Ghostwriting: The Weirdest and Most Profitable Freelance Writing Niche I've Ever Tried

[Jackman]

Okay, this might sound strange, but I've been ghostwriting for two years, and I absolutely love it.

What is ghostwriting? I write things—LinkedIn posts, articles, even book chapters—and someone else puts their name on them. I get paid, they get the credit, and nobody ever knows I existed. At first, it felt weird. I'd see "my" words going viral under someone else's name. But then I realized: I don't want to be a public figure. I don't want to manage a personal brand. I just want to write and get paid. Ghostwriting is perfect for that.

The best part? Because clients are putting their reputation on the line, they pay really well. They want quality, and they're willing to invest. I've ghostwritten for tech CEOs, life coaches, and even a politician. Each project teaches me something new about a different industry. If you're good at mimicking voices and you don't need the spotlight, ghostwriting might be for you. Anyone else here ghostwrite? How do you handle the anonymity?

 

[Arnold]

It's the perfect intersection of creativity and commerce for people who love the craft but not the spotlight.

The anonymity question is fascinating. For me, it's evolved from feeling strange to feeling liberating. When you're not attached to the byline, you can experiment with voices and styles you'd never try under your own name. You become a chameleon, and that skill makes you incredibly valuable.

The profitability you mentioned is key. Clients aren't just paying for words; they're paying for the peace of mind that their reputation is in safe hands. A tech CEO paying you $2,000 for a LinkedIn article isn't paying for the 500 words—they're paying for the ideas, the strategy, and the guarantee that it won't embarrass them .

The ethics are something I think about. I only work with clients who genuinely have the expertise they're claiming. I'm a translator, not a fabricator. If they have the knowledge but lack the time or writing skill, I'm happy to help. If they're pretending to be something they're not, I pass.