Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
There’s more to being an exceptional freelance ghostwriter than merely being able to type fast. It even goes beyond having a good grasp of grammar and spelling. In fact, there are a lot of things that go into becoming a great success. While I can’t guarantee that you’ll do as well as myself, I can divulge what I do to keep work flowing regularly.
Excelling at Being a Freelance Ghostwriter
Just about anyone can be a freelance ghostwriter. However, not everyone will become exceptional at it. This is often because some writers simply want a paycheck and don’t really look at freelancing as a career. I’ve seen a lot of authors come and go with this mindset.
If you’re serious about creating a good career out of writing content for others, the opportunities that unfold are tremendous. That is, as long as you can make yourself stand out among the crowd. Ghostwriting is quite a common practice on the Internet.
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Here are eight steps that I do to ensure my own continued success.
1. Deliver a Professional Attitude
One of the most important things that will help you succeed at being a freelance ghostwriter is delivering a professional attitude. I’ve seen a lack of professionalism discredit a lot of potentially good writers from scoring good jobs. Your attitude does a lot for selling your services.
I’m not saying that you need to present yourself in a suit and tie while being available from 9 to 5. No, I am pointing at those who try to game the system and force clients into stellar reviews for work completed even if the content was poorly written.
It’s not difficult to be a professional. It all centers around respect for the client and giving what he or she is paying you for. One of the biggest reasons why clients love working with me is because I am professional when it comes to my performance.
2. Good Customer Experience
The customer experience will be profound when trying to score writing opportunities. The happier a client is with your work, the more likely he or she will send additional jobs your way. It also influences whether he or she is going to share your name with colleagues. In fact, that’s how I earned a retainer from a major web hosting company.
The customer experience goes beyond excellent customer service. It’s about creating a relationship with the client that may grow into something symbiotic. When you finish a job, send follow-up messages some time down the road. Offer additional services if you’re capable. Make the client glad he or she hired you.
3. Diversify Your Workload
If you want to increase your production, it doesn’t hurt to diversify your abilities. This includes things like:
- Covering different industries and topics.
- Graphic design, if you’re able to do such things.
- Adding eBooks to your resume.
- Constructing infographics complete with images and text.
- Becoming a member at several brokering writing sites.
While you can still experience a bit of success by sticking to one topic or one style of content development, you can open more doors by expanding your abilities.
For instance, I helped my newest client create an image template which I use when creating daily tutorials for content management systems.
The more diverse you are, the more work is available to you. Just make sure you’re not biting off more than you can chew. Be confident in your ability and demonstrate your capacity to deliver. Otherwise, clients may become less than impressed with your abilities.
4. Consistency in Work
Being consistent is key in just about anything you do in life. Whether you’re a blogger, YouTuber or creating content for clients, you need to be able to keep up a constant work efficiency. This goes along with being dependable and capable of delivering quality work in a timely fashion.
I know it’s difficult to deliver consistency when the workload is low on sites like Textbroker. However, keeping up with an even flow of completed jobs will work in your favor. For example, I have a managed client on Textbroker who sends me three specific articles once per month. He or she knows I will complete them within the allotted time…which is why the client keeps sending them.
One client for three articles a month is kind of small. But then consider how a lot of clients do this on a semi-regular basis. When you focus on pleasing all of your clients, many of them will send more work which equals more money in your pocket.
5. Create Workable Schedules
A good work schedule is a must. I know a lot of you probably want to work when it’s convenient or be able to control your own hours. But you need to realize that most clients do work a 9-to-5 schedule. You’ll still make money if you write at night, but it might not be as effective as you’d hope.
I used to do all of my client writing late at night. Then I discovered how I was receiving fewer revision requests when writing in the mornings. This is because I was far more alert and ready to work. Plus, I managed to get more clients during working hours than at night.
The trick is to develop something that works best for you while optimizing your ability to engage clients. Keep in mind the time difference between yourself and someone hiring you for a job. He or she needs the project at a certain time, and you need to deliver if you want to make the most money.
6. Don’t Waste Time
When the workload is low, don’t waste your time watching Netflix or playing around on YouTube. Down time is full of possibility that will improve your capacity to be an excellent freelance ghostwriter.
Here are some of the things I do when I am waiting for clients:
- Blogging
Creating a blog not only helps keep your skills tone, but it also gives you something to add to your resume. Clients can then see your skills in an online environment. Plus, it gives you something to monetize to possibly generate even more income. - Marketing
As a freelance ghostwriter, you need to invest some time to marketing. This helps you generate clients outside of systems like Textbroker and Fiverr. For instance, LinkedIn is an excellent professional platform. It’s how a current client found me. - Reading up on the industry
If you specialize in a specific industry, it helps to know as much as possible. This improves your knowledge while keeping yourself relevant to current trends, topics and technology.
The point is to keep yourself as busy as possible. This process keeps me in the mindset of being a professional freelance ghostwriter. So even if the workload is slow, I am still working on being the best I can deliver.
7. Market Yourself Well
I mentioned marketing above and have covered it in an earlier post. However, it needs to be added to this list if you want to be an exceptional freelancer. Skills only go so far, but no one will hire you if they don’t know you exist.
I’m not simply talking about sharing some stuff on Facebook or posting an article on LinkedIn. If you use site’s like Textbroker, make sure your profiles are current and fully completed. I’ve collected a lot of clients because I am quite detailed in these profiles.
Marketing yourself has potential to vastly increase your workload. It’s all about getting clients to notice you. In fact, I know some authors who use YouTube and pay-per-click ads to engage clients looking for writers. I’m not sure if PPC is for me, but I know the effects of good marketing.
8. Always Continue to Learn
Never assume that you know everything about being a freelance ghostwriter. I know I can learn more, and I spend a great deal of time doing just that. Whether it’s industry information or learning how to use commas and quotations, it’s all relevant to enhancing your abilities as a freelance ghostwriter.
I often go through some of my old college books just to brush up on a few things. Of course those books are older now, but some of the points are still valid. Anything to boost your level of education is ideal.
Be an Amazing Freelance Ghostwriter
Even though it means creating competition for myself, I do wish you the best of luck. Being an exceptional freelance ghostwriter can be quite lucrative if you have the drive and ambition to succeed. Offer the best experience possible and set yourself apart from the thousands of other writers on the Internet.
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- How Long Does It Realy Take to Write a Good Book? - November 27, 2024