My name is Maureen Castellon. I have been a writer for over ten years, a writing instructor for over fourteen years and a professional ghostwriter for three. My first taste of ghostwriting was when I worked for History Miami  writing the curriculum for them as the Curriculum Support Specialist. The museum received credit and my name would not appear. Hours of research, writing and editing, yet no credit. The museum had a built in audience and my words would  reach more people than if I had tried to publish it myself. From that point onwards, I knew ghostwriting would be my career.

Ghostwriting is a wonderful avenue to have your words help others make their creative visions a reality. Before you make the leap, there are a few things to mull over.

The first thing to consider is if you can handle not receiving credit. This may sound like a silly question, but when you are in the middle of drafting a novel for someone else and you love your writing so much you want to keep it, this question will not be so easy to answer.

The second issue to reflect upon is exactly how much you love to write. An odd blog post or journaling is a great start to being a writer, but can you do it on a daily basis on topics you are not personally drawn to a possibility? The mystique of being a writer is all well and good, but it is work. Yes, I can go to the beach on a Monday afternoon. However, I most likely have spent the day before writing since dawn and need to give my hands a rest.

As yourself not whether your writing is any good, but if others will want to put their name on it as if it were done by their own hand. This question is hard to answer. Your family and friends may have complimented your writing before. You may have even been the best writer in school. Nevertheless, your writing may not be commercial enough to sell. At the end of the day, you are producing deliverables for clients and it has to be high quality.

Take heart if your writing is not fully developed. I did not have the time or money to go back to school for a writing program, so I found a writing coach. She offered valuable advice and helped me become a solid writer. Now that I am an established writer, I am offering my services as a writing coach. Through one on one coaching sessions, we can find your writing voice and develop your writing skills. Please email me at maureen@sirenpublications.com if you would like to nurture your writing.

Finally, the thing to contemplate is how well you can take criticism. If a client hates a piece you sent over and you love it, would you argue? If the answer is yes, you must reevaluate immediately. Criticism is hard to take on any level; however, as a writer, you must separate workable criticism from personal criticism. Some clients love if I share a personal story in their blog content and others loathe it. Writing preferences are never personal. You must have thick skin and learn the art of accepting rejection.

Still want to ghost?