Over the years I have met a lot of writers who refuse to be a ghost writer. Now this is a subject near and dear to my heart because I do quite a lot of ghosting and I love it. I make good money doing it and, frankly, for me telling a story is telling a story no matter who gets the actual credit.
There is nothing more satisfying that seeing your work in print but what we all need to get over is “needing” to see our name in print. I know, it’s kind of cool, your name out there for all time and not in the hey-I-know-that-guy-on-the-tabloid-behind-the-counter kind of way. It’s nice to be appreciated for something that you have written…but you know what? After the 75th time the luster sort of wears off and that’s when you know it’s time to just be a writer.
Ghost writing, mind you, isn’t for everyone. You have to love people and you have to be curious about them; curious enough to want to hear and then convey their story. You also have to be able to check your ego at the door. When you are ghosting you are telling someone else’s story and it doesn’t matter how you feel about it; it isn’t your story. Your job is to listen and then do what you do best…write.
I will tell you that over the years I have made some very good money ghosting and it is rewarding when you finish a project and see the look on a non-writer’s face as they look at their produced story. We have a gift that not everyone has and this is a great way to share that gift so if you can, get out of your own way and ghost write someone else’s story. You may find that it is a great way to bring joy to someone else.
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