Surprising Lessons I’ve Learned as a Ghostwriter
Ghostwriting is a new skill for me. And now I work creating copy for a specific group of high-level executives. It’s my job to take their passions, leadership style, and personality and wrap it up together in a nice package every week.
When I started ghostwriting, I was excited. Then soon that turned to sheer panic. How am I going to write for these clients? Why did I agree to this? How can I imitate the voice of someone that I’ve never met? The panic subsided, eventually, and I began to write.
Here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned along the way:
#1 – I had to learn to focus on the medium AND the message.
Not all writing is the same. Most of my content pieces have been for the nonprofit sector. But this was wildly different. My style was long and wordy. That’s great for nonprofit hard copy letters. But it does not work well for C-Suite digital content. The medium was vastly different, and the message had to adapt to fit the method of delivery.
#2 - I had to get to the point, and I had to do it faster.
Writing shorter copy required me to “land the plane” much sooner. There is much less of a runway on a social media post or LinkedIn article than there is with a letter or blog. I had to omit much of my favorite phrases. I learned to start with the end in mind. No more rambling!
#3 – I checked my work more frequently and in new ways.
I bought the Hemingway app recently. No, this isn’t a paid ad and I don’t get any points for mentioning it. But using this app has helped me in all my writing. Hemingway checks your grammar, character count, word count, and grade level. It also identifies sentences that are difficult to read. I thought I was pretty good at plain language writing. But this app has helped ALL my writing become clearer, more succinct, and reader friendly. After two weeks, I can already see a major difference in my content. I have a better feel for how long each piece is, and whether or not I’ll need to make many edits. It has cut down on my editing time overall. What a win!
#4 – I learned that I could do it.
This was a job I wasn’t sure I could do. It was outside my comfort zone and required me to learn and adapt, and to do so very quickly. Within a week, I have to adapt to changes in culture, leadership, and feedback. It’s not simple. But I am finding the groove.
Ghostwriting is a newer field for me, and I’m enjoying it. I am so glad I took the risk on this new venture. It’s been a tremendous learning experience and has made me a better writer. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be stretched!
When you face your next professional challenge, ask yourself what you might be able to learn from it. Take some time to dream up how it could make you better or help you hone your craft. The best thing for your growth and development might not be what you expect!