I Just Finished My First Ghostwriting Assignment!

Yes, I have just completed my first ghostwriting assignment, and I don't know how you guys feel about the idea of writing someone else's story.

But I want to share my experience with those who are considering doing the same.

So either leave this post or keep reading!

What is Ghostwriting?

Ghostwriting is drafting a story for someone else, knowing that the rights belong to them, and you won't be credited for it. You can be paid anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per project.

It's mainly done for fiction and non-fiction books, but I'm sure ghostwriting can be done for other types of writing.

Why Did I Start Ghostwriting?

I've been dabbling with the idea of freelance writing along with my freelance editing for a while.

It began when I lost my blog editing job in January. After a brief period of shock and disappointment, I realized I was going to need another form of income.

Sometimes editing gigs are hard to snag, usually in the summer and November due to NaNoWriMo. People are either enjoying those warm, sunny days or trying to draft their book in a month.

I tried looking into blog writing and such, but pretty much all of those gigs require writers with experience in various things that I don't have. And it's hard getting experience unless you do that job.

However, gigs for ghostwriting stories are usually in good supply. While a lot of people want to create books, many either don't have the time or the ability to do so.

And since I've been doing creative writing for quite some time, I figured I could bring someone else's vision to life.

How Did I Get My First Ghostwriting Gig?

How I get most of my gigs: on Upwork.

It's a great freelance site to find jobs and gain experience. And the more contracts you complete, the more likely potential clients will seek you out or hire you for whatever job you bid on.

What was the Story?

While I don't want to give too much away, it was a 20k romance novel with the love triangle trope. And the MC was a college girl.

I know, so original, but that was what my client wanted. And it wasn't a topic I was unfamiliar with as a reader or writer, so I was fine with doing it.

My Overall Experience

While I got immense pride and joy from this project, it was harder than I had anticipated.

Not because creating stories is difficult for me but because it wasn't my story, so I couldn't just do whatever I wished.

Granted, my client was new to our world and only had a few requirements for me to adhere to, so I had plenty of creative control.

But I also think having that much control hindered me.

From the many GW job postings I've seen, a lot of the clients provide an outline to be followed, making the job quicker and easier for the writer.

And being a pantser caused my gig to stretch out much longer than I thought was reasonable. Like four months instead of the two I had initially told her it would take me to write it.

It wasn't like I didn't try writing quickly; there were days when I just didn't know where to take the story. And ensuring it stuck to the 20k word limit.

I think that was the hardest part for me. Because there were aspects of the story I wanted to expand upon but couldn't really go over the limit.

I am so grateful my client wasn't in a rush and was so nice about it. I hope I get to work with her again in the future. And I'll definitely be faster next time.

Would I Do It Again?

Oh, I will do it again.

I enjoyed it and got paid for my writing, even if it was only $200 (I'll charge more as I gain experience). And I believe I could be a fantastic ghostwriter.

But I must establish better systems to be a proper freelance ghostwriter. And request that my clients create a basic outline for me to follow.

Because creating an outline for my own work is challenging enough, and I know where I want my stories to go.

Trying to assume what another person wants is a whole different beast.

Do I Recommend Others to Do It?

If you like writing fiction or non-fiction and want to be paid potentially big bucks for it, then absolutely. But you also must be okay with not being given credit or a legal claim over your work.

If you are okay with those terms, then go for it. If you don't agree with that, I don't recommend being a ghostwriter.

Either way, do what feels right to you, and good luck!

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