Article Surfing Archive

Ghostwriting Articles, Reports, and Ebooks

You have to have some writing talent to ghostwrite articles. You need to be organized, able to research topics quickly, summarize the main points and write the article in a clear way, with correct spelling and grammar. The article length can range from 200 words to 1000 words or more. Payment is usually by the word. For beginners, a 500 word article can be sold for about $5.00. An accomplished ghostwriter can charge up to $30 for a 500 word article. A discount is usually expected for a package of ten or more articles.

The client gives you the topic and any key words that must be included in the article. How long it takes to write the article is dependent upon how much you already know about the topic and how quickly you can find the materials you need to research the topic. It is possible, working at a steady pace, to write ten 400-500 word articles in one day.

You cannot resell anything you've ghostwritten. You don't own the copyright to anything you've ghostwritten. Sometimes as part of the contract you can't even use the client as a referral.

Short reports, up to 3000 words, are usually priced based on the subject matter and the turnaround time. The fees vary from $30 to $100.

Ebooks fees are based on a per page cost. An ebook ranges from 5000 words to 50,000 words. Most ebooks have from 250 to 300 words per page. Fees range from $2.00 per page to $20.00 per page.

If you're just getting started ghostwriting it's a good idea to establish a blog where you can show examples of your work. Potential clients need to see the quality of your work and see your writing style.

Setting up a website is an even better idea. You don't need anything fancy, two or three pages should do just fine. Don't use a free web host; it won't give you a professional image. Find an inexpensive web host. Use a wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) website design program. There are free programs available. Or find someone who will design a 3 page site for you. There are even free website templates available.

Get your writing career started online.