Just the other month, I asked if you write for the bucks or the byline. As someone who had stumbled into a fairly steady stream of ghostwriting and co-authoring work completely by accident, I wondered: Is my ego too big to give up the byline? Should I suck it up because the money is good? How do other people feel?
Then I decided, why not just add it to the mix? Because — as someone who juggles sex writing, career coaching, funeral singing, and (now) ghostwriting — I’m all about finding that perfect mix.
Of course, if I was going to be serious about this, there was only one person I could turn to: the lady who wrote the book on ghostwriting.
I had seen Kelly James-Enger’s name here and there throughout the Twittersphere, and knew her as someone who created helpful how-to content for other freelance writers. I had also started reading her column in The Writer magazine. When I realized she’d written the book on ghostwriting — Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: The Writer’s Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books – I knew it was bound to provide valuable insight into an area of freelance writing I had not yet fully explored.
She did not disappoint.
As with all my favorite how-tos, James-Enger really went into the nuts and bolts of how to make it as a ghostwriter. While many of the tips she includes throughout the book can be applied to other aspects of freelancing, this book goes beyond what you’ll find on the average freelance writing blog, providing, among other things:
- descriptions of the types of clients who typically need ghostwriters or coauthors, and how to target them.
- what to ask a possible client before negotiating your price, and signing on to the project.
- what should be included in the ghostwriting contract.
- actual examples of ghostwriting contracts.
- sample pitch letters.
- stories, tips, and examples from other ghostwriters.
- additional resources.
By the end, it had earned a spot on my permanent writer’s reference shelf (which, at the moment, is a tiny drawer in my tiny desk; sigh).
And for those of you still on the fence about ghostwriting? Those of you who are still wondering if ghostwriting is a tool you should have in your freelance toolbox? James-Enger even includes a quiz to help you figure out whether or not this type of work is the right choice for you.
Ghostwriting: It isn’t for everyone, and that writerly ego can easily get in the way. But man I do love those paychecks. 
Related: Do You Write for the Bucks or the Byline? How I Started Ghostwriting, How to Rock the Ghostwriting Process