There are several roadblocks when you start out as a ghostwriter and standing out as one can be quite complex. You give up your by-line, now how will people recognize that it’s you who has written this incredible piece of work?
In order to start your own book ghostwriting services and striving to make a name for yourself in the industry will take some time and hard work. As a ghostwriter myself, I have some amazing tips for you that will help you get recognized, and in some time, you’ll be known for your amazing writing skills!
Recognize Your Niche
Whether you are a book ghostwriter or another writer, this guide will help you highlight all your interesting writing skills. However, if book ghostwriting is your forte, you can narrow it down even more and focus on the penmanship you enjoy.
There are numerous book genres and if you list down a few on your blog, resume, or website, you will be turning away some people. However, you will be able to stand out to the concerned clients; the ones who were looking just for you! When you list down your strong suits, you’re indicating that you are a pro in those genres. You don’t have to pick only one, you can choose a bunch and narrow down your niche with them. I would say that my niche is writing in the genres that require creativity and humor and I usually go for the genres of non-fiction writing in fantasy, mystery, historical fiction, and motivation/ self-help books.
There are many more genres that I have personally researched and written for clients, but they aren’t the ones that I have particularly enjoyed. So, when I pitch myself to clients, I mostly choose these genres. Therefore, choosing particular genres brings you more recognition.
A Portfolio goes a Long Way
As ghostwriting requires you to hide away yourself, it doesn’t mean that you cannot show your expertise. Ghostwriters are allowed to make portfolios. Yes, your portfolio is going to look a little different than an actual book author, but you can still showcase your work.
As a book ghostwriter, you can mention the genre of the book you’ve written and describe the topic without mentioning the client’s name or book title. This not only shows the client that you are an efficient ghostwriter who values their confidentiality but also that you have quite a lot of experience.
If you want to provide samples, you can take permission from your clients. Some of them let you showcase your work without any problem. Some might not allow you but there is no risk in asking. If you want to show your potential clients your work, you can ask them to sign an NDA and work out a way with your clients.
Another tip to enhance your portfolio and make it stand out is to use samples from different writing styles. This shows your client that your work doesn’t always sound the same, you have the ability to adapt to various writing styles effortlessly!
Give Your Clients an Opportunity to See You
When you use search engines to find ghostwriting jobs, you mostly find companies who are looking for ghostwriters who they can hire and gain more profit themselves and show themselves to the client rather than their writer.
However, you might also find companies that give the writer the credit and work as the middle-men themselves. So, choose these agencies. They are the ones, who are working to help new ghosts find work and increase their connection. Here, you get more profit and credit and the agency takes a little in return.
However, your clients might not find you when the first three pages of the search results they do come up with the company profiles. So, you have to do a little more work. Stand out by putting your job description on your social accounts and joining relevant freelance groups. This will help you go a long way!
Gain Maximum Knowledge of the Publishing Industry
The biggest reason why clients approach ghostwriters is that they don’t know the basics of how to write their own book and how it should sound to attract an audience. However, they also need ghosts because they don’t know how to publish their book. So, make sure you know all the options about publishing.
You can take courses on publishing or you can absorb a lot by working with the publishing industry. This way, when your clients approach you, you can talk to them and explain the different publishing options they have. So, this way, if you want to make a mark in this industry, you have to keep up with all the information in the field!
Procure Vast Credibility by Publishing Your Own Book
Do you want to build your image even more? Show them some of your original work! Write your own book in the niche that interests you the most and then shows people your own work. This is a huge booster for you. Get your book published and increase your audience. You can list your book on platforms like Amazon and get incredible feedback from your readers.
When your clients see the fame you got from your own book, they’ll realize your potential and knowledge in the industry. When you get your book published and have an active reader circle, this shows your clients that you are not a newbie in this industry and you have first-hand knowledge of the publishing industry.
Write your book, get yourself high-ratings on platforms like Goodreads and Amazon show those to your clients, and see how your credibility reaches high levels!
Final Words
So, what niche are you going for? I hope it’s something you love writing about. This way, if you are passionate about what you are starting, then following these tips; it won’t take much time for you to reach the top of the ghostwriting industry ladder!
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