How to Get Ghostwriting Jobs: 10+ Places Hiring Now

Ghostwriting jobs are competitive and can be hard to land without a strong portfolio and a proven track record. Luckily, there are plenty of online platforms where freelance ghostwriters can find new projects!

Whether you’re an experienced ghost or someone just breaking into the industry, in this article you’ll find a comprehensive list of marketplaces, agencies, and job boards full of legitimate ghostwriting gigs at every level.

Here's a breakdown of the main platforms we'll be looking at:

In addition to these platforms, we’ll also be looking at some ghostwriter-friendly job boards, and we'll finish off with some tips on how to get ghostwriting jobs.

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these services in detail, so you can decide where to enroll first.

Best marketplaces for new ghostwriters 

If you’re a new ghost trying to find the best haunts on the market, consider building a portfolio by finding clients through one of these beginner-friendly platforms. 

Upwork

Upwork is a freelancer marketplace with more than 5 million clients and 18 million freelancers operating across a wide range of industries. Anyone can set up a profile, and like a traditional job board, the onus is on the freelancer to find work by responding to potential clients who post their jobs.

The site is free to join, but freelancers pay for “connects” to contact clients, and Upwork takes a 10% commission. Competition on the platform can be fierce, so you might need to set your rates quite low to land ghostwriting work. Indeed, only about 0.1% of Upwork freelancers make more than $1,000 per month.

✅ Perfect for: Entry-level ghostwriters looking to turn that first gig into a steady stream of requests.

💡Tip: Write bespoke proposals, including your client’s name and a few sentences that demonstrate your familiarity with their needs. 

Fiverr

Fiverr is a marketplace for short-term projects with 4 million clients and some 380,000 freelancers. Like Upwork, anyone can join the platform for free — but on Fiverr, it is the client that reaches out to freelancers based on their public accounts, and not the other way around. As a result, building a great portfolio is especially important here.

Fiverr takes a 20% commission, which might feel like a big cut on those early gigs. But ghostwriters report that it’s easier to find clients for one-off projects on Fiverr than on Upwork. There’s a downside to all those short-term projects, though: it can be hard to find long-term clients on Fiverr, which might be an issue if you hope to turn freelance ghostwriting into a sustainable career. 

✅ Perfect for: Beginning ghostwriters looking for shorter projects with one-time clients.

💡Tip: Optimize your profile with a clear niche, compelling examples of your work, and strategic keywords.

PeoplePerHour

A marketplace with a similar structure to Upwork but with AI-powered client matching that promises to find you perfect clients, on PeoplePerHour freelancers are paid by the hour: a system that can be helpful if a ghostwriting project requires a lot of research and preparation.

Some freelancers have criticized the platform’s customer service, which can be inconsistent and slow to resolve disputes. Also, the platform delivers payments a bit more slowly than others — and the ease of submitting requests on the platform means that you might receive scam offers, so you’ll need to be careful about which jobs you accept.

✅ Perfect for: Ghostwriters who prefer the flexibility of hourly rates.

💡Tip: Look for jobs recruiting native English speakers only, as these tend to have better rates.

Ghostwriting networks for established professionals

Once you’ve gained some ghostwriting experience and built a solid portfolio of projects, you can graduate to more professionalized writer marketplaces. These platforms are highly selective, only taking on a small percentage of applicants who demonstrate experience producing high-quality, well reviewed work. Ghostwriters who meet the criteria to join will be rewarded with higher pay and bigger projects.

Reedsy Marketplace

Ghostwriters with established careers — at least 3 years of professional experience and at least 5 well-reviewed books — can apply to the Reedsy Marketplace. The platform is highly selective, accepting only 3% of applicants, so you need to spend time on your putting together a convincing portfolio that demonstrates what you bring to the market.

Because of the strict vetting process, Reedsy attracts serious clients, and its commission model — taking a 10% commission on fees under $5,000, with lower rates on higher fees — rewards big projects. Since clients can only request quotes from 5 professionals at a time, they will be looking for a ghost uniquely matched to their project and you won’t be competing with hundreds of others for each job. 

Reedsy is always looking for new talent. If you have what it takes to be accepted, you’ll find consistent work for great clients there.

✅ Perfect for: Experienced ghostwriters looking to expand their visibility. 

💡Tip: If confidentiality prevents you from sharing full titles or clients’ names, apply with anonymized but specific client success stories.

Compose.ly

This platform, which specializes in content marketing and business writing, offers topic variety and above-average pay. After submitting a writing sample, completing a test, and submitting samples of their work, accepted writers choose a specialty and receive customized assignments.

The platform offers high-quality content from industry experts, so applicants must demonstrate unique expertise. It offers decent rates — 10-14 cents per word — on varied assignments.

A potential downside of this platform is that writers report that Compose.ly’s use of AI editors can lead to unfair feedback. Work availability varies, and the highest-paying projects are claimed quickly. 

✅ Perfect for: Mid-level or experienced ghostwriters of short-form and technical content. 

💡Tip: When applying, show that you can adapt to any brand’s tone.

The Association of Ghostwriters

Not a freelancer marketplace or a job board per se, The Association of Ghostwriters is, like it says on the tin, a professional association that ghostwriters can join to network and find leads. At $99/year for associates and $129/year for professionals, membership grants you membership to a private Facebook group, and access to monthly office hours with other ghostwriters. 

Membership to the Association of Ghostwriters can be helpful at any stage in your ghostwriting career, but it does not guarantee clients — you’ll still need to build a standout portfolio — so you’ll have to evaluate for yourself if you think the price tag is worth it, especially considering there are also a lot of free networking opportunities out there.

✅ Perfect for: Established ghostwriters looking for networking opportunities. 

💡Tip: Make the most of your membership by actively participating in discussions, networking with other writers, and attending association events. 

Aside from these ghostwriting-specific platforms, there are also a lot of industry job boards that advertise ghostwriting opportunities.

Job boards for ghostwriters 

These industry-specific job boards advertise long-term contracts and permanent jobs, some of which include ghostwriting opportunities. Open positions are much more competitive than one-off projects, so be sure to nail your portfolio before you apply. 

ProBlogger Jobs

A growing job site that lists freelance and full-time positions for writers of all levels and specialties, ProBlogger Jobs has listings for content writing, e-commerce, and SEO writing gigs. Since ProBlogger vets all of its jobs before posting them, you can apply with confidence that you’re not wasting your time on a scam publisher. 

Joining ProBlogger is free, but the jobs posted here can be extremely competitive. Applicants must work fast to secure an interview or an offer. 

✅ Perfect for: Quick ghostwriters looking for full-time or long-term work for blogs and websites. 

💡Tip: Respond early to new listings that interest you with a concise, personalized pitch that highlights your most relevant skill.

Freelance Writing Jobs

A popular job board that compiles daily lists of job opportunities and resources for freelance writers, Freelance Writing Jobs is an excellent resource for new leads. The wide range of gigs posted here accommodate a variety of skill sets and experience levels, and the blog offers valuable insights on landing jobs and retaining clients. 

The board’s format — a daily list, with no centralized directory — makes it a bit difficult to filter for the jobs that match your skills and interests. Still, if you’re willing to check in every day, you might find some exciting opportunities here that aren’t listed anywhere else.

✅ Perfect for: Ghostwriters open to diverse writing roles. 

💡Tip: Consult the site’s job lists daily to make the most of frequent updates. 

WeWorkRemotely

A job board that focused on remote roles before it was cool, WeWorkRemotely has millions of users and is updated daily with remote jobs, including ghostwriting positions. The site mostly hosts postings for full-time and permanent positions, which are increasingly hard to find in the ghostwriting world — but also does include per-project gigs. 

WeWorkRemotely doesn’t have the strongest vetting practices, and some of the jobs posted here may not be what they seem, so do keep an extra eye out for potential scams. Legitimate entry-level writing positions can be very competitive, drawing hundreds or even thousands of applicants.

✅ Perfect for: The discerning ghostwriter looking for permanent work. 

💡Tip: Familiarize yourself with common freelancer scams before applying for a job that seems too good to be true.

Traditional Job Boards (LinkedIn, Indeed, Zipreruiter)

You’re probably familiar with one or more of these sites already — mainstream job boards that companies use as a first stop when they post any type of job opportunity, including when they’re looking for ghostwriters. If your searches on niche job boards turn up nothing, try an ordinary site for more options. 

The sites’ built-in messaging and networking features can help you meet fellow ghosts. These features have a downside, though: you might get spam and unsolicited messages.

Because of the high cost of posting, individuals looking for ghostwriters may not list their jobs here. This can make it harder to find loyal clients if you’re trying to build a freelance business. 

✅ Perfect for: Flexible writers with competitive resumes looking for permanent work. 

💡Tip: Make use of these job boards’ social features to engage with potential employers.

Tips for landing ghostwriting gigs

Since ghostwriting is such a competitive field, you’ll need to stand out to land loyal clients and secure well-paid jobs. Before you try your luck on one of these sites, here are some strategies to give you an edge:

• Focus on a niche and craft your portfolio accordingly. Clients want to hire specialists, not generalists. Choose a genre or format to focus on, whether it’s business books, memoirs, or romance novels. Tailor your portfolio to showcase your best work in that area, and seek out clients who are hiring writers like you.
• Be prompt and professional when communicating with clients. Quick responses, clear communication, and delivering good work on-deadline will show your clients that you’re reliable and serious. This will earn you positive testimonials and build your good reputation.
• Set competitive rates based on the complexity of each project. Though standard rates for ghostwriting vary widely, the Editorial Freelancers Association reports that experienced ghostwriters can charge 10-15 cents per word. Don’t sell yourself short: if a project requires extensive research or interviews, charge accordingly. Still, it’s good to be flexible in the early stages of building experience.
• Be aware of common freelancer scams and how to avoid them. Watch out for red flags like excessive “test” projects, vague payment terms, or unconventional forms of payment. 

By searching on the right platforms, delivering consistent results, and refining the skills that clients are looking for, you can build a thriving ghostwriting career.