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With everyone so busy these days, most marketers are looking for strategies to help get more done in less time. Well, there are a few ways to do this – two of them are using article directories and ghostwriters. Using Article Directories Taking advantage of article directories is a great way to add relevant content to your site. You can visit the vast number of directories out there in

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He's Invisible...He's Powerful...He Helps Writers...He's the Ghostwriter! What’s the essential characteristic of a ghost? Invisibility. Well, that’s exactly what a ghostwriter is…invisible. And, the ghostwriter is a powerful tool and a huge help to writers who can’t seem to get their ideas into content or stories. Or, for writers who don’t have the time to write the articles themselves. Or,

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by

E.C. Myers

—

When I discovered that two of my favorite childhood authors, Franklin W. Dixon (The Hardy Boys) and Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew), didn’t actually exist, my world turned upside down.

If this is a shocking revelation for you, I’ll give you a moment to take it all in.

Okay, still breathing? Good. Granted, the news may not be all that surprising considering that Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books are still being published today, around ninety years after the series first appeared in print. Not impossible, perhaps, but highly improbable that “Dixon” and “Keene” are still with us and churning out these adolescent adventures, though Frank, Joe, and Nancy haven’t aged much.

It turns out that the true creator of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and a host of other classic characters from Tom Swift to the Bobbsey Twins, were dreamed up by a man named Edward Stratemeyer. He pioneered the concept of “book packaging,” hiring freelance writers to pen books under pseudonyms, according to his plot outlines. The first to write books as Dixon and Keene was a man named Leslie McFarlane.

A writer “ghostwriting” as another author is one of many ways a novel can be written as a “work for hire.” Sweet Valley High fans, I have more bad news for you: Francine Pascal did not write all those books herself! If you’re skeptical whenever a celebrity “writes” a book, you have good reason to be.

But there are many other kinds of projects that are considered “work for hire,” some of which even allow the author to claim what glory they may, including your favorite media-tie-in novels. The authors behind those Star Trek novels are real people! In fact, some of them are friends of mine, and I vouch for their authenticity.

It gets a little trickier to know who the creator is when a publishing company develops a series in house and hires a freelance author to write the books, either under their own name or a new pseudonym. You might be surprised when you check the copyright page of a book you love: If the copyright is given to the publisher instead of the author, chances are it was a work-for-hire novel, and the author doesn’t own the rights to the plot or characters.

You might experience a moment of disillusion, but does it really matter? Probably not. The author did write the book after all, and hopefully well, and most writing is a collaborative process between authors and publishers, as well as with other writers, editors, and agents. The important thing is whether the book is any good — as with any book.

In some cases the freelance author might have been given a very detailed outline and set of characters and been tasked with connecting the dots; in other cases, she might get minimum direction and have to come up with a story and characters to fit the premise on her own. There are projects that fall somewhere in between. Moreover, most writers pay the bills by writing lots of things other than their own books — that’s simply called getting “work.” Blog posts, speeches, thank you letters, greeting cards, instruction manuals… Credit can’t always be given where it’s due, and sometimes the only place a writer needs his name to appear is on the “Pay to the Order of” line on a check.

If you’re a writer, you might be interested in getting a work for hire assignment of your own. So how does that happen? Typically a publisher will reach out to an author directly or through an agent, or you might get the opportunity through your network of contacts. If you are invited to audition for the project, you would need to submit a sample chapter or two, following guidelines from the publisher (which were developed internally by one or more people). This gives the publisher a sense of whether your approach and writing style are a good fit for their vision, and to compare what you can bring to the project versus other authors vying for the job. I’ve auditioned for a few of these, and I like to write a chapter from very early in the book and one from the middle, which is a chance to show some growth in the protagonist and introduce a variety of settings, characters, and relationships.

If you’re given some freedom regarding the plotting of the book, you may also have to draft an outline on your own — not unlike what you would submit in a book proposal when writing on spec. This outline might include a high-level Synopsis of the whole story, descriptions of the Style and Theme you imagine for the book, a list of Characters, and finally a Detailed Outline telling the story. Later, you may need to develop a chapter-by-chapter outline as well.

Work-for-hire books generally have a tight turnaround time from first draft to publication — we’re talking months instead of years — which can be very appealing in terms of getting your books on shelves and money in your bank account. But it also means you have to write both quickly and well, so it might not be for everyone. On the other hand, for some it could be a dream come true. Once I found out that Franklin W. Dixon was actually a bunch of different authors, I wanted to be one of them. And hey, I’m pretty sure I have at least one great Star Trek novel in me…

What are your favorite work-for-hire books or authors? Have you written a work for hire, or would you like to?

—

E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised by a single mother and a public library in Yonkers, New York. He is the author of the Andre Norton Award–winning young adult novel FAIR COIN and its sequel, QUANTUM COIN; his next YA novel, THE SILENCE OF SIX, will be published by Adaptive in November 2014. You can find traces of him all over the internet, but especially at his blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

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Ghostwriting: Content Rewriting

As a ghostwriter you will come across a variety of clients that may request your ghostwriting services. One of the clients will be ‘the rewrite client:’

This is actually a popular project for a ghostwriter, content rewriting. Whether an individual wants to have his memoir rewritten or a businessman needs to have his business manuscript rewritten or a business wants articles rewritten for an affiliate or sister site, the client will provide you with a full manuscript or article and request that you rewrite it for them.

Sounds pretty simple right? Well, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

For the individual with the memoir you may receive a manuscript that’s very poorly written. You will have to try to determine what the client means in certain instances and this will take lots of feedback. Content rewriting will also mean you’ll need to spin words while still invoking the client’s voice. And, depending on the individual’s reason for writing the memoir, you may have to advise that ‘getting even’ doesn’t really make for a saleable book.

Then there is the businessman looking into ghostwriting for the business book he wants rewritten. Again, you may have poorly written content that you’ll have to sort through. And, you’ll have to strive to keep the client’s voice. You’ll also have to verify all the information.

Another client in need of your ghostwriting service may be the business or health marketer who needs articles rewritten for a sister or affiliate site. This content rewriting is probably word-for-word the most difficult, unless you become very proficient at it. Depending on the genre you will need to become acquainted with the language, the keywords, and the business or health topic you’re writing about.

For example: assuming you’re requested to rewrite health articles about allergies, you’ll need to know the particulars about allergies, such as terminology: indoor allergies, outdoor allergies, environmental allergies. You get the idea. And, the word “triggers” means those substances that will cause an allergic reaction. But if you’re rewriting you may not be able to use the word ‘trigger.’

If you’re wondering why you can’t use a particular word it’s because when rewriting any content for online use, it must meet non-duplication criteria. This means that the rewritten article must be under a particular percentage in regard to duplicate content according to search engine criteria.

Why is this so important in regard to content rewriting?

Simple, Google penalizes page rank if it determines your content is duplicated by other sites.

A great tool to check your duplicate content score is WordsFinder Duplicate Checker and Article Rewrite Comparison. According to this site, your score needs to be below 80 percent or you may be penalized for duplicate content. But, your client may request it be below 70 percent. To be safe, you should always aim for below 70 percent. If you’re rewrite duplicate percentage is too high, you have to rewrite it, while keeping it coherent and on topic, until it’s under 70 percent. This will most likely mean finding synonyms for a number of words. Take the word ‘strategy. You might spin it with ‘policy,’ ‘plan,’ ‘technique,’ or other word that has a very similar meaning.

So, while content rewriting may sound easy, it can be a much more involved ghostwriting project than anticipated. Take this into account when quoting a price.

You can find the WordsFinder tool at:
http://www.wordsfinder.com/tool_duplicate_content_checker.php

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For professional writing services, including ghostwriting, check out:
Karen Cioffi Writing Services
A Team of Professionals for Businesses and Individuals
http://karencioffifreelancewriter.com/karen-cioffi-writing-services/

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More on Freelance Writing and Ghostwriting

Freelance Writing Work: The Possibilities
A Ghost Writer: 5 Features That Can Help Your Business Part 1
You Can Write for Money

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To keep up with writing and marketing information, along with Free webinars - signup for The Writing World newsletter on the right top sidebar!
Until next time,

 Karen Cioffi
Multi-award Winning Author, Freelance/Ghostwriter, Editor, Marketer
Writer’s Digest Website of the Week, June 25, 2012

Find Karen’s eBooks on writing and marketing at:
http://karencioffifreelancewriter.com
(check the sidebar for titles)

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I’m doing something totally different today. This afternoon I had a conversation with a fellow writer and poet. We often have philosophical discussions, and this was no exception. I’d like to recreate a small portion of our talk.

Friend: In my little “boxed” way of thinking:

1. Photographers are seekers, first and foremost

2. Graphic artists are messengers

3. Composers are messengers

4. Singers are channels

5. Actors are mirrors

Me: Yep, I agree about actors. Are writers the interpreters?

Friend: 6. Writers, in my mind, are all of the above

7. Philosophers are interpreters

Me: Ah, okay, I can go along with philosophers. So, let me spell this out differently–

Writers are the philosophers who seek, through pictures, to channel messages and hold up mirrors to their readers, so that interpretations of reality can be seen and appreciated, and a future can be built upon that foundation.

Poetry is the perfect medium in its own way. It’s short, lyrical in form and presents a message, philosophical in method and presentation, and gives the reader an entire picture, however short. And there is music in the cadence and rhythm of the lines that bring home the message.

Friend: I like it. That should be your blog post. I think of ghost writers, for example…

Me: I think on some level it is true. Even the most out-there writers, like early King or Koontz, write about people’s fears and what they’re based on. They give an opportunity to imagine the lengths to which those fears can go. I think ghost writers are even truer for the example. They channel so much of       their client, the messages they gained while working with that individual, and so on. They may be only reflecting the philosophy of the client, but the  wording, phraseology is their own, which makes or breaks the philosophy.

Friend: I suppose as writers we go “I have something to say”… that something is definitely inspired somehow. Poetry is the most compact package as far as  writing goes. It also asks a lot of the readers.

Me: Which is what all messages do.

Friend: I mean… it is a push off a cliff compared to the steady rise of a roller coaster before it crashes down. Longer writing is more like the amusemen

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Freelance writing takes on a number of descriptions: writing for magazines, ghostwriting, copywriting, and any other form of writing-for-hire. And, while it may be a little intimidating, if you work at it you can learn the secrets to becoming successful.

Today, I have a guest post by Filbert Publishing's Beth Erickson on just this topic:

My Most Powerful Freelancing Secret
By Beth Erickson

My most powerful freelancing secret is knowledge.

No.  I'm not the most knowledgeable writer in the world.  I'm not even the best.  However, I'm a voracious reader.

I read everything I can get my hands on.  My library houses books by Bly, Hatch, Lewis, Throckmorton, Ogilvy, Kennedy, Stein, Levinson, and Nash - just to name a few.

I also subscribe to a ton of writing e-mags and magazines.  This helps me keep my e-mag, Writing Etc., up to snuff plus it provides me "inside information" on how to write articles that will be accepted by them.  When another publication runs one of my articles, they're, in effect, paying me while giving me prime advertising space.  (I do believe I learned this incredible
technique from a Mr. Bob Bly....)

I work on projects and market my writing services during the day, then I curl up with a good book every evening.  We rarely turn on the television at night, instead opt to keep the radio tuned to our favorite station.

Every evening, I study effective direct mail packages.  I read about writing techniques and innovative ways market products and services.

As I read each book, I stick a post-it note on the page that has a technique I want to try.  The next day I crack open that same book and actually DO what it suggested.

I repeat what works for me and chuck the ideas that didn't do what I thought it would do.

When I'm working for a client I read all the background materials they provide.  Then I research on my own, trying to know their industry inside out.  I also study their past promotion efforts and
try to get my hands on their competition's marketing materials.

I draw ideas from everything I've read to make my and my client's marketing materials as powerful as possible.

Just like educators and health care workers continually attend classes to earn their "Continuing Education Units," I invest time and money in purchasing the best books I can find to make my
writing efforts more effective than my competition.  But I don't just read and reread them, I study them and apply what I've learned in everything I write.

This article is courtesy of Filbert Publishing. Make your writing sparkle, write killer queries, get published. Subscribe to Writing Etc., the free e-mag for freelancers and receive the e-book "Power Queries." http://filbertpublishing.com

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Tips for Content Subcontracting in Your New Freelance Business
Freelance Writing: An Additional Path to Income
The Ghostwriter and Businesses
The Ghostwriter and the

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Recently, a writer/marketer who always has valuable information recommended outsourcing as a means of effectively and quickly getting a number of articles written. He was using a particular service to create a niche site for affiliate marketing, but it can just as effectively be used to create visibility and traffic to your own sites and products.

Remember though, it’s the content that creates the organic traffic funnel to your site. You should offer your visitors/readers quality content.

The marketer stated that he paid $3 to have articles rewritten and distributed to hundreds of article directories.

Wait a minute . . .

While I’m sure this is true, guaranteed the rewritten articles are not done by professional writers. It’s possible the writers or spinners are using a rewriting/spinning program.

A rewriting program chooses random words to change, or the author creates a list of words for the program to find and change. Some can also rework paragraphs, but it’s not the same as a writer. These programs can’t tell if they’re missing the mark on clarity in the content, or if they are changing the meaning.

Outsourcing these types of articles is similar to purchasing private label rights (PLR) articles. PLRs are articles that you can buy by the bundle at a low cost and use with your own byline.

But, consumer beware. You may have an embarrassing situation on your hands if you don’t proofread and edit the articles before using them. Often, these articles are rewritten by non-English speaking writers, or writers who are overly concerned with quantity over quality.

For those of you who don’t mind having to edit each article, PLRs or outsourcing on-the-cheap may be an option. Certainly, there are some writers who feel it’s easier to rewrite an existing article than create one from scratch.

Some of us are on the other end of the outsourcing chain. We ghostwrite or rewrite articles for marketers or others who are looking for quality content. As professional writers, we know the importance of creating quality over quantity. If you want to create an impressive article utilizing facts and quotes, and shining with clarity, you can’t use rewriting programs, or writers who aren’t professional.

One important factor as a writer is that your writing is a reflection of you and your writing ability; it should always be the best it can be, whether you are writing for yourself or for a client. It also holds true if you are hiring a professional writer to ghostwrite articles for you. Unless you’re very familiar with the ghostwriter’s work, be sure to proofread any content you’re publishing before hand. Remember, your name will be associated with that content.

Depending on your writing needs, you will have to decide if you want quality or quantity, if you choose to outsource.

If you are an affiliate marketer, it’s all about getting as much traffic as possible to a niche site that has a copy ad landing page urging the reader to BUY. The more traffic the greater the chances of sales and an affiliate commission. Conversion rates rule . . . quality often takes a back seat to quantity.

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Related Marketing Articles

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