Remember that feeling you had on the first day of high school? Everyone's bigger than you, you don't know where your classes are, and everything moves at lightning speed.
Your first visit to the gym? Where everyone's in shape and you can't even work the equipment?!
There's a 'first time' feeling when you become a ghostwriter, too. But don't worry, it's not as scary as high school.
Once you've decided you want to get into ghostwriting, the hard part's over. You've committed. But you have to narrow it down a little further.
As a beginning copywriter, there are five main avenues you could go down:
Choosing a path isn't rocket science. It's all about momentum — lean into what you're already doing, and accelerate the already-spinning wheel.
Take me as an example. I started a Twitter ghostwriting agency from zero and grew it to $50,000+ in monthly revenue.
Why Twitter, you ask?
Because I already spent ridiculous amounts of time doom-scrolling my feed. Twitter was my version of a video game addiction.
I wasted so much time on the platform that I knew a lot about its algorithms, audience demographics, and content styles by default.
Since I also had solid writing skills, Twitter was a natural fit for me.
The key is to leverage your existing skills and interests.
You can't sell a service you don't know how to provide. And nobody will sign with you unless you have portfolio-worthy samples.
Since you want to be a freelance ghostwriter, you're in luck. This is easy.
To showcase your own work (and practice writing), all you need to do is grow your own personal brand first. Go out and produce high-quality content, network, and build a community around it.
I amassed over 100,000 followers before I launched my Twitter ghostwriting business.
There are three benefits to publishing your own content first:
My third tip goes both ways. Just like you’d never hire an out-of-shape personal trainer, nobody will ever believe you can write for them if you don't publish (good) content.
In ghostwriting, your clearly demonstrated ability to write is much more important than certifications or degrees.
If you aren't sure where to start, here's a piece of advice:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"I don't know what to create content about."<br><br>• Learn a skill in public<br>• Solve your past problems in public<br>• Pursue and document a goal in public<br><br>Stop rewording other people's posts.<br><br>Do more interesting things and you'll create more interesting content.</p>— Dakota Robertson (@WrongsToWrite) <a href="https://twitter.com/WrongsToWrite/status/1728721515577852018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>If you couldn't tell, I have a formula for making money as a ghostwriter.
Just like any type of freelance writing, ghostwriting is all about efficiency. You'll write for your clients 100x faster if your "ghost" writing feels natural, like you're writing for yourself.
That's where the "niche" part comes in.
As you build your own personal brand, you'll talk about things that matter to you. For me, that was:
Stuff like this:
and this:
and this:
Thousands of other people also talk about these things. As I developed my online identity, I naturally found myself around more of these people.
Like this guy:
I can tell from his content he's a lot like me (but with fewer followers and less engagement). If I were just launching my ghostwriting services, I'd start connecting with people like him.
Be intentional. Connect with people who might actually buy your services.
While you don't need a degree or certification to succeed in ghostwriting, you do need a particular mix of expertise. And it's a lot more than writing.
You aren't really a "ghost" writer if the client still has to figure out what to do with the words you've written.
Your first step is to learn the algorithm — Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube. This is the root of how users interact with the platform and, by extension, your content.
Your second step is to immerse yourself in the language, style, and tone of your target platform. This includes how users view, engage, and use the content they're looking at.
It also encompasses all the residual aspects of growing your account on that platform. On Twitter, for example, DM giveaways are popular because they give free value in exchange for a reply to your post.
Back in June, I did one for my Growth Ghosts cohort.
It got me over 1,600 comments. And more than 313,000 people saw it.
On LinkedIn, clickable how-to carousel posts perform well alongside your written content, so I publish those there.
And they get tons of engagement.
You don't have to reinvent the wheel, here. Someone else is already doing what you want to do (and winning).
As an example, I noticed the "Defeating the Monster" framework works well for everyone.
People love seeing others come out on top. It inspires them.
You could apply this to client writing by interviewing them about a time they overcame adversity. Then, you’ll follow this storytelling structure to paint the picture.
I have a whole guide on how to find copywriting clients. For ghostwriting specifically, landing writing jobs will all come down to positioning.
You need something with:
Here's an example of a solid offer:
"For $2,500 per month, I'll curate and publish 4 long-form posts and 8 short-form posts per week, run organic follower growth, and deliver weekly performance reports. Client X saw 15% follower growth in just 2 weeks. If you aren't happy after the first 30 days, it's on me. Apply to work with me here."
If you've been publishing content under your own name, you've already laid the groundwork. The ghostwriting process is nothing more than using the same content, growth, and engagement tactics, but in your client's voice.
Ghostwriting clients want the following:
You probably won't have a structure straight away, but using Notion to stay organized will help you manage client delivery, billing, and internal processes.
Your network is a good place to start, especially if you've already built one on the platform you're selling.
If they're actively publishing content in your niche, they're fair game.
Not everyone has a network, which brings me to 4 other places to find ghostwriting gigs:
Whether you become a ghostwriter for Twitter or not, your target client might be on there. Tons of business owners use it, and they might need help with their online blog or LinkedIn presence.
That said, a Twitter ghostwriter should get most of their clients from Twitter.
Oh, and don't be a total bot. Do the opposite of this:
LinkedIn prospecting is the same as Twitter prospecting in a lot of ways. The main thing to remember is you're starting a conversation, not hard pitching them on a service.
Just like Twitter, be strategic. Look at the type of content they're publishing and whether it has engagement.
Go after the ones who:
Email prospecting is the same as social media, from a cold outreach standpoint.
Avoid leaning on automation too heavily. You have all the time in the world as a newbie freelance writer. Take the extra 30 seconds to learn about them and send something personal.
Otherwise, they'll just group you with the million other emails they get from people who "hope this email finds them well."
The golden age for finding freelance writing jobs on Upwork and Fiverr was 3 years ago. Since then, they've embarrassed themselves.
High-ticket clients know this too — everyone that's left wants a $5/hour writer from Pakistan or some AI-written crap. Or, they'll degrade you and your work for $250/month. And there are tons of scams.
Don't bother. In fact, run away.
The more connections you have, the higher your chances of landing high-paying clients.
It's honestly really simple.
Big creators in your niche could help you land ghostwriting gigs through their secrets and large networks. I hired a copywriting mentor back in the day and it took me from 0 to 100 (real quick).
I did the same for Dylan Ladd, who participated in my Growth Ghosts coaching program. I helped him get off the ground shortly after:
Plenty of other copywriters with courses and coaching businesses do this too. On Cardinal Mason's Twitter profile, it's literally pinned:
The message is clear: Have him train you on freelance writing, and he'll help you find future ghostwriting jobs.
By the way, my clients fill out this form and I place them with one of my students.
Self-esteem might seem unrelated to ghostwriting success, but it's actually the fundamental way you protect yourself from undervaluing your services...
...and undercharging for them.
There's always going to be someone who tries to steal your work product/ideas. And there will always be those who won’t pay your rates (you will face tons of rejection).
Don’t know how to value yourself? Read my article on copywriting rates.
No. In today's world, ghostwriting encompasses email newsletters, blog posts, social media posts, and anything else you can publish on behalf of someone else. All ghostwriters specialize in specific areas like social media or thought leadership blogs.
You do not need qualifications to become a ghostwriter. You only need to be a competent writer with strong communication skills, the ability to write in different voices, and extensive knowledge about the platform you write for.
I show you how to build a high-paying creative business without doing work you hate.
