Confessions of a ghost for hire
Two business ghosts unite outside with their hats on.
Ghosts walk amongst us and they’re looking for work. Sound spooky? Well, you’re reading a post written by a ghost right now.
The Classic: A Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is the most common form of what I like to call a business ghost.
Ghostwriters are freelance writers whose work is credited to their clients. A ghostwriter will write articles, blogs, reports, social media posts, and even books for a client. The ghostwriter gets paid and the client takes the credit.
You didn’t think all those celebrities could suddenly write books, did you?
Let me introduce you to two lesser-known business ghosts:
Freelance Virtual Assistant
No ghost in the name but the result can be the same. A Virtual Assistant is a human who supports a business virtually. In most businesses, a Virtual Assistant is hired and publically recognized for their work.
A freelance Virtual Assistant might be a more silent assistant, depending on their client's needs. A freelance Virtual Assistant gets paid to complete tasks. However, a client might choose not to disclose that they’ve hired business support. There are also Virtual Assistant’s that specialize in different skills. For example, a Creative Virtual Assistant can help with more creative tasks alongside general business support.
Author Assistant
Similar to a Virtual Assistant, an Author Assistant, also known as an Author Personal Assistant or Author VA, might be even more of a silent partner.
An Author Assistant can support an author with a range of tasks, from research and pulling quotes from reviews to designing book covers and creating social media content. Author Assistants can also have a specific set of skills. Some are copywriters who will write the book blurb and website copy.
An Author Assistant might receive full public recognition for all their work from the author. Some Author Assistants co-run the Author’s Facebook group or Discord group as an admin. Otherwise, it’s rare for others to learn the name of an Author's Assistant.
The ghost with many hats
So you could say that I’m a business ghost with many hats.
I get paid for helping with tasks that my clients need to get done. Clients don’t see me, but they certainly see results. But for the clients who are open about my support, I get to give them a bonus.
I can share what I’ve done for them in my portfolio and share the projects with my social media followers. Like this project.
In the end, my clients get more done in a shorter amount of time working with me than they would without me. I also get to use my specialist skills, such as design and copywriting, giving my clients an all-round support ghost.
Hiring a ghost can help your business grow. Does your business need to be haunted?
Mary Wyrd: Creative Virtual Assistant and Author Assistant
The go-to for your to-do list. Customized support for busy business owners and authors.