Have you ever read one of the Hardy Boys books by Franklin W. Dixon? Or one of the Nancy drew series by Carolyn Keene? Well, you might not have known it, but these books were actually ghostwritten by a number of authors under a collective pseudonym. Imagine writing something like the Hardy Boys, which still manage to sell more than a million copies annually, and never being acknowledged as the author.

Still, it's not like fame is a necessity though, and I wouldn't exactly call not being famous "scary".

The scary part is that sometimes, ghostwriters don't get paid for the work that they have done.

This is especially so when ghostwriting for a paper mill. Paper mills are in the business of providing ghostwritten essays and term papers to students. While they are not exactly illegal, they are certainly unethical, and students are actually committing academic fraud by using a paper mill.

Given the fact that paper mills are involved in an unethical business, perhaps it should come as no surprise that a large number of paper mills out there who will come up with flimsy excuses to weasel out of paying a writer. Apparently, there are people who claim that there are paper mills out there who are fairly honest when it comes to paying their writers, but since I prefer to look elsewhere for ghostwriting assignments, I can't really comment on that.

If yu are sensible enough to steer clear of paper mills, there are other pitfalls that you should beware of should you decide to become a ghostwriter.

The largest demand for ghostwriters come from webmasters and article marketers who want unique content for their website or to submit to an article directory. Given the nature and duration of the job, there usually isn't a legal contract of any sort. Every now and then, I hear about a new writer who has decided to try ghostwriting web content, only to find that the client has disappeared without paying her.

An experienced writer will learn to develop a sense for which prospect is trustworthy, but for new writers a way that you can protect yourself is to ask for a partial payment before you deliver. You can try asking for a full payment, but then, that would put the client into the position of wondering whether you'll run off with his money, so I would advise asking for a partial payment instead. Also, learn to spot the obvious scams, like the ones who ask for samples of your work, but insist that you provide very specific topics.

Still, I have to say that while ghostwriting can be a scary business, it can also be quite rewarding. If you decide to try your hand at ghostwriting, by all means go ahead.

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