The #1 Rule Of Starting & Operating Your Ghostwriting Business

When I first started my ghostwriting business, my friends and family did not understand it. They just assumed I was a book nerd obsessed with reading blogs all day. That was partially true. There are no known writers or ghostwriters in my family. I am the first. Thus, I have to set the bar high for those who want to enter the business.

Ghostwriting is a business. If you want to make money ghostwriting, you have to treat it as such. Otherwise, you'll miss all of the opportunities to grow a successful ghostwriting business.

Most of my time as a ghostwriter was spent learning how to write and network online. That is a critical step in ghostwriting. I'll cover that in another newsletter.

Here's my story about working with my friends and family as a ghostwriter.??At the beginning of my career as a ghostwriter, news quickly spread that I was a fairly decent writer. I'd done a few blog posts online and I could jazz up a resume.?

?I love my family! However, I do not enjoy working for free or doing favors for people. I helped my cousin with one resume and suddenly I became the resume wizard. Unpaid resume wizard.

People in my family started asking me for favors. Now, depending on where you are in your ghostwriting business. Doing favors for people you love and trust can work in one or two ways.?

One way is that it could lead to some pocket change and a referral for your business.

Two the family member could expect you to work on a sliding scale and you can't use the referral.

If you're trying to build your business and your favorite auntie needs help with her resume. You can charge on a sliding scale for a quick resume and cover letter. Now, if your favorite auntie has a social media profile for her cupcake business and needs help with her marketing.

You should?NOT?negotiate on your rate.

Working with family and friends as a ghostwriter can be a sticky and uncomfortable situation. Most entrepreneurs and successful people experience this difficult situation at least once or twice. While you may not want to tarnish the relationship with your friends and family. You have to start thinking like a business owner and not a freelance writer. ( No shade)

Ghostwriters are paid in a lump sum for projects.?

Freelance writers are paid on an hourly basis.

When you're building your ghostwriting business, you need to start thinking about how much money you want to generate on a monthly basis, the clients you want to work with, and the future of your business. Doing favors for friends and family will keep you broke and limited in your ghostwriting business. It's not that they don't care about your business. It's just that they don't understand the value you bring to the project.

What's the best way to approach an uncomfortable situation with a friend or family member who needs your help?

1. Have a friend or family member schedule a meeting with you to discuss the project.?
2. Review the project details such as industry, topic, research, deliverables, and deadline.
3. Does this project fit within your current bandwidth to accept the project??Time is money for a ghostwriter. If you're not working on a client's project, you need to decline all FREE projects.
4. Can you leverage the opportunity to grow your business??A ghostwriter's lifeline depends on referrals and networking. Before you commit to the project, ask yourself how can this opportunity benefit your business.
5. Will you enjoy working on this project??I know you love your family and friends. However, will they be easy to work with on the project? Some things are better handled by people who are not closely connected to you. Peace is priceless.

Knowing your rates for small to medium projects is important. Just because someone thinks something is ONLY going to take two to four hours to complete doesn't mean they can pay you pennies for the task. Time is MONEY. When you're evaluating whether or not you want to accept a project weigh all of the pros and cons of the project. Consider how much you need to earn per project to maintain a sustainable living. Don't accept last-minute projects from anyone... you will regret it.

Which tip is most helpful for you in developing your ghostwriting business?

Did you find this newsletter helpful? I'd love to hear from you!

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