Ghostwriting is an art and today we are going to explore the ins and outs of ghostwriting as we will find out everything there is to ghostwriting.
We will explore the fundamentals of ghostwriting such as confidentiality in writing and we will understand who is a professional ghostwriter.
We will also find out what are writing services and if ghostwriting falls under the category of service. We will also understand ghostwriting contracts and if they are the same as collaborative writing.
Furthermore, this blog will help you understand the entire ghostwriting process and will also give you a glimpse at a few secrets of ghostwriting.
So, as you can tell we have a lot in store for you but let us start with the fundamental question of what is a ghostwriter.
What Exactly Is a Ghostwriter?
Let us be as simple as possible. A ghostwriter is someone who writes on behalf of someone and does not take credit for that work.
A Ghostwriter is a professional in the ghostwriting industry and that professional provides their services of writing to anyone who is in need of quality content.
They do not ask for credit in return and they just provide their writing expertise as a service in exchange for remuneration.
They need to maintain a very close connection and understanding with the client and that is why the ghostwriter and client relationship in ghostwriting is very important.
Simply put, there are a lot of benefits of ghostwriting and the services of a ghostwriter are needed by nearly everyone in any industry.
You might be a professor at an educational institution and you might need high-quality content for your notes and that is where a ghostwriter will come in handy.
You might be the owner of a brand and you are about to launch a product and that is why you need a product description and that is also where a ghostwriter will be important.
What Is the Work of a Ghostwriter?
The job of a ghostwriter is quite simple if we break it down into its fine elements. A ghostwriter simply has to be in close coordination with the author/client, the author in this case is the person who is hiring the ghostwriter to write on behalf of them.
The Ghostwriter simply has to follow all the requests of the author and write exactly according to the demands of the author.
There are different types of ghostwriting and some are more common than others and some have a unique set of challenges in ghostwriting.
Here’s Looking At A Few Types of Ghostwriting
There are different varieties and different types of ghostwriting and if we try to mention all of them then this blog is going to turn out into a novel.
But we are still going to mention the most common types of ghostwriting so that you can get an idea of what it means to be a ghostwriter.
Blog Ghostwriting
This is one of the most common types of Ghostwriting done in the ghostwriting industry and you can even get a sense of how popular this is if you search for ghostwriting tips you are probably going to get blog writing tips.
This is one of the basic forms of ghostwriting because it does not involve a specialized skill which might be required with something like novel ghostwriting.
The point of blog writing is to make sure that the blog is information-rich and that it has a lot of relevant keywords. Blog ghostwriting aims to bring topical authority to a business so that it can optimise a better SEO.
Script Ghostwriting
Nearly every script out there for any kind of audio-visual artistic work is mostly written by a script ghostwriter. They are a special kind of ghostwriters who are employed to write according to the plot.
While a script ghostwriter is used in movies but it is more common in TV series and sitcoms that require a lot of script and in that case, multiple script writers are employed.
This is more comparable to book ghostwriting rather than blog writing simply because of the style of writing where the writer’s role in ghostwriting is to follow people and the atmosphere and setting and continuation of dialogue.
Book Ghostwriting
Book ghostwriting is probably what people understand by ghostwriting because it is one of the most traditional services offered by a ghostwriter.
Blog ghostwriting or web content ghostwriting is a fairly new service but ghostwriting books have been around for centuries.
To help you get an idea of how common it is, all you need to do is head to your nearest bookstore and pick up any book by an author who is not traditionally an author.
That person can be a famous chef or a famous athlete and if they have written a book then it is probably with the help of a ghostwriter.
Book ghostwriting can be in the form of novels and it can be in the form of children’s books or even textbooks on specific topics.
This is also the reason why it is much more difficult to find a book ghostwriter rather than a blog ghostwriter because of how specific the need is.
Web Content Ghostwriting
Web content ghostwriting is similar to blog writing in that it will not be published like a traditional book but that is where all the similarities end.
Web content ghostwriting is also a very critical form of ghostwriting because it involves writing content for websites.
If you open any kind of website and you see text on that website then you are looking at web content ghostwriting and it has probably been written by a ghostwriter.
Web content ghostwriters need to have specific knowledge about the topic when they are writing for a website because without proper knowledge they can mess up the entire branding and even cause miss information.
Now that we know a little bit about ghostwriters, let us look at the types of ghostwriting services.
Here Are the Most Common Types of Ghostwriting Services
Non-Fiction Ghostwriting
Nonfiction ghostwriting deserves an entire blog simply because it is such a broad service. When we talk about nonfiction ghostwriting it includes everything from motivational books to biographies and autobiographies.
You can include anything that is not fiction and based on real-life into this category. This is a genre where the ghostwriter needs to be in close coordination with the author of the book.
This is because we are not dealing with fiction and imagination and that is why the ghostwriter needs the proper guidance of the client.
Fiction Ghostwriting
And now we come to the most popular type of book ghostwriting which is fiction ghostwriting. This is one of the most difficult kinds of ghostwriting if you ask any ghostwriter because this involves the highest levels of creativity.
This is also the type of ghostwriting where the client or the author can leave the ghostwriter to do that job because it is about creating something new and it is not about listening to the experience of the author.
Although it is always a good practice to keep the author informed about all the creative decisions and if the ghostwriter keeps the author of the client in the loop during fiction ghostwriting then the work is going to be even better.
Academic Ghostwriting
Academic ghostwriting is a specific kind of ghostwriting that is very specific to the ghostwriter because not every ghostwriter can do this because it needs specific skillsets and knowledge in a particular field.
This is the kind of ghostwriting that is needed for research papers as well as theses and dissertations. The ghostwriter needs to work in close coordination with the client who is often a scholar for this kind of ghostwriting.
While this is one of the rare kinds of ghostwriting but it is certainly one of the most rewarding kinds of content writing because this kind of content actually helps students in learning and the advancement of their careers.
Let us now understand how the ghostwriting process is generally carried out.
This Is How Ghostwriting Is Done
Communication With the Client
The first and most important thing about the ghostwriting process is communication with the client in order to understand what the client actually wants.
There are no shortcuts in this step because if the ghostwriter takes any shortcuts, then it will cost them money and time later on.
This is when the ghostwriter sits down with the client in order to understand everything that the client has to say and the ghostwriter can even request examples of the kind of work they are looking for.
The ghostwriter should take as my time as possible to understand the client and their vision.
Ghostwriting Research
Now it is time for the ghostwriter to start their work. There is a lot of research that goes into any ghostwriting project but it also depends on the kind of project.
For example, if the project is about online web content writing or blog writing then the process is not going to be as lengthy but if the project is about a non-fiction topic, then the research is going to be substantial.
This is the time when the ghostwriter needs to go through a lot of documents and a lot of information but they must also sit in meetings and interviews with the client as well.
The better the research the better they are going to write about the topic and the easier it will be and the more efficient it will be when the ghostwriter is actually writing the manuscript.
Manuscript Writing
Now we come to the most important aspect of ghostwriting which is the actual process of ghostwriting. This is the most time-consuming part of the entire process of ghostwriting and it can take months or even more than a year.
This is when the ghostwriter works alone and they can agree to weekly meetings or even monthly meetings with the client to discuss the progress.
Different ghostwriters have different techniques of completing the work and some might do it sequentially and others might do it in their own way.
Editing The Manuscript
The last and final step of the ghostwriting process is when the ghostwriter has completed the manuscript and the only bit remaining is the editing process.
While it is not as lengthy as writing the manuscript but it takes a lot more time than the research or even communication with the client part of the process.
This is when the ghostwriter edits the manuscript multiple times from the first draft to the final draft and the client is often present during the editing.
There is also proofreading and outside opinions are also taken during the process of editing. And after it is completed, we have the final edited and completed manuscript.
This was a general overview of the ghostwriting process because the process can vary depending on a lot of factors. Some projects can take a single week right from meeting the client to submitting the manuscript and some projects can take years.
It all depends on the kind of project as well as the level of experience of the ghostwriter but also the relationship that they develop with the client.
Here Are the Benefits of Ghostwriting
Time Efficiency
One of the most important reasons why people hire ghostwriters is because of time efficiency because time is everything when it comes to business.
That is why if you are running a business and you need a lot of high-quality content then the only way that can be done is with the help of ghostwriters.
And not just ghostwriters but ghostwriting agencies simply because when you hire the services of a ghostwriting agency you can get multiple ghostwriters working on a project for you.
This level of efficiency can never be matched by regular employees who might be good at writing.
That is why if you have very tight deadlines and if you cannot compromise on the quality of work then ghostwriting is the one and only option for you.
High-Quality Content
One of the other reasons why companies and individuals hire ghostwriters is simply because of the level of content that they can expect from ghostwriters.
Let’s say you are a retired doctor and you have performed countless medical medicals in your lifetime and you want to write a book about it.
You want the quality of the content to be of the highest quality but you also want it written by someone in a short amount of time and also with medical knowledge.
That is only possible with ghostwriters. Ghostwriters can guarantee the best level of quality that is fit for publication and also help you meet deadlines.
There are different kinds of ghostwriters and they have different levels of quality and experience depending on the kind of service they provide.
If you do not have a lot of content and if it is online blogs and simple content like web content then you can very well do with a freelance ghostwriter.
But if you have the need for critical content such as an autobiography, finance ghostwriting or academic content, then you should hire a ghostwriter from a ghostwriting agency.
It all depends on your needs.
Confidentiality And Anonymity
And finally, this is probably the most important reason why people hire ghostwriters and it is to maintain confidentiality.
Ghostwriters write everything from books to political speeches as well as exam papers and so much more. The content that they write is highly sensitive.
That is why it is the job of the ghostwriter to make sure that their identity remains a secret so that the client can take credit for the work.
That is why it is very hard to ask ghostwriters for actual work samples because it is in their Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) to keep silent about it and it is part of the job.
These are some of the benefits of ghostwriting and you can even attribute them to the qualities of a good ghostwriter if they can handle large volumes of content and maintain quality as well as confidentiality.
We hope this blog has helped you understand everything about ghostwriting. And if you are someone who is looking for a reliable ghostwriting agency then we are here for you.
We are Ghostwriting India and we are one of the finest names when it comes to ghostwriting in India and we do every kind of ghostwriting whether it is online content writing or book and memoir writing or even academic ghostwriting.
We do children’s book writing as well as script writing and every other ghostwriting you can imagine. You would love to write the highest quality content for you and we welcome you to visit our website and check out everything we do.
Common Ghostwriting FAQ
What does ghostwriting include?
Ghostwriting includes every kind of content whether it is online content such as blogs and website content or even offline content such as books and novels as well as children’s books.
Ghostwriting also contains things like speeches and scripts and every other kind of content requirement in the world.
If you can find any instruction manual lying around in your house then it has probably been written by a ghostwriter.
They are needed in every industry and they make sure quality content is delivered on time.
What is a typical ghostwriting fee?
There is no typical ghostwriting fee because there are a lot of factors that dictate the fee of a Ghostwriter.
The first factor is going to be the type of ghostwriting because there is a lot of variation in the fee structure because of the type of ghostwriting.
Something like blog writing and website content can be very affordable but something like novel writing can be on the higher side of the fee structure.
Then there are one-time contracts and yearly subscrition contracts and things like that. But the other important thing is the level of confidentiality that ghostwriters need to maintain. That is why it is very much impossible to know the average market fee.
Why is ghostwriting unethical?
Ghostwriting is neither unethical nor illegal and we have one of almost favourite examples to help prove the point.
Every government agency out there utilizes ghostwriters and every political leader has a ghostwriter for speech writing. Even prominent law firms utilize ghostwriters for writing all their content.
If the authorities can utilize ghostwriters and if the biggest names in the industry can utilize ghostwriters, then it might give you an idea that ghostwriting might be legal after all.
Let us assure you that ghostwriting is completely legal and a proper ghostwriting agency will do all the proper documentation to ensure that the copyright stays with you the client.
What should be included in a ghostwriting contract?
A general ghostwriting contract should include all the specifics of the kind of work and the agreed payment for that work.
The time duration of the project should be clearly mentioned and clauses for cancellation of the contract should also be mentioned.
Then there is going to be the copyright declaration that the ghostwriter cannot hold any copyrights and that the copyright only belongs to the client.
Finally, there should be a non-disclosure agreement that prevents the ghostwriter from telling the world that they have written that content.
This is the general way in which a ghostwriting contract is written and there can be a lot of clauses and a lot of agreements additionally.
