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Considered working as a Freelance Ghostwriter? This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to WritingJobs.org and is one of many interviews with writing professionals, which among others include a Staff Writer and an Editorial Adviser.

What is your job title and what industry do you work in? How many years of experience do you have in this field?

I am a freelance writer and editor. Most of my work is ghostwriting for online clients, creating SEO copy, spinning pre-written articles, writing up blog posts, and more. I’ve done a huge variety of work, writing on all kinds of topics. I’ve been in the industry since 2009, though I have had some day jobs during.

How would you describe what you do? What does your work entail? Are there any common misunderstandings you want to correct about what you do?

If you come across something on the web – an article, a sales pitch, product descriptions, “about us” pages – that doesn’t have a byline, it was probably written by a freelance ghostwriter like myself (sometimes those articles do have the bylines of whoever bought the content). I write for all kinds of clients, from indie blog owners to big corporations like Sears. Clients tell me what they want and I write it for them. I get paid per word and all rights go to them. Sometimes it’s very boring and sometimes I love it.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your job satisfaction? What might need to change about your job to unleash your full enthusiasm?

It would be hard to rate my job satisfaction on a scale, because each day is different. Sometimes I have a lot of work and great clients, sometimes no work and/or the hard-to-deal with clients. Some days I can churn out work without much effort, and sometimes I feel dry and uninspired. I might feel completely satisfied if I could have steady work and cooperative buyers all the time, but then things would get boring and I’d never be challenged.

If this job moves your heart – how so? Ever feel like you found your calling or sweet spot in life? If not, what might do it for you?

I love to write. I don’t have a particular passion for web writing, but it can be much more interesting than other jobs. I am getting paid to do what I love and what I’m good at, I work by myself and keep all my profit. I can enjoy my life and my work without a boss breathing down my neck, in my pajamas if I want to. The only thing that could be better is if I could make a living writing my novels.

Is there anything unique about your situation that readers should know when considering your experiences or accomplishments?

Doing this kind of work is easy for me because I get bored with long projects and the same routine over and over. I don’t like working with a team and enjoy my solitude. Freelancing gives me all that and I love it, but it’s not for everyone.

How did you get started in this line of work? If you could go back and do it differently, what would you change?

Freelancing is my dream job, but I actually got started in it full-time out of necessity. I wrote occasionally in college to build a portfolio and make a little bit of extra income, but after I graduated, it was the only way I could buy groceries because the job market is so crappy. Right now, I am in a pretty good spot – I wouldn’t change anything, cliché as that sounds, because I’ve learned from it. If I could, I would only go back to tell myself to quit procrastinating and write more.

What did you learn the hard way in this job and what happened specifically that led up to this hard-learned lesson?

Procrastinating is very, very bad. Early on, I lost clients because I couldn’t deliver on time. No more.

What is the single most important thing you have learned outside of school about the working world?

Professionalism and a sense of humor are your best assets. You can be a genius with more qualifications than you can shake a stick at, but no one will work with you if you’re not a professional. A sense of humor keeps you going through the worst times.

What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in this job?

I get the weirdest assignments sometimes. 1,500 on “How To Kiss a Girl,” or “questions to ask when buying a new toilet.” I write ad copy for male enhancement, kitchen appliances, and just about anything you can think of. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes it’s kind of weird.

Why do you get up and go to work each day? Can you give an example of something that really made you feel good or proud?

I get up and write because, hard as it may be to believe, I enjoy my work. I’m not selling my soul in a corporation and I’m not ruining my health at a minimum-wage, dead-end job. I can write at a desk, in a restaurant, in bed, at any hour of the night or day. I have freedom that few others do. Usually that’s plenty for me, but getting a compassionate client who tells you, “Excellent work!” just sweetens the deal.

What kind of challenges do you handle and what makes you really want to pull your hair out?

Getting clients who think they know how to do your job is frustrating, as well as those who will try to get more out of you than they’re willing to pay for or expect unreasonable deadlines. Sometimes I deal with impossible assignments – such as “500 words on how to choose curtains.” You have to grin and bear it, and know when/how to terminate a professional relationship that’s more troublesome than it’s worth.

How stressful is your job? Are you able to maintain a comfortable or healthy work-life balance?

It has a fair amount of stressors – but the freedom I have makes them miniscule. It’s a pretty good job.

What’s a rough salary range for the position you hold? Are you paid enough and/or happy living within your means?

A freelancer’s salary can be as fickle as the wind – some of us make the big bucks ($15-50/hour), some of us write for pennies. One month may bring nice fat paychecks and the next may net nothing. Budgeting becomes a balancing act, and you can never rely on a single source of income. Right now, I am making enough to cover what my spouse’s income doesn’t, but I am working my way up to a full salary range. My income has been good for padding our savings, though I have to save extra to pay self-employment taxes.

How much vacation do you take? Is it enough?

I take vacation when I can afford it, when I need it. If I want to work 8-4 Monday through Friday, I can, or in the middle of the night weekends.

What education and skills do you need to get hired and succeed in this field?

Expertise in a certain subject area always helps, but freelance writers really only need a few things – a stable internet connection, the ability to work unsupervised, knowledge of how to construct a good, error-free sentence and use SEO; and the ability to find information quickly and efficiently. It also helps to type fast.

What would you tell a friend considering your line of work?

If you want to write freelance, go for it. Don’t quit your day job immediately, but practice. Develop a thick skin because not everyone is going to immediately love your work – some people who have no idea how to write will think they do and will tear your work apart, viciously sometimes.

If you could write your own ticket, what would you like to be doing in five years?

In five years, ideally I would be living off my novel’s royalties, doing some ghostwriting to keep me fresh occasionally.