Is hiring a ghostwriter cheating?

Cheating in school is a popular option. Cheating would be prom queen if it could rent a snazzy dress, bring a member of One Direction to the dance and twerk the night away.*

I am not condoning ghostwriting a thesis or coursework. If you're reading this post to find someone to effectively do your university or school work on your behalf then please go away and do not darken my virtual door again.

I am condoning blog ghostwriting.

Blog ghostwriting

A blog is a brilliant business tool to boost your search engine rankings, educate and engage with customers, and win new ones.

But most business owners do not have the time or resources to do it right - and that's when outsourcing your blog to an expert is a clever move.

When I work with clients on ghostwriting projects, they often regret that they are not writing the article themselves. One recent customer actually said: "I don't normally cheat. I feel so guilty using a ghostwriter." This is a common but incorrect assumption. Ghostwriting isn't cheating.

Not everyone is a writer. Just as everyone isn't a butcher, baker or candlestick maker. If I have a great idea for a new outfit, I wouldn't try to make it myself. I'd go to an experienced dressmaker with my ideas and let them use their expertise to make those ideas come to life.

The same is true for business owners that are experts on their brand, but are not expert writers. You still need to have a polished product to sell your business. 

You provide the ideas, concepts and direction of the piece. I'll provide a well-written post that you can show off as your own - because it is.

How does ghostwriting work?

The secret to blogging success is to consistently provide high-quality content. This is not an easy ask so I will work with your subject matter experts and complete my own thorough research to translate in-depth and complex information into a post that's easy for customers to understand, without dumbing everything down.

The process often involves a bit of a learning curve. I will need to research your business, industry and specific requirements to find your voice. This is one of the most enjoyable parts for me - the learning process. It's why I love to write.

Once this speed-bump is passed then the process streamlines and usually involves a couple of exchanges of information with your ideas, a few edits and then a final draft. 

When I ghostwrite I ensure every blog post is:

• Consistent. I work hard to find every individual client's voice and tone. It's a matter of preference, but every post should ooze knowledge, confidence and passion about your field. That’s what you’ll get from me.
• Well-written. I have more than 10 years of experience as a wordsmith. This is not the £5 per post work you will find on cheap websites, or the regurgitated content from syndication sites. It's original, it's engaging, it's what I do. 
• SEO friendly. I've worked as website developer and marketer so can easily keep up with Google's updates and changes to optimise your posts for improved search engines rankings. Which is a bit of a USP within the blogging world.
  

So why shouldn’t I blog by myself?

You could. 

But blogging is not your business. You’re in, well, your business. And you barely have time to get your own work done. Let alone write a blog, market it, promote it, and make sure people know about it.

This is why businesses either outsource or grow - there are certain tasks they don’t do very well, or want to do very well. A graphic designer doesn't want to understand the nuances of tax legislation. An accountant doesn't want to spend time designing a snazzy logo. And you don’t want to spend two hours writing a blog post, twice a week, eight times a month, 12 times a year.

I do!

Also, what if you don't enjoy writing? Or don't write as well as you would like? I'm a professional writer. I love words, writing, language and this isn't just my day job - it's my hobby, my sideline and my profession. A blog post that may take you four hours to write could take me a mere hour. 

So can you do this yourself? Absolutely. Should you? Depends on whether you love writing, have the time, and the know-how to manage your blog.

If you don’t, that’s where I can help. 

For more information about my services, or to learn more about my blog ghostwriting service, fill out the form below.

Disclaimer
* I have no idea what is popular in school anymore. This is a random guess. I suspect this statement will out me as a complete geek with no idea what is and is not cool. Just like when I was at school.