by Laurie Childree

Created on: March 19, 2009

Ghostwriters are a unique breed. They write for truly for the love of writing and not for the desire of fame or fortune. The ghostwriter never sees their by-line on an article they've written or even a mention in the acknowledgements of the books they write. What the ghostwriter gets is a one time fee for work performed and an agreement that they will never mention that they wrote the material in question. So just what does it take to be a ghostwriter?

To be a ghostwriter one must have a marketable skill. In this case that skill is of course writing, editing and the ability to meet a deadline that is likely exaggerated to make someone else look good by turning in an assignment early. You must have a willingness to provide numerous samples of your work meaning you must dive into writing about numerous subjects. The ghostwriter must be willing to use all the knowledge they have and to gain more knowledge to allow them to write on any given subject they should be hired to write about.

It takes determination and dedication to be a ghostwriter. You must be willing to accept the fact that you will only be paid for your work once, no royalties are possible. You sign a non-disclosure agreement in which you give up all writes to use you work as even a sample to gain future employment. This means the ghostwriter must keep a nice stock pile of samples on every imaginable subject so they have something to present to a prospective client.

The ghostwriter must have the ability to take both rejection and criticism along with any praise they may recieve. Ghostwriters with the ability to edit themselves have a wider client base since the articles they deliver need less work to be ready for publication. To be a ghostwriter you must have the willingness to realize that you are human and no matter how much you would like to be the best writer in the world there is no such thing in reality.

Ghostwriters do not necissarily have to posses a degree in writing. It depends on what they are ghost writing as to whether or not a specific degree will be of benefit to them. With all this pressure it makes you wonder who would want to be a freelance writer especially a ghostwriter. It does indeed take a special person to be a ghostwriter, one that posses both skills and patience.

To be a ghostwriter you must be determined to succeed or you are doomed to fail. You must be willing to put in long hours proving yourself and to work for minimal wages when you first start out. The money isn't the reason to ghostwrite anything; the love of writing is the main motivation of all ghostwriters.

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