostwriters? And how can you become one yourself? Read on to learn the answers.

What Is Ghostwriting?

The term “ghostwriter” may conjure up images of spooky goings-on, but it has nothing to do with messages spelled out on a Ouija board. The “ghost” here is simply a writer who is paid to write a piece that is published in someone else’s name.

Although you might have heard of ghostwriters in connection with celebrity autobiographies, most ghostwriting clients aren’t famous (sorry to disappoint). Below are some common types of ghostwriting projects:

Website copy: A strong online presence often begins with a well-written website. Individuals or organizations may hire a ghostwriter to create persuasive and SEO-friendly copy for homepages, about pages, product descriptions, and more.
Blog posts and articles: Businesses, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders often hire ghostwriters to produce regular content for their blogs and websites. This content helps them maintain an up-to-date and relevant online presence.
Social media content: A strong social media presence is increasingly important for engagement and reaching new audiences.
Ebooks and white papers: Companies often need comprehensive guides, white papers, and ebooks to establish authority in their industry.
Speeches and presentations: Public figures, executives, and politicians often use ghostwriters to craft compelling speeches and presentations that convey their message effectively.

If you can’t get credited for your work and can’t use it in your portfolio, why, you’re probably wondering, would you become a ghostwriter? The trade-off is likely to be an increased fee. And if you love writing but dread promoting it, ghostwriting could strike the perfect balance for you.

Why Do People Hire Ghostwriters?

But why, we hear you ask, would anyone hire a ghostwriter? Won’t they lose face for not having written the content themselves? There are various reasons:

Time constraints: Many clients lack the time to write due to their busy schedules. Even social media posts can be time-consuming. Using ghostwriters helps clients maintain their output without sacrificing quality.
Lack of writing skills: Not everyone is a skilled writer. Ghostwriters provide professional writing expertise to those who need it.
Consistency and quality: Ghostwriters are professional writers, meaning they can produce high-quality content on a regular schedule, which is crucial for building and sustaining a client’s reputation.
Brand voice: Maintaining a consistent brand voice across all written materials is essential for businesses. Ghostwriters excel at adapting their writing to match the client’s unique style and tone.

What Does a Ghostwriter Do?

This might sound like a question with an obvious answer: ghostwriters write. But it’s more than that.

The clue is in the definition: since the piece will be published in someone else’s name, the ghostwriter must carefully listen to what that person wants to say and how they would like to say it. Like any writer, a ghostwriter will need to obtain a clear brief. In addition, no matter the specific type of ghostwriting, they will need to mimic the named author’s tone and voice.

When it comes to ghostwriting blogs and articles in particular, a ghostwriter may also need to:

Conduct research for the piece
Create a content outline
Adhere to SEO best practices (e.g. including keywords, as well as internal and external links, to improve the visibility of the piece)

What Skills Do Freelance Ghostwriters Need?

To succeed as a freelance ghostwriter, you need a specific set of skills:

Research skills: You may have to write about a topic you’re not familiar with. Strong research skills are therefore vital for producing accurate and informative content on behalf of the credited writer.
Versatility: Remember that you’re writing as someone else each time. You must be able to write in different styles and tones to match the individual needs and voice of each client.
Confidentiality: Writing as someone else involves being entrusted with their information. Maintaining confidentiality and respecting your client’s privacy is paramount in ghostwriting.
Communication: To write as someone else, you need to understand them, their needs, and their expectations. This is only possible if you carefully listen and ask clarifying questions when necessary.
Time management: Since one common reason clients hire freelance ghostwriters is time constraints, it follows that you, as a ghostwriter, need to be able to meet the deadlines set.

How to Become a Ghostwriter

Intrigued? Let’s explore the steps to becoming a ghostwriter.

1. Find Out What Ghostwriting Involves

We’ve given a brief outline, but you can get a real taste of what is involved in ghostwriting by reading the blogs of established ghostwriters. Here are a few popular ones to explore:

2. Build Relevant Skills

Once you have a good understanding of what a career as a ghostwriter involves, you can start to build the relevant skills. For example:

Read a wide variety of content: Reading a range of material on a variety of topics helps you better understand different writing styles.
Improve your writing skills: Have a look at our post about how to become a better writer for some tips.
Practice mimicking different styles: Practice writing using different styles and voices. You can do this by volunteering your writing services (e.g., for a local non-profit), starting a blog, or writing in your personal journal.
Learn about search engine optimization (SEO): As a ghostwriter, boosting SEO will likely be important to your client because it helps make their content more visible, so learning how to write SEO-friendly blog posts will be vital.

3. Gain Experience

With a good foundation of relevant skills, you can start to gain experience. For example:

Work as a freelance writer: Start by writing under your own name. When it comes to hiring a ghostwriter, the named author will want to see that you have the necessary writing skills.
Work as a freelance editor: Remember those listening and style-mimicking skills we said were vital to ghostwriting? Those are the same skills required of an editor. Being able to show that you have editing experience will also show your potential clients that you have a firm grasp of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

4. Build a Portfolio

Start by creating a portfolio that showcases your ability to write in various styles and for different audiences. Include samples of blog posts, articles, social media updates, and any other relevant content.

Don’t have samples to put in your portfolio yet? When you first start out, consider offering your services at a discounted rate or even for free. This is also a great way to gain testimonials, which can lead to paid opportunities as you establish a reputation.

5. Find Work

Using your experience and skills, you can then move on to finding work as a ghostwriter. Here are some pointers for how to do that:

Create a website: A well-designed website acts as your digital resume. Include your portfolio, testimonials, services offered, and contact information. Maintaining your own blog is also a great showcase for your own writing.
Implement targeted marketing: Have you seen the sort of work you’d like to do or the company you’d like to write for? Consider emailing to ask if you could write a trial post.
Network online and offline: Make use of professional networks – including those online, like LinkedIn – as well as your own social media. Consider attending local networking events for writers, marketers, or entrepreneurs.
Join job boards and marketplaces: Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, and Truelancer regularly post ghostwriting jobs. Browsing these can help you land your first assignments.
Use word of mouth: Tell your friends, family, and existing clients that you are available for work as a ghostwriter. You may be surprised how many ghostwriting jobs are just a couple of friends away.

6. Develop a Niche

While you can remain a generalist, specializing in a niche – whether it’s technology, healthcare, finance, speechwriting, or blog content – can help you stand out. You’ll also gain deeper expertise, making your work more valuable and your marketing more focused.

7. Continuously Improve Your Skills

Even a brief look at the marketplaces we mentioned earlier will show you how much competition there is for work. Continuing to improve your writing skills and keeping up to date with technological developments will give you an edge and encourage repeat business.

It can be intimidating at first, but the more you ask your clients for feedback, the easier it gets. Positive comments can be turned into testimonials – an excellent addition to your portfolio or website. If the comments are negative, investigate further by asking what you could do to improve. Then, demonstrate your dedication to delivering high-quality content by putting what you’ve learned into practice.

You could also consider taking writing courses or attending workshops to hone your skills.

Start Your Freelance Ghostwriting Career with Knowadays

If you’re ready to take the first step toward a new career or level up your existing skills, Knowadays can help. We offer self-paced, CPD-accredited courses in both content writing and copywriting, and you can even try a couple of lessons for free. Enroll today and kickstart your journey toward becoming a successful ghostwriter!

Updated on March 31, 2025