How To Claim Credit As A Ghostwriter – Ask Anne, The Pro Writer
August 19, 2008 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
(www.thegoldenpencil.com)
Hi Anne,
I wonder how you demonstrate that you can write well, when everything you write is “authored” by someone else?
I am updating my resume after a year of ghost-writing for a medical communications company, but I can’t figure out how I can showcase my work without stepping on the “author’s” toes. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
MW
Hello MW,
It can be a puzzle can’t it? A couple of things come to mind.
First, how did you demonstrate to this client that you could write? Sounds like you might have some credits you can claim before you started ghosting.
Next, I ask some of my ghostwriting clients if I can use the writing I’ve done for them as samples. I promise not to use their name and not to post or otherwise make public the fact that I did the writing, not them. I assure them I’ll use only enough of the work to demonstrate I can write well and that I will inform the prospective client that what I’m showing them is confidential.
Most of my clients agree; if they don’t, I ask them if I can use them as a reference without stating what I’ve done for them.
Prospective clients understand and appreciate your attention to confidentiality.
Finally, you might consider starting a blog or doing an article or two or three online that you can point to.
It might also help to take a look at an article I wrote called No Clips? No Problem!. Although aimed at beginners, which you’re not, it might spark an idea or a memory that could lead to other items you can use to verify your abilities.
Good luck. Let us know how you work this out.
Do you have a question about freelance writing? Ask Anne, The Writing Pro – that’s me ;) Ask in the comments or send an email and put Q&A in the subject line so I can sort it out from spam and I’ll do my best. Meanwhile, you’ll find some Q&A’s here:
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That’s always a problem, particularly when you have a client you aren’t even allowed to say that you write for. Like you said, keeping a blog and a few articles online in your own name are great ideas. I’ve made an effort to do both and I think that effort has paid off.
If a client seems really paranoid about not letting anyone, ever, know someone else might have done a bit of writing for them, well I charge more too.