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The 5 Harshest Lessons I’ve Learned Ghostwriting
I’ve worked as a freelancer for over a decade in various capacities. I hustled before it was really a thing. It wasn’t so much a desire as it was a necessity. While I’ve done many different freelance jobs, none of them have delivered so many harsh lessons as rapidly as the world of ghostwriting.
Almost every job has its skeletons in the closet, but ghostwriting feels like a boneyard by comparison. Sometimes you’re just writing mind-numbing filler content, other times you’re helping someone commit plagiarism. You become the dirty little secret to a client or business for producing their content.
Ghostwriting taught me the pain and power of branding, the full difference in needs for the client and the audience, how different each publication is, how this type of work impacts career prospects, and what ethical considerations there are. Some of these may seem tepid, but their implications and impact are major. Freelancing is already the Wild West for work, but ghostwriting is the Wild West of (legal) freelancing.
The Pain and Power of Branding
A brand easily becomes a double-edged sword. Labels become limitations, and the unknown becomes a liability. The more defined the personality, the more defined the limitations for your writing. The less defined the brand’s…
