A Step-by-step guide to landing your first ghostwriting gig

Lessons from three years of ghostwriting

Are you an aspiring writer, perhaps thinking about venturing into the field of ghostwriting? If so, this post is for you. I’m going to show you the exact steps you can start taking today that will help you land your first ghostwriting gig and far beyond.

Three years ago today, I started working on my first ghostwriting project. Unlike the typical story of an accidental encounter on platforms like X (Twitter), my story is more like those moments where the hero’s hard work and determination finally pay off.

After completing a basic copywriting and journalism course (nothing too strenuous, you can find them on Coursera and Center of Excellence), I was eager to dive in and start earning some real cash. But finding legitimate advice on the internet felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Amongst all the glamorous claims about how ghostwriters can earn $50K for a novel, there is a real shortage of honest examples and step-by-step guides on how to actually secure a high-profile project like that.

So, for that reason, today I’m going to share with you the precise steps I took that helped me venture into the lucrative domain of ghostwriting.

Prerequisites — Know your genre and industry

Landing my first ghostwriting project was an amazing feeling.

There are so many different genres to choose from and so many industries you could potentially cover. Here are some of them you might be interested in:

• Fiction and non-fiction
• Children’s books
• Business and Marketing (websites, blogs)
• Entertainment industry (YouTube scripts, Podcasts)
• Self-help and personal development (books, blog posts, website content)
• Academic and research writing (help researchers and graduates write their papers)
• Health and wellness (websites, books, blogs)
• Technology and innovation (product review and tutorials)
• Journalism and media

Deciding who to write for

Simply look at your interests and hobbies. As cliche as it sounds, it is the best way to pick. You don’t need to know everything, but as a ghostwriter, you will most likely have to carry out some research.

In fact, ‘research’ will become your middle name. This can get a little daunting if you have no interest in the subject.

Once you made a decision about what it is that interests you, here comes the fun part.

Building your portfolio

Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need that much. At the end of the day, we all had to start somewhere.

You might look at some ghostwriting agency websites and see requirements like, ‘you must have written an Amazon or New York Times bestseller’ and similar absurd requirements.

Come back to those in a couple of years’ time. Then there are the ones that operate as an ‘agency’ to portray a professional image, but in reality, they’ve been set up by writers, who have no intention to take on extra staff. Sad, but it’s true.

Remember! Never pay an agent to take you on as a ghostwriter. Watch out for scammers!

How to land your first job

1. Get a portfolio website as soon as you can and optimize it for SEO. Include your bio. You can set one up on Contently or Clippings. me. Also, check out Behance. (I would register on all three)
2. Sign up with some content agencies (be prepared to be vetted and willing to pass some initial tests, but it is worth it)
3. Pick a niche and industry that resonates with you and start writing blog posts related to that topic, focusing on SEO
4. Get some magazines that feature articles for the same niche and audience. Examine these in great detail, then try and rewrite them in your own words
5. Build an online presence — start writing on platforms like Vocal. Media, Medium, and LinkedIn.
6. Register on Fiverr or Upwork, but bear in mind, the competition is very high. You might have to take on a few projects for as little as, literally five bucks. It might be worth it for the experience and feel for what’s it like to be a ghostwriter.
7. Get ready for some cold pitching. My first ghostwriting gig was a result of me cold-pitching to an Instagram micro-influencer. I followed her on social media and offered her a free blog post. Almost every influencer has a website and blog. They all use the same strategy and hence they rely on good content to get followers to subscribe to their newsletters which later down the line they convert into sales.
8. Unless you pick fiction or nonfiction literature as your main ghostwriting income, you need to get good at SEO. To land a job as a ghostwriter for publishing articles for businesses and influencers, SEO is crucial.
9. Create a plan — set yourself realistic targets. When I first started out, I dedicated one week to setting up the basics. I launched my website, created profiles on the platforms I linked above, and prepared some example blog posts. I also wrote articles on niche topics heavily focusing on SEO. I used the analytics from my posts to show my potential clients how my writing could improve their online visibility. If you already have blog posts that are doing well, your analytics could help you land your first client.
10. Plan your rates and practice negotiating. Today, I am able to charge $50+ per hour for my work. Three years ago I was happy to pick up projects for less than $10.

AI vs Ghostwriters

There are many ways to land your first ghostwriting client but with a bit of planning, it’s easier than you think.

Contrary to the belief that businesses use AI instead of real writers, the landscape however is changing rapidly. Nine out of ten businesses rely on good writers as well as AI to generate content that stands the chance of getting noticed.

If you are just joining the land of ghostwriting, or writing in general, be prepared to get familiar with tools like SurferSeo or Semrush. These tools are not here to replace you but rather to make your job a little easier.

The money

I’m not here to brag about earnings or to compare mine with other top ghostwriters out there.

However, in the domain of ghostwriting, novels tend to pay the best. You can expect to get anything from $4000- $20,000 per novel; maybe a little more if the client comes direct to you instead of going through an agent — the second option does carry a few risks.

Don’t be surprised, however, if you land a project and you are expected to deliver a 30,000-word masterpiece for $500. Projects and places do vary.

Remember to make your profile visible and start networking with others. The easiest way to land your first and next project is through reaching out.

Don’t be shy to offer your services to local businesses or influencers on the internet. At the end of the day, if you don’t try, you’ll never know.

Hope you found this article helpful. Good luck with your ghostwriting endeavor.

Until next time,

D.

P.S.: Thinking about becoming a ghostwriter? Check out my step-by-step ebook here.