TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Association of Ghostwriters .................................... 3 Make More Money as a Ghostwriter......................................... 4 1. Public Relations Firms ............................................................ 6 2. Literary Agents ......................................................................... 9 3. Book Packagers ...................................................................... 11 4. Other Writers .......................................................................... 13 5. Book Acquisition Editors ..................................................... 15 6. Corporation Communicators ............................................... 17 7. Social Media Sites ................................................................... 19 About the Author ....................................................................... 23

About the Association of Ghostwriters

Bringing aspiring and experienced ghostwriters together. The Association of Ghostwriters is the leading professional organization for ghostwriters of books, articles, speeches, white papers, case studies, blogs and social media content. Members are both experienced and aspiring ghostwriters dedicated to providing high-quality content to their clients, who are executives, organizations, professors, national speakers and other subject-matter experts. The purpose of the Association of Ghostwriters is to help its members find ghostwriting assignments, develop and enhance writing and interviewing skills, deliver top quality written materials and manage profitable ghostwriting projects.

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Make More Money as a Ghostwriter

Like ghostwriters, many writing opportunities fly under the radar unnoticed. The key to making more money as a ghostwriter is fairly simple: make sure everyone you know or come in contact with knows that you provide ghostwriting services. People who are responsible for publishing wellwritten content, such as books, white papers, special reports, magazine articles, newsletters, and blog posts are some of your best potential sources of ghostwriting gigs. Where there is a need for quality writing, you will find many opportunities. To attract ghostwriting work you need to first communicate that you are qualified and available to tackle such tasks. Not only that, you should also reach out to specific people whom you believe may be a source of work. Introduce yourself. Be proactive. In addition, be reactive. Respond to ghostwriting opportunities you come across, even if youre not sure the project is a perfect fit. Explore what skills are needed and whether you may be a match. Its possible the company on the hunt for a ghostwriter will have additional opportunities beyond that which was posted. For example, if theyre currently looking for an article writer, its plausible that they may also need a ghost blogger or ghost author in the future. By introducing yourself and inquiring about their current needs, you are now on their radar for future projects. However, to be considered for ghostwriting gigs, you also have to first find them. Follow the information. Seek out and network with potential sources of projects. That will likely mean signing up for print and online newsletters, perhaps subscribing to some freelance writing job services, joining professional writers associations and following ghostwriting bloggers. Essentially, immerse yourself in the ghostwriting world to more

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frequently come into contact with income-generating opportunities and people who can connect you with that work. Ghostwriting assignments usually come from people, organizations, or online resources such as social networking sites. Lets take an in-depth look at seven lesser-known sources.

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1. Public Relations Firms

Many writers and reporters deal with public relations (PR) firms and their representatives regularly as the middleman who facilitates access (or not) to a desirable source or expert. PR reps also proffer article ideas and newsy tidbits from their clients to writers in the hopes of generating interest in some kind of media attention, which might include an interview. Pursuing publicity on behalf of their clients is their job, after all. However, issuing emails touting the latest news about their client or proposing them as the perfect source for your upcoming article on XYZ isnt all they do. In general, the larger the client and its budget, the wider the range of services PR firms provide them. And in some cases, on their to-do list is helping raise their clients visibility through the written word. Thats where you can come in. There are a couple of different ways of going about the task of introducing yourself to PR firms. Research Firms and Their Clients One is to research the largest PR firms and send off an email to the account managers responsible for companies youd like to work with. The other is to identify companies youd like to support, or even executives youd like to collaborate with, and reach out to the PR firm identified in the newsroom or media section of the companys website. You could also try Googling the corporations name and the phrase public relations firm to try and research which firm is currently engaged.
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Some resources for tracking down PR firms include: The Public Relations Society of Americas member directory ODwyers Public Relations Firm database PRChannel agency search Start by sending a letter of introduction to PR firms likely to have high profile clients. Include your rsum or bio (copied into the body of your email) that mentions prior ghostwriting projects youve successfully completed, and links to writing samples. Since many people will not open attachments from people they dont know, as a general rule, its best not to send an attachment on your first round of communication to anyone. Monitor Job Banks On the flip side, when PR firms are tasked with helping their clients become more visible on the social media front, earn more print publicity through bylined articles, or get published, their first step is often to search for a qualified freelance writer or ghostwriter to pitch in. This is especially true when their clients are considering writing a book. Few top corporate executives, elected officials, or non-profit leaders have the time to devote to penning a book, although most quickly recognize the value of being able to call themselves an author. Sometimes PR firms publicly post ads on job websites, and, in other cases, make discreet phone calls and emails to prepare a list of potential candidates. Some of the job banks PR firms use include: Mediabistro PRWeek jobs Talentzoo Raise Your Profile
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In a few cases, the firm will turn to a database of ghostwriters theyve already made contact with their so-called stable of writers. Since most professionals prefer to do business with people they know, like, and trust, the ghostwriters already in their database, whom they have presumably interviewed and vetted, have the best chance of being selected for client projects. They are on the short list of candidates simply because of their prior contact with the PR firm. While you should certainly apply for all the ghostwriting gigs you come across for which you are qualified, being added to the writer databases that some PR firms maintain could become another source of income as well. So make sure you send letters of introduction to try and make your way onto this desirable list.

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2. Literary Agents
One group of people whose income is completely dependent on books getting published is literary agents. They are a strong potential source of ghostwriting work because they frequently hear from would-be authors and experts who have a great idea, great contacts, a great platform, etc., but who may not have the skills or the time to actually write a book. In order to lock down a publishing contract, for which the agent receives 15 %, they need to pair their client with a writer willing to work behind the scenes. Thats where you come in. To be most effective, youll first want to identify the types of books you want to ghostwrite. Then limit your search for agents to those who specialize in your preferred subjects. For example, if your fort is health, youll want to seek out agents who have a track record of getting health-related books published. Or if youre more of a science or technology specialist, agents who have recently sold books in those subject areas will be a better fit. Even if you have an agent representing you and the books you write under your own name, that doesnt mean you cant introduce yourself to other agents for ghostwriting projects. However, if you choose to have your regular agent represent you in negotiating any ghostwriting deals with other agents, you will be responsible for paying them their 15% commission out of the fee you earn. To avoid paying out 15% twice, to two different agents, many ghostwriters choose to negotiate such deals themselves.

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To put your best foot forward with literary agents: Introduce yourself by email. Describe your ghostwriting experience and make it clear that is the kind of work youd like to do for him or her. Give an overview of your writing career highlights. Offer to send writing samples for their review. If they anticipate a need for a ghostwriter with your skills in the foreseeable future, they will likely respond right away. If they dont, make a note to yourself to follow up in six months. Some useful agent directories include: The 2012 Guide to Literary Agents Jeff Hermans Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents 2012 2012 Writers Market

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3. Book Packagers
Book packagers are a cross between an agent and an editor. They often, but not always, come up with an idea for a book and then set out to find a writer or ghostwriter to bring it to life. They may even ask an expert to collaborate and hire graphic designers to handle page layout and preproduction work. Once their team has been formed, packagers then attempt to sell the book to a publishing house. However, instead of simply negotiating a 15% agent commission, they may develop a complete financial proposal for a publisher that is more lucrative than a straight 15% cut and compensates them for managing the entire book production process. If you recall the ill-fated Beardstown Ladies Common-Sense Investment Guide (where the investment club was found to have miscalculated its impressive earnings record), then you are familiar with a book produced by a packager. In fact, it was Seth Godin who came across the Beardstown Ladies and had the idea to write an investment guide using their apparent market-beating techniques. He pitched the idea to Hyperion and brought writer Leslie Whitaker on board to author it and the rest is history. Because they are constantly researching and developing potential book topics, book packagers have an ongoing need for available writers and ghostwriters to assist in producing books for their publisher clients. Finding Book Packagers To find book packaging firms, do a little online research. Here are some directories to aid your search:
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Yahoo Directory of Book Packagers American Book Producers Association Literary Marketplace Visit book packager websites to learn more about the types of books they typically produce, and then introduce yourself as someone with experience in writing about a topic they cover (such as cookbooks, or memoirs, or craft guides). Make it clear which topics or industries you frequently write about so that you come to mind first when they begin investigating books in those areas. Pitching yourself as a generalist writer will do you little good since packagers need strong writers who are subject-matter experts, or nearly so.

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4. Other Writers
Some ghostwriters perceive other writers to be competitors angling for the exact same projects they are. In fact, successful writers and ghostwriters recognize that there is more than enough work to go around, and it pays to refer work to colleagues that isnt a perfect fit. That way, you arent forced to accept a job you truly arent excited about, and can, instead, provide another writer with income; most will gladly return the favor when a project falls into their lap that is equally unsuited for their skills or interests. Few writers specialize in the exact same topic, with the exact same writing style or subject interests. For example, I am one of perhaps thousands or tens of thousands of full-time writers who specialize in writing about business topics. However, within that broad category, I enjoy studying and writing about entrepreneurs and the marketing tactics they use to build their businesses. Other business writers may be on-staff at business newspapers and magazines, while Im a freelancer. Some may specialize in small business, too, but prefer to examine finance or technology-related topics. There is such diversity within the business genre that I do not waste time worrying about which writer is going to win which project; I gladly refer potential clients to my circle of writer friends when my time or interest-level isnt a good fit. If you assume an abundance mindset and look for ways to share information with other ghostwriters, you will tap into an ever-growing network of potential project sources. Each new writer you meet is a potential source of a ghostwriting gig down the line. More than three years ago, I was introduced by a travel writer friend to one of her clients, whom she thought might be a good source of work for
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me. Since my colleague and I live in different parts of the country and specialize in different writing niches, it was unlikely a project that was a perfect fit for me would also be a fit for her, so she had little to lose by introducing me to her client. And when that client did approach me about a project last year, I made a mental note to be on the lookout for travelrelated projects I could send my friends way. Thats the value of establishing, or joining, a network of professional ghostwriters. Finding Writer Networks While the Association of Ghostwriters (AOG) provides a built-in writer network, if youd like to build your own, some great places to find professional writers include: American Society of Journalists and Authors The Authors Guild Editorial Freelancers Association. Freelance Success

There may also be local writer groups in your city or town you can join.

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5. Book Acquisition Editors

Acquisition editors are employees within publishing houses whose sole job it is to find and sign new book projects worth publishing. Most have annual quotas they need to hit, or a target number of new book projects they need to find and commit to publish. They need your help more today than ever before. The publishing industry has changed dramatically in the last few years, thanks to a weak economy, the rising use of e-readers, and the increasing popularity of self-publishing as a viable option for authors. The result for publishers is a risk-averse mindset. Rather than taking a chance on an upand-coming expert who is interested in being published, most publishers will only work with name celebrities and authors who have an established following. Yet they still need to produce books in order to stay in business. While this risk-averse perspective does not bode well for first-time authors, it does create new opportunities for ghostwriters. In some cases, when an acquisition editor comes across a book they would like to publish, conceived by someone who does have an established audience and platform, but who lacks the ability to create a book-length work, they will actively seek a ghostwriter who can fill the gap. Knowing that a skilled writer is going to take responsibility for researching, organizing, writing, and editing a manuscript makes a riskier project so much more appealing. Ghostwriters willing to play a role behind the scenes can become the difference between an author getting a publishing deal or not. Find Acquisition Editors To be considered for such projects, identify acquisition editors at publishing houses that produce the types of books you have experience in
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writing. Do a little digging at the websites of publishers specializing in whatever it is you want to write - health books, celebrity autobiographies, how-to works, or executive autobiographies. Once you find editors of interest, send an email introduction with some writing samples embedded, or linked, not attached. Pitch yourself as the solution to their need for quality writing you can take great ideas from people who cant write, and shape them into a publishable manuscript. Emphasize what you have to offer them, whether its speed, flexibility, subject-matter expertise, or connections, rather than your interest in doing business with them. Make it clear that you are exactly what acquisition editors need to effectively do their job.

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6. Corporate Communicators
Although most major corporations retain at least one public relations firm to be their eyes and ears on the street, when an executive expresses interest in writing a book, starting a personal blog, or developing a keynote speech, for example, the companys own in-house PR department may take the lead in finding an appropriate ghostwriter. Thats why introducing yourself to local corporations and in your area of expertise makes a lot of sense. Position yourself to the PR department as a publishing resource, available to assist in preparing a wide variety of ghostwritten documents for their C-level execs. These may include: Articles Blog posts Books Case studies Newsletters Op/ed pieces Social media messages Speeches White papers

While most PR professionals are capable writers, sometimes the topic or the timeline are simply too much. Knowing that you are waiting in the wings to support them could lead to a steady stream of writing assignments.

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To find appropriate internal PR contacts to which you can introduce yourself, head to corporate websites and find the newsroom or media contacts section at each. Email an expression of interest in supporting them as a ghostwriter and offer to send your rsum and some writing samples. When calculating your fee, remember that multiple levels of corporate professionals will likely review your work. Its not unusual for there to be several rounds of revisions, so take that into account when you price your ghostwriting services.

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7. Social Media Sites

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, as well as blogs, are a way for people to stay in touch with many people at once, as well as to research and compare potential service providers. Your profile, posts, and participation at one or all of these social media sites provides would-be clients with a snapshot of your strengths, weaknesses, interests, connections, and style. Blogging Although blogging is not always considered a social media tactic, since your posts appear on a free technology platform like Wordpress or Blogger, the way it functions is almost exactly like other social networks. And many writers swear by their blog(s) as a way to demonstrate their writing talents, prove their familiarity with a particular industry or topic, and connect with like-minded individuals. Setting up a blog at Wordpress or Blogger takes only a few minutes, but keeping it updated and active can be extremely time-consuming. However, well-written blogs with a steady stream of content of interest to readers has led to many a book deal; the key is writing about a topic you are passionate about and that others are interested in. As a ghostwriter, you could blog about the craft of writing or interviewing, which would be most useful to other writers but could also push you higher in Google searches for the keyword ghostwriter. Or you could blog for or about your target market, which might be CEOs, scientists, teachers, celebrities, small business owners, or some other niche that intrigues you. Consider a blog as one of several ways to connect with potential ghostwriting clients.

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Facebook Facebook has become a virtual water cooler for writers who want to connect with colleagues, prospects, clients, friends, and family. To make the best use of the platform for finding and attracting ghostwriting work, make sure the bulk of the information you share relates back to your professional work. Youll also want to set up a Facebook fan page for your ghostwriting business. A fan page is separate from your personal Facebook page and allows you to dedicate all the information on that page specifically to your ghostwriting work, tips, projects, and helpful information. A Facebook fan page helps underscore your ghostwriting experience. In your personal profile, use the term ghostwriter to describe your services. In your status updates, share information about writing projects, while still adhering to the terms of any non-disclosure agreement (NDA) you may have signed. Pass along useful information you find related to your specialty or to writing. Link your social networks so that updates posted in one show up in others. Position yourself as the writer to turn to in your subject area. LinkedIn Who you are connected to professionally says a lot about you and your network, especially on LinkedIn. Hiring managers almost routinely visit LinkedIn to check out potential candidates, reviewing their connections and skimming recommendations. If your current linkages dont accurately reflect your professional stature or focus, invest time in connecting with people you would like to be aligned with. On LinkedIn, you can also demonstrate your knowledge by answering questions in the Answers section, and you can join Groups of like-minded professionals. You can also post news (similar to Facebook updates) of your professional accomplishments, such as recently-released articles or books, for your network to see. Pinterest The newest of the social media tools to emerge recently, Pinterest relies heavily on images for sharing information. Those images primarily

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photos - can then be repinned, or shared, by people you are connected to on Pinterest. So youll want to pin covers of books youve written (and any youve ghostwritten if you have permission), magazines youve written for, online pieces youve crafted, as well as your rsum and bio. Twitter Creating updates and nuggets of information no more than 140 characters long will certainly hone your ability to be concise, but despite the need for brevity, Twitter has evolved into a powerful connector. Using Twitter, you can position yourself as an expert by tweeting and retweeting information you believe your target audience will find useful. Do that consistently and your name will become synonymous with a thought leader in your niche, and keep you top-of-mind for professionals considering handing off some of their writing tasks. Also make use of the #ghostwriting or #ghostwriter hashtag whenever you post or retweet so that Twitter users hunting for a ghostwriter will easily spot your profile. In addition to sharing information, invest time regularly in identifying people you want to hear from, or follow. Likewise, if you are followed by someone who is relevant to your interests or career, follow them back. Although Twitter measures prominence in terms of numbers the number of people who are following you quality still trumps quantity in terms of generating business. Make sure your tweets are being seen by potential clients and influencers in your industry and your odds of landing ghostwriting work will rise in parallel. Share Information Being active on one or more of these sites requires regular sharing of information; they are opportunities to show what you know and position yourself as an expert in a particular topic. Frequent blog posts about various aspects of your specialty, timely news reports of interest to others interested in the same topic, and opinion sharing or discussions started to extend your fan base will quickly raise your profile within your target audience potential ghostwriting clients. When potential clients go searching for an expert in their topic area whether its nanotechnology, North Korea, or new ways to clean clothing

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- you want your website and posts to come up at the top of the resulting Google search. And if youre regularly posting articles and information on the big four in social media, Google will take notice.

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About the Author Marcia Layton Turner

Marcia Layton Turner is the executive director of the Association of Ghostwriters and a bestselling author and ghostwriter in her own right. To-date she has authored, co-authored, or ghosted more than 25 books for major publishing houses including McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, Penguin, and Pearson. In addition to writing books, Turners work has also appeared in magazines ranging from Bloomberg Businessweek to Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, Womans Day, Health, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Parenting, and many, many trade journals. Turner received her MBA from the University of Michigan and her BA from Wellesley College.

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! Association of Ghostwriters 144 Fairport Village Landing, #400 Fairport, NY 14450 www.associationofghostwriters.org

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