Ghostwriting for Career Advancement

I've ghostwritten for the same climate tech CEO for 20+ months. Last week, he told me my questions had become useless. He was right. For the first 12-14 months, every weekly call produced gold. I'd ask about customer stories, product updates, market reactions — and he'd give me frameworks, contrarian takes, and insights I couldn't find anywhere else. 350+ posts later, I noticed a change. His answers started getting shorter. Fewer details. I'd ask about a new customer and he'd say "it's the same story, you can make it up.” I kept pushing. Better questions. Different angles. It didn't help. Then last week, he said it directly: "Your questions don't uncover more depth. They feel repetitive." And he was right. I’ve hit the ceiling with my question bank and was going out of my way to be ‘creative’ and uncover ‘novel’ angles. That wasn’t working. So now we're rebuilding the system: → I double down on research. Industry data, policy shifts, market examples. → I draft the angles and bring them as finished concepts instead of questions. → His role shifts from answering questions to correcting my framing. → The calls go from weekly to bi-weekly. Shorter. More focused. I'm betting his corrections and disagreements will produce better content than my questions in the last 1-2 months did. We're testing it now. I don't know if it'll work yet. But it got me thinking: The best ghostwriting relationships aren't static. The system that works at month 3 might break at month 15. If it does, it’s a signal that your content partner has absorbed enough context to operate differently. And that’s ok. — PS. If you're talking to a ghostwriter, ask them for examples of how their process has evolved when working with clients for over a year. This will give you a good idea whether they are someone who can adapt to you or if they are too rigid.

Most ghostwriters don't actually ghostwrite. They just… type. There's a difference. Typing = same voice, different byline. Ghostwriting = becoming someone else entirely. I don't write posts. I channel people. Tech founder? I'm thinking in code and exit strategies. Creative director? I'm seeing campaigns and colour palettes. VC partner? I'm calculating burn rates and market size. Different brains. Different rhythms. Different results. I study how they text. How they email. How they think out loud. One client uses bullet points for everything. Another writes in stories and metaphors. A third? Pure data and logic. My job isn't to make them sound better. It's to make them sound like themselves on their best day. Most "ghostwriters" have one voice they copy-paste. Real ghostwriting means disappearing completely. Ever read a post and thought: "That doesn't sound like them"? Exactly.

Ghostwriting has evolved far beyond just writing. I've spoken with hundreds of ghostwriters, and let me tell you, it's a full-scale operation now. Here's what modern ghostwriters actually do: 1. Strategic Planning - Building content calendars that align with business goals - Mapping content to audience journey 2. Client Management - Running feedback sessions - Collecting voice notes and preferences - Managing multiple revision cycles - Building trust and understanding 3. Operations - Setting up approval workflows - Managing posting schedules - Tracking engagement metrics - Optimizing based on performance 4. Content Creation - Research and ideation - Writing and editing - Format optimization - Hook crafting Yet I still hear: "Oh, so you just write stuff for others?" If only it were that simple. 😅 Modern ghostwriters are: • Content strategists • Project managers • Data analysts • Brand guardians • Communication experts They're not just putting words together - they're building and executing entire content operations. To my fellow ghostwriters: You're not just writers. You're running sophisticated content machines. What's the most challenging part of ghostwriting that others don't see?

"𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻." That’s what I told a client a month ago and it changed everything. They came to me frustrated, overwhelmed, and honestly, a bit lost. They had a writer, 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆. Content was going out. But it was lifeless. No engagement. No traffic. No spark. When I asked about their process monthly strategy syncs, voice alignment, narrative goals they just shrugged. “There are none. I just hired a writer to write stuff for me.” That’s the moment I had to say it, bluntly: “𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲. If you’re not showing up with your voice, no one else can fake it for you.” Here’s the reality most people forget about ghostwriting: 𝗚𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀. We can write in your voice , but only if you give us that voice. We can reflect your brand , but only if you reveal your brand to us. We can turn your story into engaging content, but only if you share the story. That client had amazing wins launches, travels, insights , but they weren’t showing up for their own narrative. No calls. No feedback. No clarity. And then they wondered why it wasn’t working. So we reset.  We started having real conversations. They began showing up not with polished pitches,  but real human stories, raw ideas, and imperfect voice notes. Suddenly, the content started to breathe. Engagement tripled. Traffic doubled. Leads flowed in. And for the first time, their audience actually saw them. So what both sides need to understand: 👉 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁: You’re not outsourcing a task. You’re inviting a creative partner into your brand’s soul. Be involved. Give clarity. Share stories. Your ghostwriter can write for you, but not without you. 👉 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿: Don’t accept gigs where the client wants a shortcut. Push for conversations, context, and collaboration. If they want results, they need to show up too. Great content is not a solo act. It’s a co-creation. The writer amplifies the signal. The client provides the frequency. So, before you hire a ghostwriter or a content partner, Ask yourself: Are you ready to show up for your brand? 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆.

Hot take: Ghostwriting fees have almost nothing to do with publishing—and everything to do with the client’s world.   At last week’s Gathering of the Ghost in New York, we heard some big numbers: $150k, $200k, $300k+. Cue the predictable reaction from the publishing crowd: Wait, who’s paying that? For what kind of book?   Here’s what struck me: The value a client attaches to a ghostwritten book is not always the value that the publishing world attaches to that same book.   The publishing industry thinks in advances and royalties. Pay the ghostwriter what the book can reasonably earn back. Neat, contained, tidy.   Clients think in an entirely different currency. Time, clarity, expertise they don’t possess, credibility they can’t manufacture alone, and the opportunity cost of doing anything other than running their business.   It’s becoming the person known for the idea. It’s the keynotes, the investor trust, the inbound opportunities, the thought-leadership platform that earns them exponential value outside the publishing ecosystem.   A $200k ghostwriting fee makes no sense if you’re only looking at the P&L of a book. It makes perfect sense if you’re looking at the P&L of a career.   Neither view is wrong; they’re just measuring different things.   No sweeping conclusion here—just an observation from a week of conversations with smart, generous peers. The market for ghostwriting is wider and more varied than the publishing lens alone tends to recognize.

“Darika, why would anyone pay you to write LinkedIn content for them?” Fair question. Let me show you what shifted: The ghostwriting market: - $1.3 billion globally in 2025 - Growing at 6.8% annually - No signs of slowing down LinkedIn today: - 1 billion+ users - Organic reach down 65% - Engagement still at 6.5% - 75% of recruiters use it as primary platform What founders think they need: Someone to write posts. What they actually need: → Thought leadership that gets 6x more engagement → Positioning that opens investor conversations → A voice that builds credibility, not just content → Strategy that turns posts into partnerships AI can write a post in 30 seconds. But AI can’t: - Turn your origin story into content that resonates - Know which vulnerability connects vs. overshares - Position you as a thought leader vs. motivational poster When founders come to me, they’re not buying words. They’re buying founder-led positioning. Time back. A voice that sounds like them on their best day. 87% of executives say personal branding helps them raise capital. The question isn’t WHY would anyone pay for this. It’s why wouldn’t they.

I've been ghostwriting for 3 years. Worked with dozens of clients across different platforms. 5 big changes in the last 3 years: First, there're a lot more ghostwriters out there. Back in late 2021, early 2022 when I was getting started I knew of *literally* 1 other ghostwriter. Now, I can peruse my profile visitors on LinkedIn and see hundreds. The reason: it's become popular among "bizops" AND there's an incredibly low barrier to entry. Second, it's become far less stigmatized. Clients are more okay than ever with hiring ghostwriters. Especially as people like myself have changed the narrative from "we make up random crap" to "we scale your ideas across the internet". And the world is better for it (we need more credible people sharing their lessons). Third, there's a lot more content. The megatrend here is mostly from AI. But also because of the growth of ghostwriting as a category. If the average ghostwriter has 5 clients, and there are thousands of ghostwriters... Ends up being a lot of people producing a lot of content. Fourth, like any competitive industry, there's a lot of slop. I'm literally okay giving away all my secrets on social media. LinkedIn, YouTube, X, etc. Because *even if* you know what to do, it takes a ridiculous amount of work to do it, and especially to do it well. The cream always rises to the top. Fifth, the main platforms have changed. Back in 2021-2023, Twitter was the #1 platform for ghostwriting by a long shot. In 2024 and 2025, it's been LinkedIn. I've been one of many to make that pivot. Some have gone to IG and YouTube, because ghostwriting can be applied to video as well as text. Email has been a secondary mechanism. Never the hottest. But pretty dang reliable. Last thought here: email ghostwriting is not all that different from email marketing as a category. The biggest difference is it's more educational / thought leadership-y, and less sales focused. Newsletters over email marketing. And that's it for today's look at the category of ghostwriting for the past few years. Ghostwriting as a whole has been around for centuries now...but social ghostwriting is a new phenomenon and it's been fun riding the wave. Curious - any questions around any of these? Find this whole topic fascinating and would love some dialogue in the comments. Fun fact: the picture below is the month I took my first ghostwriting client. As you can see, I was on a Day 10 of a copywork challenge to improve my skills. Ended up keeping the habit for the following 6 months.

“The guy you referred is good. Sharp with words. Smooth with edits. But I don’t want to work with a kid in the long run.” That’s what a CXO told me after six months of posts, zero complaints on content. The real issue was that he felt like he was constantly explaining context, which, according to him, should have been intuitive. We had been connected for months, and he wanted me on board, but at the time, I was running at full capacity, so I referred someone solid from my circle. Yet months later... And it’s not the first time I’ve heard this. Have had this conversation with 12+ executives in just the past year. A lot of young ghostwriters (especially college students) try to break in. They write well and hustle. Some even pick up the nuances faster than most. But here’s the gap: writing for a founder isn’t just about skill but instinct. The kind that only comes from having lived through a few storms. Age isn't just about the number of years served, but pattern recognition. When you've survived enough failed deals and seen "can’t-fail" candidates flop, you develop a nose for what's theoretical versus real. What this CXO wanted wasn't just clever posts, but context, comfort, emotional range, and knowing what not to say. If you're a young and hungry ghostwriter: → Study your client’s 10-K filings, not just their LinkedIn → Ask "What's something you almost said in that boardroom but didn't?" → Understand the industry’s spoken and unspoken rules → Learn to write what they feel but don’t say If you’re a founder: → Test for depth, not just deliverables → Ask your ghostwriter to explain your world back to you (in your voice, not theirs) → If you're working with someone young, treat them like a professional but give them room to grow This field doesn’t have a “minimum age.” But it does have a minimum depth. And depth, unlike youth, can’t be faked.

5 things I tell people on ghostwriting discovery calls that surprise them: ✅ Timeline. After strategy work, interviews, writing, and editing, a manuscript takes up to a year to complete. ✅ Revenue channels. The money you make from your book (probably) won’t come from book sales. A book can open massive revenue channels, but actual book sales usually only account for a small sliver of earnings. The biggest financial gains come from: -Speaking engagements -Paid media appearances -Clients won because of the book -Opportunities that come from the authority, exposure, and optics of being a published author ✅ Publishing path. Many people still think traditional publishing is the only credible, viable publishing path. It’s not. For some books, traditional publishing is the way to go. But for others, hybrid or self-publishing means more creative control, less gatekeeping, and more dollars in your pocket. ✅ Marketing. When writing a book, it seems strange…but writing the book is only half the job. If that book is going to help you reach your goals, you need a marketing system to support it. How will you get this book into the hands of people who should see it? Your ghostwriter can help you think through that plan. ✅ Cost. Expected budget is often the biggest surprise. Most experienced, reputable ghostwriters set $50,000 to $75,000 as their minimum for a full-length book. (Expect that number to easily jump to $100,000+ if you’re traditionally publishing and need a book proposal.) --- Are you thinking about creating a book in 2026? Have questions about what working with a ghostwriter looks like? Feel free to get in touch! I’m always happy to answer questions or clarify what this process entails. 

I ghostwrite articles for founders & execs. Here's how we get them into HBR, Fast Co, Crain's, and more: 1️⃣ We decide who the ideal audience is and the right outlet to reach them. 2️⃣ I review previous coverage by that outlet and look for what I call "the media white space." What hasn't the outlet covered before that my client can talk about? Also, how long are the articles and what's their structure like? 3️⃣ Interview the client on a 30-minute call about the topic. Ask them to riff on the topic we've selected. I want their opinions, their frustrations, anecdotes, ideas, and big visions for their field. 4️⃣ Write a brief for one of our writers. Although I will ghostwrite in a pinch, these days I will ask one of our team members to research and write the actual piece for our client. All of our ghostwriters are veteran journalists who have written for outlets like the New York Times, LA Times, The Times (UK), the Atlantic, and more. 5️⃣ The writer turns around the article within a week.  If it's urgent, the piece can be turned around a lot faster, with a rush fee applied. I give it to the client for review. They make their comments/edits in a Google doc. The writer is in the Google Doc, too, and revises the piece and sends it back. Usually, the piece only needs one round of revisions. The client then approves it for publication. 6️⃣ If desired, our team can handle the submission. This involves sending it to one editor at a time for consideration. It's taboo to send the same article to editors at multiple editors at the same time — and can get you blacklisted. 7️⃣ Once an editor has accepted the piece, they may make revisions. They may also ask the client to sign a legal agreement giving them the rights to run the piece. 8️⃣ The client signs off on the revisions, and the piece runs with the client's byline on it! ----------------- As a ghostwriter, I'm ethically not allowed to talk about the piece to anyone other than my client and the people on my team. Thus, the word "ghost." I don't mind it at all. In my opinion, the piece is really theirs — their ideas, experiences, and insights. We just shaped their words into a piece that can be quickly published. And given that our clients are doing some really cool, meaningful things in our messy world, it's a privilege to be a part of that.