Sorry if my question was mis-understood...I want to be paid to write as a ghostwriter NOT write ghost stories?

Answer 1

As an experienced ghostwriter, I can tell you for a fact that it is a difficult profession to break into. I started out writing for a real estate speaker who needed training books to hand out to his audience. That went very well and was quite lucrative for a while.

I then branched out into ghostwriting nonfiction books, which also went well, but finding new clients became a game of cat and mouse. People wanted you to do their books, but didn't want to pay for them (or pay what was fair) for the work once it was completed. I still have a couple on disk that I never got paid for, and that's a LOT of work down the drain.

Fortunately, there are sites now that broker editing work, proofreading assignments and other types of freelance writing gigs. You need to do a search for that and then email some of the registered freelancers on the site to see if/when they get paid for their work. Some websites WILL rip you off, so be careful.

Also, if you really intend to BE a ghostwriter, you must above all else be an expert speller and grammarian. There is no wiggle room for errors. There is no excuse for English not being your first language, either. In short, there are NO excuses for typos or misused words like "it's" and "its" or "affect" and "effect". You cannot rely on spell checkers or even Word functions that check your grammar. They will NOT catch those kinds of errors.

Okay, lecture over. Good luck finding work. It's tough, but it sure beats working in an office or digging ditches.

Jon F. Baxley (Author, Editor, Ghostwriter and Proofreader)
THE SCYTHIAN STONE
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY

(For a FREE copy of The Scythian Stone or a full color, four chapter illustrated demo of The Blackgloom Bounty, email me at [e-mail]).

Answer 2

Here is a slightly different spin: The newspaper office. A lot of writers submit stories all the time to the newspaper you read every morning. Someone who is publishing the morning paper can very likely give you information on being a ghostwriter. By that I mean he/she will refer you to a writer or two on the staff of the paper and that person will be able to really help you. That is possibility # 1. The second idea that comes to mind is (#2) the library. Here in South Portland, Maine, U.S.A., we have such great librarians! Every one of them will drop what she is doing and help you find virtually anything. It was Marie, the librarian, who dropped everything and gave me my first tutorial on using computers just this year. Thanks, Marie. So, your local newspaper office and your friendly librarians. And don't forget your English teacher, if you are still in school. English teachers are very smart about all things related to the spoken (English) word. I certainly wish you a lot of success in finding exactly what it is you are looking for. Sent to you with a big smile and a hug from G., South Portland, Maine, U.S.A.

Answer 3

Your best bet is finding individuals, small businesses and/or professionals who want your services and then working your way up. Maybe someone in your city who wants a book written in their name but doesn't want to do all the work. Ask around.

Answer 4

so just do it then
Lapis Lazuli

Answer 5

are you any good???