This side hustle has nothing to do with the afterlife. In reality, a ghostwriter is someone who is paid to write content for a specific purpose without receiving credit. Ghostwriters have been used throughout history, even in ancient times. A more modern example of ghostwriting occurred with Tom Clancy’s popular books. The demand for new novels overtook his ability to write them, and his publisher decided to hire ghostwriters to get new books out. People purchasing these books had no idea because they were written under Tom Clancy’s name and in his style.
Being a ghostwriter takes some training. Not only do you have to be a good writer, but you have to be able to write in the style of the author you are trying to emulate. And it has to be so good that no one would think anybody but the author wrote the book. An easier way to get into ghostwriting is to write materials for businesses, either online or in print. This can include writing blogs, writing newsletters, researching and writing articles for a publication and much more. The variety of this side hustle is why we chose it for our Side Hustle Master List.
Concept | |
category | Media/Publishing |
Takeaways | Requires writing skills; ghost writers do not receive credit/publicity for the work. |
complexity lowhigh  | Capital Required lowhigh |
skill required lowhigh | time required lowhigh |
return potential lowhigh |
 | learn more |
Depending on the project, you can expect to make anywhere from $20 to $70 per hour. Shorter works that are easier to ghostwrite are on the lower end, while works that take a lot of research and skill are on the higher end. To get started ghostwriting, check out online job boards and freelancing websites to see if anyone needs a piece of content ghostwritten. Ghostwriting also isn’t limited to words. Most pop stars don’t write their own lyrics or music but have a team of people doing that work behind the scenes. This is another route you can take if you’re talented with music. Thinking about being a ghostwriter? Check out the links below for more information.