How Can You Start Ghostwriting as a College Student?
Tips to Become a Ghostwriter as a 19-year-old College Student
I say 19 because that’s when I got my first ghostwriting project. You can start regardless of age if you know how to research and precisely articulate what’s important on a blank, white screen. What you are doing here is providing services, doing extensive research, and writing in a way that readers understand. You are breaking complex theories into easily understandable words.
And you get paid for doing this. As a ghostwriter, that article/blog/white paper/social media post will not be under your name. That might feel weird at times.
But you have to understand that if you have writing skills, this is the fastest way to make money. Because as a 20-something-year-old, all you have is the time needed to write. There is little to write about. You are just starting — both in life and in your career, so use those articulation and research skills to write for someone who has some value to provide.
Many people know in abundance. That knowledge will just die with them if someone doesn’t write about it and let the world know about their brilliance. You must think, oh, they can write themselves, why someone must hire a writer? No, they can’t. They don’t have time. Because they are busy gathering expertise.
As a ghostwriter, you are not getting paid just with money. But with knowledge, and having formed good connections with the best/most brilliant people in your industry. That amounts to something money can never buy.
The best part is it’s never boring. With every project, there is something new to learn about, and new people to connect with.
- Let’s get started with the basics. You’ll need a laptop and a good internet connection.
- Create a LinkedIn account for yourself.
- Write a sample article on any topic that interests you.
- My first sample article was called “Will digital marketing ever rule the world?”. It was around 1500 words.
- I didn’t know much at that time, so I simply searched “content writers” on LinkedIn. A list of content writers came out, and I messaged 25 people at once. It was around midnight on 11 March 2022.
- The next day someone replied to my DM (Direct message), asking for my work samples, and just like that — I got my first project as a freelance writer.
- It was not a ghostwriting work because I was subcontracted by another writer. After all, the keyword I used was “Content Writers”. I don’t do that anymore. Now my target audience is CEOs, co-founders, investors, Startups, and more!
- Apart from LinkedIn, you can use platforms like Twitter (now X), Facebook, and other social media platforms as well. Or you can directly Google the niche you want to work on. Find companies/websites that could use some help with content creation and well...help them out!
- In today’s day and age, everybody needs help with content. Whoever owns a business, has to have a website, and there’s no website without a landing page now, is it? (Technically, there is but, you know. That’s so not the point). The point is to start pitching and creating content.
- You can start with writing YouTube scripts, landing pages, blogs, general articles, tech articles, thought leadership articles, social media posts, captions, subtitles, emails…anything! Then stick to what suits you the best.
That’s pretty much it. Happy writing:)