I've been earning my living writing since 2020.

Since then, I've written hundreds of blogs, articles, and stories, as well as five or more books about different topics.

But I've made huge mistakes, too.

Mistakes caused a lot of money to be lost along the way, as well as problems with clients and their expectations.

Here's how you can do better from the start.

#1 Getting the naming wrong

Hear me out on this one.

Most people who earn money writing call themselves "freelance writers," which is technically correct.

But it sends a horrible signal to your potential client: freelancers are commodities, so you hire or fire them as you please.

On the contrary, "ghostwriters" are specialized writers who will deliver incredible texts to help you improve your business.

It's all about the connotation.

As soon as you call yourself a ghostwriter, you'll change your perspective from being happy about small gigs that can pay a bill or two toward big projects that help you have an impact.

That's what you want.

Stop calling yourself a freelance writer and start calling yourself a ghostwriter.

Or do even better and the following that most people overlook, too.

Because it can make all the difference.

#2 Not specializing like a pro

When I started earning my money writing in 2020, I had no idea what I was doing.

I hopped on Upwork and started applying for open positions. As soon as I got one, I kept doing it until it was finished, and then I restarted doing it again.

I never specialized.

Instead, I wrote what was needed. Sure, sometimes it was more of one topic or the other. But it was often just an awful mix of sports, self-improvement, finance, crypto, business, and many more topics.

Jack of all trades, master of none.

While this isn't much of an issue in personal writing, it can kill your earning potential as a ghostwriter.

Clients want specialized ghostwriters eager to tackle their unique problems and provide helpful solutions.

Not someone who has done some of everything but has never really delivered. This means you want to pick your niche.

How?

Look at the intersection of your interests and areas that pay well because otherwise, you won't be able to pay the bills.

Then, you can do this.

#3 Failing to reach out like a networking extrovert

Upwork and Freelancer are handy platforms.

But not for freelancers. While they offer you the chance to earn a living writing, there are other places where you can make the most of your ghostwriting.

No, the best way to earn money by ghostwriting is by reaching out to yourself.

Going in the nitty and gritty of defining, finding, and contacting leads to offer YOUR service instead of applying to THEIR offer.

Being the one who offers means being the one in control.

Because you can set the parameters, define the scope, manage expectations, and have the last word on what a project contains or doesn't.

It's more exhausting, sure.

But it's also more rewarding.

Be the one in control. Start reaching out.

Then, avoid this.

#4 Underselling yourself

Selling your offer will help you fix 80% of money issues.

But the remaining 20% can destroy everything if you keep underselling yourself. And to realize this, you first need to learn the following:

There's enough for everyone out there.

Content is always needed. It will always be needed.

Even if you fail to secure a gig, it shouldn't bother you because there's so much more you can write about to pay your bills and have fun.

Now, the question is: "How do I calculate my price?"

First, if you have an offer, you bundle a certain amount of services to create something your potential client couldn't do himself AND probably won't find elsewhere.

You already have the high ground.

But the easiest place to start is by looking at similar offers of other people: what are they offering, and how much are they charging for it?

Are you offering more or less? Do you have more or less experience? Is your service better or not?

Based on these questions and the prices of your competitors, can you define a price that should be similar but not the same?

Let's say you write daily LinkedIn posts for CEOs and founders, offer a 24/5 service, and promise to increase their engagement by 25% monthly.

A reasonable price for something would be between $1000 and $2500 a month, depending on the current size of their accounts and their niches.

Based on that, you could define an offer at $1500 a month and pitch it to potential clients to show them you're available.

This means there's only one step left.

#5 Forgetting to sell your personality

As a ghostwriter, it's key not to only sell your services but yourself, too.

You're part of your service. They don't hire a typewriter to do the work, but a person, you, with a smart brain to get the job done.

That's why you must let others know what you can do for them.

Start writing about your services, showcase past wins, and ensure to keep people in the loop about how your business is performing.

Aka, build a personal brand.

Be vulnerable, too, but don't sacrifice the integrity of your work. You want to be presentable, so eager clients will consider hiring you.

How?

By showcasing your work.

Write where your clients are at.

For CEOs and founders?

LinkedIn, Medium, and magazines such as Forbes.

For yoga teachers or fitness coaches?

Instagram and Facebook.

For companies looking for copywriters?

X.

You want to capture people's attention, and ideally, you funnel them into your newsletter so you can access their inboxes and start pitching there, too.

Leverage your brand to showcase your work and get intimate access to potential clients.

That's how it's done.

How the bigger writers do it, too.

If you:

call yourself a ghostwriter to set expectations,
specialize to become a master in what you do,
reach out like a networking extrovert who's single,
stop underselling your services by selling a package deal and
start selling yourself, too, to get intimate access to your leads

you can avoid the biggest problems in ghostwriting.

And see yourself winning.

Thank you for reading.

What are you currently struggling with?

Let me know in the comments.

Avoid the 5 Most Common Pitfalls in Ghostwriting

I've been earning my living writing since 2020.Since then, I've written hundreds of blogs, articles,

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