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Posts Tagged ‘liberal arts’

I get asked the question, “What does it take to be a ghostwriter?”

Ghostwriting, in my opinion, only requires a passion for learning, research and good communication.  However, that doesn’t necessarily make you a good ghostwriter.  That would give you at least an edge up on the element.

Ghostwriting requires a great deal of your education and self-motivation goes into your work and it shows.  Your experience in life as a general rule will continue to help you build your skills and what you feel confident writing about.  All of this is rolled into one ball and should be elementally marketed so that you can start making your mark in the fields of your choice.

Remember to keep in mind that the skills that people look for in a ghostwriter are:

1. Education. Preferably in English and or Liberal Arts.  Although formal education looks good on paper, it also helps to have samples of work that you have provided over the years.  Sometimes, in order to avoid plagiarism, you might need to ask for those samples from the writers, but they should be able to provide them.
2. Adhering to time lines. Everyone feels their time is precious. your is as well.  Make sure you can adhere to the time lines set forth and if you are uncertain, don’t accept the project.  Making empty promises can ultimately cause your reputation to speed downhill quickly.
3. Spelling & Grammar Skills. If your writer is writing in English, they should definitely be able to show in all written correspondence and samples that are provided.  Just remember, sometimes it requires a second pair of eyes, or even a third to catch and rewrite things to make them more understandable.
4. Research Skills. In my opinion, this becomes the most important element of a ghostwriter and/or writer.  Giving the initiative and efforts to do their research and to verify it in sources is always crucial. Nothing worse than sending out an article that is based on facts and having those facts published wrong.  Embarrassing for everyone involved.

Today, over 40% of the novels published today are produced by ghostwriters or have undergone substantial editing by ghostwriters.  The work is there and ghostwriters are plentiful.  Hopefully this will provide you with some base steps about finding the right one for your project!