By Michael McKown
While a bachelor’s degree isn’t required to become a ghostwriter, post-secondary education can help prepare aspiring ghostwriters with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. That’s not a surprise. Advanced education is beneficial in many fields. But is it necessary?
The quick answer is: no. But there’s at least one caveat. You do need to have an excellent grasp of American English. You need to be able to listen to the person who wants to hire you. Self discipline is required. And you need to be able to negotiate.
Case in point: me. I attended community college and did get through the first semester of my journalism major, but simply could not endure sitting in a classroom chair any longer. I found out why in year 2000. I was diagnosed with ADHD, which has been under control with bupropion ever since. In 2002, I co-founded Ghostwriters Central, Inc., one of the country’s top ghostwriting firms.
I wish I had completed college, but at age 78 as of this writing, I’m not going to try. I don’t need a degree. When you’ve got a successful track record, what’s the point? After all, of what value is a degree beyond its importance to an employer that you have the needed skills?
What I do have, and what was important to my success, is the ability to write well. The ability to talk with and listen to prospective clients. Excellent storytelling skills. Endless self discipline, and the ability to negotiate. Discretion is essential for a ghostwriter.
Skills, skills and skills
Let’s talk about the qualities a ghostwriter must possess.
- You need to be able to write and edit. It’s fundamental to the profession.
- Be an active reader. To be a good storyteller, you must know how stories are told. Additionally, anyone who aspires to be a storyteller must enjoy reading stories, or watching them on TV or in a theater. In my case, when I was in the second grade at a school in Los Angeles, I’d listen to a teacher read stories during recess. Nearly everyone else hit the playground.
- Strong writing, research, and communication skills are essential for ghostwriters. These skills can be honed through education, but more importantly, through practice and real-world experience.
- Many ghostwriters take additional writing workshops or creative writing courses to further develop their craft.
- A key skill for ghostwriters is the ability to write in someone else’s voice. You must learn how to change your tone, style, and language to match the client’s unique voice and the intended audience.
Ghostwriting schools
As of today, no accredited university offers a specific “degree in ghostwriting”; however, a bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, history, creative writing or communications is generally considered the best foundation for a career as a ghostwriter, as it develops crucial writing skills and understanding of language that are essential for the profession. There are organizations that offer “certificates” in ghostwriting, upon successful completion of one or more writing-related courses. What follows is a list I found in the process of doing research for this article. Note that there is no endorsement implied or intended:
Ghostwriting Professional Designation Program
ghostwritertraining.com
Premium Ghostwriting Academy
premiumghostwritingacademy.com
Certified Professional Ghostwriter
aibm.us/certified-professional-ghostwriter-cpg
Ghostwriter School
ghostwriterschool.com
Ghostwriting University
ghostwritinguniversity.com
Up from ground zero
Prospective clients will want to know what you can do. Build a portfolio of projects you’ve undertaken as an independent writer, whether or not you were paid. Start with smaller gigs, such as writing for blogs, websites, or local publications.
Many ghostwriters are self-taught in aspects such as writing style adaptation, researching topics quickly, and maintaining confidentiality. Learning to adapt your writing to match a client’s voice is a skill that can develop over time through practice and feedback.
Ghostwriters are often bound by confidentiality agreements, and they must be able to work discreetly while maintaining professionalism throughout the process.
Since ghostwriting often involves tight deadlines and working on multiple projects at once, strong time management skills are essential.
Specialization
Some write in specific genres, such as fiction, non-fiction, or memoirs, studying those genres closely and reading books from the genre can provide insights into what readers expect. Some ghostwriters specialize, while others take on whatever project is offered.
Major areas of specialization include:
- Memoirs and autobiographies. Writing life stories for individuals, often celebrities, entrepreneurs, or people with extraordinary experiences. This involves capturing the subject’s voice, personal experiences, and key life events.
- Business and entrepreneurship. Writing books, articles, or guides on business topics, such as leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, marketing, or personal finance. Business books often focus on providing value through actionable advice and industry insights.
- Self help and personal development. Writing motivational and self-improvement books that focus on areas like productivity, mental health, relationships, habits, or personal growth. These books often contain advice, tips, and frameworks to help readers improve their lives.
- Fiction (novels and short stories). This sort of ghostwriter will create narrative work based on an idea or an outline provided by the client. This is pure imaginative storytelling.
- Health and wellness. Writing books or articles on health-related topics, such as fitness, nutrition, mental health, alternative medicine, or lifestyle changes. This can also include diet books, workout guides, or wellness programs.
- Biographies. Writing detailed accounts of a well-known individual’s life, often focusing on their career achievements, struggles, and impact on society. This is a more in-depth and researched form of writing than a memoir, often requiring interviews and historical research.
- Technology and IT. Writing technical manuals, guides, whitepapers, or thought leadership articles on topics such as software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. This can also include writing for blogs, websites, or industry reports.
- Spirituality and religion. Writing on topics related to spirituality, religious teachings, meditation, mindfulness, or faith-based topics. This might involve ghostwriting books, devotionals, or articles for religious leaders, spiritual coaches, or wellness professionals.
Marketing and a website
Marketing encompasses all of this: When you go into business, people need to become aware of you. Join writer organizations that will list you and your business in their directory. Attend conferences and network. Shoot videos for YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Take advantage of LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Threads and BlueSky. Join Quora and Reddit and participate in discussions about writing. Offer your services on freelancer websites. Become known as an expert, as an authority.
A necessity: Create a professional website on which you announce your services. It’s easy to find an affordable, skilled web designer. Make it informative and useful. I strongly recommend you use a designer who understands the intricacies of SEO (search engine optimization). Without it, your website will likely have big problems being found on Bing or Google. My company offers its professional ghostwriting services on ghostwords.com. Come check it out.
I wish you great success as a professional ghostwriter, whether or not you have a college degree.
Also Read: How Are Real Academic Writers Better Than AI Tools?
