Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
After taking a quick glance at my previous posts, I am kind of shocked that I haven’t covered this subject before. Perhaps I have and I just can’t find it. Anyway, it’s relatively easy to become a ghostwriter today. All it takes is a bit of your time, and it won’t cost you any money. Here, I am going to show you what you need to start an online writing career right now.
Be a Ghostwriter Today
Here are the exact steps I made in order to start my career as a full-time ghostwriter. From the moment I signed up until the work I completed yesterday, this is exactly how I progressed over time. Now, I can’t promise that you’ll have the same experience. However, you may get out of it what you put in.
Step 1: Do Not Quit Your Day Job!
This is the most important step if you want to start as a ghostwriter today. Don’t assume that you’ll begin to make hundreds of dollars a day by writing. Everyone has a different level of ability, and those who say “you” can make so much immediately is not telling the whole truth.
There are a lot of factors that come into play when you start as a ghostwriter. Take me, for example. I was making an extra $50 or so per week writing on the side. This wasn’t purely because I didn’t have the time. It was also because sometimes the work just wasn’t there for a new writer such as myself.
I continued to work my full-time job for more than a year before putting all my effort into ghostwriting. Although there is great potential to make a lot of money very quick, you shouldn’t assume that this will be the case in your situation. Here are a few things that can greatly affect your success if you start as a ghostwriter today:
- >Low work flow
- Typing speed
- Proofreading speed
- Your personal time constraints
- A lack of professional history
Step 2: Set Up a PayPal Account
I know a few people have reservations when it comes to using PayPal. But in the 13+ years I’ve had my account, I’ve never had a problem. Besides, PayPal is what some of the best brokerage sites use to pay you. This is perhaps one of the longest parts of the process as it could take up to three to five business days to link your bank account.
Personally, I have a PayPal Mastercard that works just like any other debit card. This means I can use it almost anywhere to pay for things I need. In fact, it’s extremely rare that I have cash on me. So, if a client pays me right now for a project, I can use the money right now. It’s that fast.
If you don’t get the PayPal Mastercard, it can take up to five business days to transfer money from online to a bank account. However, I’ve never seen it take that long. In fact, my money is usually in the bank on Monday if I transfer it the Friday before.
Step 3: Signing Up with a Brokerage Service
If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can still sign up for brokerage services. You just can’t get paid until your PayPal account is verified. So, there is no harm in signing up and working while you’re waiting the three-to-five business days from PayPal.
You can get started using a brokerage service as a ghostwriter today by signing up at many different companies online. These services connect you with clients looking to hire people for writing work.
Now, it’s important to note that you’re technically not writing for the brokerage service. They simply handle the money in a type of escrow account for the client to ensure a good transaction. If the client agrees that your work is good, the broker will release the funds to you.
Brokerage services are very helpful when you first start as an online ghostwriter. It’s easy to find clients, the topics are vast and the pay can be worth the experience. Plus, you don’t have to spend a single dime signing up with these services. Here are the sites I use often:
- Textbroker.com
This is the most dominant website I use for work. I know there are more out there that people love, but this is the one I have made the most money on. - WriterAccess.com
I was using WriterAccess quite a bit, but the pay is monthly and I found far more work on Textbroker. Still, this is a good one to start as a ghostwriter today. - Fiverr.com
Fiverr is a bit different when you compare it to other services. It requires a bit more marketing on your part, but can be quite a good experience. You also don’t have to pass writing tests as you would on other systems.
These are the easiest sites to start with, and I’ll go into detail about some of the more advanced sites at a later date. Although I have been using HireWriters.com lately, I don’t want to add it to my list of paying sites until they actually send me money. Currently, I haven’t made the $10 threshold just yet. I’ve been a bit busy elsewhere.
Step 4: Filling Out Your Profile
Once you’ve signed up with a brokerage service, it’s vastly important that you completely fill out your profile. Most companies will use this data as a way for clients to find you directly. Textbroker will host samples of your work as well as other factors regarding your abilities.
Think of this as kind of an online resume to get started as a ghostwriter today. You want to showcase your abilities and information. Every piece of the profile you leave empty is one that can hurt your chances of writing for that perfect client.
The more information you provide, the better are your chances of securing work. You wouldn’t leave a resume blank, would you?
Step 5: Start Writing
Each system has a different way of doing things when it comes to writing. Textbroker will allow you to write five orders from clients before they examine your work. This is to determine the level of your abilities, checking for grammar and making sure the piece is what the client orders.
This is perhaps one of the longest parts of the process. Depending on the level of work, it could take you several days to reach five orders in Textbroker. I was lucky and I did everything in a day, but the “editorial” process still took about a week. Once this process is complete, however, you can write to your heart’s content.
Services like Fiverr are a bit different. Essentially, you create a “gig” to attract a client. You’ll describe your abilities and what you offer, and then they choose to use you or not. This means you need to have a bit of marketing to support your gigs. I was able to attract clients rather quickly from the moment I submitted the gig into the system. It was literally less than an hour before clients started hiring me.
The downside to Fiverr is that you’re in direct competition with others on the system. It’s a bit more difficult to manage simply because you have to offer something unique to attract clients. But, you can start as a ghostwriter today if you can put together something impressive. It also takes about two weeks to be paid from the system when a client accepts your work.
Step 6: Keep the Work Going
Finally, once you’re accepted into all the systems you like, start writing. I accepted nearly every order that came my way, even in topics I really didn’t have experience in. That’s because I spend a lot of time researching topics for every client. As a result, I made myself a semi-expert in a wide range of fields.
You don’t have to be an expert to sound like you are while providing real facts to back up your claims.
Maintaining Your Work
These are the six steps that began my new career as a ghostwriter. The most important thing to bare in mind is that you need to continue the effort if you want to make more money. Not everyone will make the same amount when they first start. Things like typing skills, proofreading and knowledge of the topic will play a huge role in your productivity.
Remember, it was more than a year before I made enough money to quit my regular job. You could do better or worse, so don’t assume that you’ll have instant success. However, it’s easy to maintain yourself as a ghostwriter if you’re willing to expand your knowledge and work on your skills.
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