How do you turn occasional ghostwriting assignments into a consistent, financially viable business? That was the question at the heart of the Attaining a Sustainable Ghostwriting Practice session on the first day of the 2025 Gathering of the Ghosts.
Moderator Becka Oliver, director of talent and VP, Kevin Anderson & Associates, shared the stage with panelists Eve Adamson, Ryan Dempsey, Pauleanna Reid and Toni Robino. Here are a few highlights from their lively conversation.
How to Distinguish Yourself as a Ghostwriter
As a young ghostwriter, Eve earned a reputation for versatility. She was willing to write about nearly anything — especially topics she didn’t know much about. Her older titles include books like Dachshunds for Dummies and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Eating. Not the most glamorous work. However, it achieved a critical goal: establishing herself in the field.
“I always believe in the beginning, you really just have to grind and get your name out there,” she said. “So why not learn on the job? When it’s a smaller book, the stakes are lower, but you get experience. And then when a bigger person calls you, you already know what you’re doing.”
Toni, too, wrote about a wide range of subjects early on. Today, 27 books into her career, she’s more selective in taking on projects. Having a connection with the author is vital, but it’s more than that.
“I’m very particular. I only want to invest my time in books that can truly build a brighter world,” she said. “That’s my big criterion: lifting people up, bringing people together, unifying voices — all of that. And I train my cheerleaders out there to tell people that about me.”
For Pauleanna, differentiation starts with having a strong founder’s narrative and digital presence. Over the past decade, she has created a deep library of online content detailing her life and career journey. She believes serving as her own client helps her make a more persuasive case to prospects and close more deals.
“I mastered the art of marketing myself,” she said. “This is really important, especially for women, because oftentimes we play small and don’t want to boast about our accomplishments. We ought to be much louder about what we’re working on.”
Ryan is sensitive to the fact that agents and editors are constantly putting out fires. So when communicating with these professionals, he focuses on soft skills — in particular, his reliability and his proficiency in taking some of their problems off their plate.
“Whether it’s somebody who can work on a deadline, somebody who can deal with tough clients, somebody who they can trust with their project because they know what they’re going to get,” he said. “I sometimes think of it as being the ‘glue guy’ on the team.”
Thinking Outside the Box When Charting Your Career
According to Pauleanna, building a sustainable career requires ghostwriters to think beyond writing books and speeches. It also means taking “stretch” projects to expand one’s skillset.
To that end, she has been positioning herself as a communications strategist in recent years. In this role, she consults with business leaders and other influential figures in positions of power, many of whom are struggling to navigate the delicacies of today’s cultural climate.
“They need someone to decode their ideas,” she said. “They want help with storytelling, best practices and frameworks. ‘How do I approach this conversation? How do I talk to my team about this?’ I’m doing some writing [for them], of course. But it’s more so they want a confidant. Someone who has a global lens, a different point of view on how not to get canceled and lose their livelihood, pretty much.”
Toni was well ahead of the game when it came to thinking outside the box. Early on, she realized there inevitably would be gaps between book projects. So she created and sold a course that walked first-time authors through the process of writing a book.
When Toni later started attending publishing conferences, she found herself informally referring authors to literary agents. Eventually, she began generating income as a literary talent scout. “I’ve noticed many other people are calling themselves that now,” she said, “but I think I might’ve been one of the first ones to do it in this field.”
Eve is also mindful of filling in the gaps between books. Once she completes a book, she often pitches the author on serving as their online ghostwriter. She has several retainers that have arisen this way. The clients pay her each month to be on call for ad hoc projects.
“It’s very quick for me to, say, write answers to interview questions from Forbes or an article on healthy summer vegetables for a regional luxury magazine,” she said. “Whether they call me once or 10 times in any given month, I just pause what I’m doing and write the piece right away. And I’ve got that monthly check coming in, which is unusual for a ghostwriter.”
Ryan worked in film and television before his lack of progress motivated him to try other forms of writing. That’s how he ended up getting into ghostwriting. Today, he continues to keep his eyes open to new types of professional opportunities.
“You always need to be on the lookout for the next thing,” he said. “Ask yourself, ‘What else could I do?’ You have to get into the habit of making that a practice and not getting too comfortable.”
Our thanks to Becka, Eve, Ryan, Pauleanna and Toni for sharing their expert insights.
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Dan O’Sullivan is a nonfiction ghostwriter and a partner at The Hired Pens, a Boston-based writing agency.
