How to Become an Author - Ghostwriter Salaries
Name: Rick Lanning
Job Title: Ghostwriter and Photographer
Where: Missouri – United States
Employer: Self-employed. I just finished writing a book for a retired investment banker who lives in the Caribbean. He was born in London and managed an investment fund of over $22 billion daily trading in currencies.
Years of Experience: 25 years
Relevant Experience: I had my own radio show and have written for some 50 magazines since 1970.
Education: High school graduate, two years of college and a graduate of a creative writing school in Hollywood, CA.
Annual Salary: See PayScale’s Reseach Center for the median Author Salary in the U.S.
Looking for a career that offers challenge, excitement, and creativity? How about a career that includes traveling to exotic locations and bumping elbows with the rich and famous? This may sound too good to be true, but, if you have a knack for the written word, can build rapport with diverse people, and love to tell a great story, you might be the perfect candidate for a career as a ghostwriter.
For Ghostwriter Rick Lanning, a typical work day could include meeting Willy Nelson or jetting off to the Caribbean to work with his next big client. In this Salary Story, Rick reflects on the interesting people, places, and stories he has worked with during his 25 years as a ghostwriter.
Job Description of a Ghostwriter
Rick: I approach successful people to help them write their life's story in book form. These may include professional golfers, actors, musicians, business owners, race car drivers, rodeo bronco or bull riders, gamblers, adventurers, sports fishermen, models, hunters, artists, architects, and many more. Once we come to an agreement, I begin writing the book either from a diary or material they provide me or from personal interviews with them, family members, friends and peers. I also include the photography that would be used to illustrate the book. We can either work at the principal writer's home or office, or we can do the job via the Internet.
PayScale: How did you become an author or ghostwriter?
Rick: I ghostwrote my first book in the late 1960s when I was a reporter for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. I wrote it for a person who had a winning system for the card game blackjack. My second book was a spiritual book on how to survive a loved one's death, written through the eyes of a female pastor. My third book was about a professional golfer named Eddie Rack and the forward was written by Arnold Palmer. In each case, I persuaded the individual to let me help him or her get their message across in book form.
PayScale: What do you love about being a ghostwriter?
Rick: The freedom to travel. I also have the freedom to choose projects that interest me. I meet some of the world's most interesting people because of my work. In my feeling, each person is a walking, talking book. It is my job to tell the story in their language, not mine, and to hit all the points that make their story salable. I always try to get the individual's family and friends involved and often ask them to write an excerpt that I will later edit and crop so it can be included as part of the book.
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