Ghostwriting: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering ghostwriting
Ghostwriting clients trust you with their name and their story. Show that you keep material private, learn a voice quickly, and agree on credit and rights in writing before you write a word.
What customers ask
- Will my name be on the work, and will you be credited?
- How do you learn my voice from interviews or notes?
- Who owns the finished text?
- What happens if I do not like the draft?
- Can you keep my material confidential?
- How many interview sessions do you need?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask what the client wants the finished work to do and who it is for, then repeat it back so both sides agree on the purpose.
- Send a short voice sample built from the client's own words in the first call, so the client hears how you will write.
- Put the number of interview sessions, the drafts, and the rights and credit terms into the quote, so the client knows what is included before signing.
- Share an outline before the full draft, and mark which stories you still need from the client.
- Keep a list of phrases and opinions the client has asked you to avoid, and check it against the first draft before sending.
- Confirm in writing that all facts and stories come from the client, and ask the client to check names and dates before publishing.
What to put on your profile
- Samples of finished work in a voice that suits the formats you write, with client permission where needed.
- The forms you write in, such as books, articles, speeches or posts.
- A plain statement of your confidentiality practice, such as how you store recordings and drafts.
- A short note on your process: interviews, outline, draft and revisions.
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a plan for the next piece, such as a series of posts drawn from the same interviews, if the client wants more material.
- Suggest a short voice guide for the client's future writing, based on the phrases they use most.
- Offer to refresh a book or article when facts or details change.
Licenses and permits
Ghostwriting is not commonly licensed, so you usually do not need a license to offer it. Check with your state or local licensing agency for business registration, and keep a written agreement that names credit, rights, confidentiality and the revision rounds.
Questions
How do I protect a client's private material?
Store recordings and drafts in a secure place you control, limit who can open them, and delete material when the agreement says to. Put these steps in the written agreement so the client knows what you do.
Should I sign a confidentiality agreement?
Clients often ask for one. Read any agreement before you sign it, and if it limits what you can show in your portfolio, agree that limit in writing.
How do I show my range without naming clients?
Describe the form, length and subject of each piece, and show a sample only with permission. Clients can judge fit from that without seeing the client's name.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer ghostwriting remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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