We’ve been working our way through a series on Making Money as a Writer. Today, we’re talking about the primary way I have made money over the last couple of years: ghostwriting.

Ghostwriting is essentially writing books for someone else. Sometimes, the client is highly involved in the project, almost like a co-author. Other times, they are not very involved, or not involved at all. Whatever the case, most of the time your name is not on the book. That’s why they call it ghostwriting: you are invisible.

Sometimes, however, you can negotiate to have your name listed on the book cover. They call this a “with” credit. I’ve been fortunate enough to negotiate for a “with” credit on a couple of books so far, including The Faith of Elvis, which I wrote with Billy Stanley, Elvis Presley’s stepbrother.

There are a few reasons why I like ghostwriting:

1. It’s fairly straightforward. Writing books is a pretty straightforward process once you understand how to plan, outline, and draft a book. I like being able to explain to people that I write books for people who don’t have the time or talent to do it themselves. It’s very easy for others to understand.
2. It can pay well. My projects have ranged from the low five figures to the high five figures per book. Because of this, it doesn’t take many projects per year to make a decent living.
3. You learn a lot with each project. Every book I write gives me more knowledge and experience that I can apply to other projects. I feel like I’m getting a master’s degree in a specific topic every time I write a book.

The big challenge with ghostwriting, just like any client-based work, is finding and signing clients. I’ve had periods where I’ve had an abundance of work, and also dry periods when I was a little worried about when the next client would sign. It’s definitely an adjustment if you’re used to getting a regular paycheck from an employer.

The one thing people ask me all the time is, “How do you get started as a ghostwriter?” I’ll give you three very specific things.

First, you need to write a book if you haven’t already. I suggest a short book that’s around 120 pages, about 30,000 words or so. This will give you automatic credibility as an author, and as someone who can write books.

Second, you need to enroll in Ghostwriter School, taught by my friend and mentor Nick Pavlidis. This is how I got started, and I recommend you do the same as well. You can access it at https://ghostwriterschool.com.

And third, you need to start telling people you’re building a ghostwriting business. Don’t tell them you’re doing five other things on the side. Just focus on ghostwriting. If you have a book out there, and you’re going through Nick’s training, and you’re consistently telling people you’re building a ghostwriting business, it’s only a matter of time before you find that first client.

If you are a freelance writer doing a lot of little jobs for clients, I encourage you to consider ghostwriting. It generally pays more, and you can focus on a few higher-value clients than a bunch of smaller ones. Ghostwriting has been good to me and my family, and I know it can do the same for you.

Question: Have you ever considered ghostwriting? How could it impact your life and writing business?