Difference between revisions of "Ghost Writing Online"

Revision as of 14:34, 5 December 2012

(back to index)

A ghostwriter is a writer who writes on an assigned topic under someone else’s name, with their consent, or writes under an alias. They often write books completely from scratch but sometimes their work involves rewriting or polishing an existing work. Every Web site out there has a lot of content on it. This is also true for every blog that is out on the Internet. Many websites and blog owners hire online ghostwriters to write the "search engine optimization" or "search engine optimizer" (SEO) content for their sites. This frees the owners up to market and build the sites to the specs that they want. There is a rising need for online ghostwriters to write more and new content for all of these sites. New SEO content keeps these sites at the top of the search engines. People take advantage of this need by becoming an online ghostwriter. However online ghostwriting comes with the issues of making plagiarism easy, as well as other issues of authenticity.

Ghostwriting Historically

In the past, a ghostwriter writes the book for which someone else received credit. When an author needed help writing a book, a ghostwriter would take their idea and turn it into a story. The ghostwriter is paid a flat rate for the book and signs over all rights to the owning author. In some cases, the ghostwriter may receive a small percentage of the profits. The ghostwriting services people received when they hired a book ghostwriter are simple and straightforward. One would supply the ghostwriter with the idea, genre, the audience they intended to reach, and any information that they wanted to be included in the book. The ghostwriter handled the research and produced the content of the book. The ghostwriter kept costs within budget and produced the book in the time frame that was required. Ghostwriting services also included proofreading, editing, and in some cases, publication. Ghostwriters are often hired to write speeches, sermons, articles, copy for advertising, screenplays, e-books, sales letters, book proposals, op-eds, & radio and TV commercials. Because of their experiences working with clients from different fields, ghostwriters have had the tendency to have knowledge on a variety of topics. Usually a ghostwriter will then need no more than one hour per week of a persons time to make sure they're on track as the ghostwriter completes the authors book over the next 3-6 months depending on the length of the book.

Online Ghostwriting

Some websites are ghostwritten, due to the fact that not all authors have the information technology skills or the time to dedicate to running a website. Nonetheless, the style, tone and content is modeled on that of the credited author. Many website ghostwriters are freelance but some are freelancers who work under contract, as with radio presenters and television presenters. Occasionally a "house pseudonym", or collective name is used by the author of the website. This is similar to ghostwriting for blogs, and in some cases it can be used as an SEO tactic. Since the 2000s (decade), with the increasing popularity of blogs as a form of writing, a new form of ghostwriter has emerged: the blog ghostwriter. Companies or organizations hoping to generate interest in their blog site sometimes hire ghostwriters to post comments to their blog, while posing as different people and using pseudonyms. Blogs are sometimes rated according to how many web 'hits' they get from users viewing the page, and this rating is used by advertisers considering paying for ad space on a blog website.

How to Become an Online Ghostwriter

Submit a few well written articles to content sites like Associated Content. Someone who is new to being a freelance writer will need to have a few published samples to use to apply to become an online ghostwriter. One can submit the articles on the topic area that you are going to focus on becoming an online ghostwriter on. These writing clips are usually between 400 and 600 words a piece. The articles usually showcase a keyword density of 3 to 5 % to show that you know how to write great SEO content.

Sources of Online Ghostwriting Work

Indeed.com

Look for whatever writing jobs you most want to find. It doesn't take long to get used to using it and you could find some amazing opportunities via this route.

Constant Content

Here one can get to write what they want and set their own prices for it. One also can set usage rights instead of all rights to sell the same thing over and over again if they like.

Jobs for Bloggers - ProBlogger Job Board

Jobs that caters more for blogging than anything else.

Twitter

One can search for jobs and Twitter can lead to other good job sites.

Find writing work on Elance

This site is packed with opportunities for all kinds of writers and bloggers. One can becomes a free member and try it for before paying for a membership.

Bid on writing work

It costs nothing to join this site, and one can start bidding on ghostwriting jobs as soon as they've set up their account. When one wins a writing job, they pay a small percentage of the fee they receive for the work.

Online Freelance Writing Jobs

Full of information about online writing. For beginners to freelance writing, they'll find this extremely useful, as well as find some jobs.

Ethics

Authenticity Issues with Anonymity