Ghostwriter, or as it's more commonly known in Spain, a "ghostwriter," is a figure in literature that has existed for a very long time . In fact, there are rumors, for example, that Alexandre Dumas wasn't actually the author of The Three Musketeers, but rather his ghostwriter.
But what is a ghost writer? What characterizes him? Is it legit? If you have ever considered it, or you have received an "indecent proposal", perhaps what we tell you will surprise you.
What is a ghost writer
A ghostwriter is simply someone who writes on behalf of another person . That is, the other person commissions this person to write something (a novel, a short story, an article, etc.) knowing that they will never be able to reveal their authorship, and that the other person, who will sign as if they had written it, will take all the credit.
In other words, he is a "worker, a black man" who does the work, but the merits, recognition, and even profits will be received by someone else.
Although many think that they are only used to write books, the truth is that you can also order biographies, speeches, articles... any text in which one person writes on behalf of another.
Now, this isn't so "humiliating." We're talking about one person unleashing their creativity and then the other receiving all the praise. It's actually a job , one for which they're paid a certain amount of money, sometimes more because of that loss of rights.
However, you must keep in mind that the ghostwriter has to accept the agreement and voluntarily relinquish their authorship. That doesn't mean "for free."
Ghost Writer Features
With all of the above said, there is no doubt that we can glean some important clues that characterize a ghostwriter. They are between them:
- Give the authorship to another person. Unless another agreement is reached with the person who hires him, in principle the name that will be accompanied by that document will be that of the buyer, not that of the seller ("black"). In fact, sometimes it is common for the author himself to appear in the book, not as a writer, but as a copy editor.
- There is a confidential agreement. In which the parties share the most important points, not only the legal and confidential, but also the deadlines, how much is going to be paid, confidentiality clauses, transfer of rights, etc.
- It pays. This is perhaps one of the main reasons why so many people, writers or not, take to being literary "blacks." Because they pay you to write. That is, you don't have to wait months, even years to get a good remuneration for your books; You don't have to promote yourself either, but once the job is finished, you receive the money and that's it. No more headaches. And that, believe it or not, is a great incentive.
How to be a ghostwriter
Have you caught the writing bug and realized it could be a career path ? It's not unreasonable to think so; in fact, some writers combine their writing with writing for others. But to get work, you need to keep the following in mind:
you need a resume
And by this we don't mean just listing your qualifications, courses you've taken, etc., but rather showcasing your work . Provide examples of your work, highlighting the techniques you've mastered, the literary genres you excel at, and so on.
Sometimes, showing proof of having won literary awards is a plus because it will generate a lot of confidence and they will also know that you are good at writing if you have won.
Specialize
While it's good to be a generalist at first to get more work, over time it's much better to specialize in one or two genres , three at most, because that way you won't just be good at them. You'll be the best at writing those books.
Find clients
The clients are out there. But let's be honest, they're not easy to find or get . When you approach a celebrity or writer offering your services, they'll most likely reject you, either because they haven't considered writing a book, because they find it offensive (as if they couldn't write themselves), or for any other reason.
That's why sometimes you have to advertise "in other ways" that are not so direct in order to capture attention and make customers feel more comfortable (many prefer to deal with these issues with the utmost discretion).
make yourself known
Related to the above, you have to be an accessible professional for these people. And for this you can make use of your website, social networks, literary forums... and even events, congresses, etc. That will open the doors to potential clients.
How much does a ghost writer earn?
One of the main doubts that arises when you think about being a writer in black is knowing how much you should ask for. The truth is that the rates are usually between 5 and 15 euros. What exactly does it depend on? Then:
- of the job that they ask you for. An article of a thousand words is not the same as a book of 100000 words. The more they make you work, the more the price per page usually goes down.
- Experience. It is not the same that it is your first order to that it is number one hundred. When you are already specialized, your price goes up.
- Complications. Because you have to document yourself, like that, because you have to imitate someone else... all that increases your cache.
- How famous your client is. Because sometimes many choose a high number when they know that it is a book for a person who is going to make it viral a lot, and that way they make sure they have at least a pinch of the fame that book could get.
Now that you know a little more about the subject, if you are good at writing, have taken your first steps in literature and have had some successes, it is very likely that you can dedicate yourself to being a ghost writer. Although maybe you should first think about whether you like the idea that others get all the praise and you can't tell anyone that it's you who should have them.