Updated May 2026 to reflect current data.

Richard Lowe, The Writing King, joined Massiel for Episode 250 to talk less about prose than about the unglamorous machinery that keeps a freelance writing practice running. The craft of ghostwriting gets most of the attention, but the part that sinks newcomers is the business side: the taxes, the paperwork, and the discipline to protect your time and your work.

It’s a practical look at what it actually takes to make a living as a ghostwriter, from someone who built the business after a long career in corporate technology.

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In this episode

The business behind the writing

Most people imagine ghostwriting is all about the words. Richard’s point with Massiel is that the words are the easy part. The harder work, the part that decides whether a freelance writer survives, is the business: handling taxes, acquiring the right licenses, and weighing whether to incorporate for the financial and liability benefits. None of it is glamorous, and Richard is the first to say he isn’t an accountant, so the real takeaway is to sit down with one early rather than discover the gaps at tax time.

Capturing the voice, and protecting the record

The craft side still matters, and Richard captures a client’s voice through detailed interviews and a tight feedback loop, refining the opening pages until they sound unmistakably like the author. What’s distinctive here is the discipline he wraps around it: he records the conversations. If a client later remembers a request differently, or disputes what was agreed, the recording settles it and protects everyone. It also frees the writer to listen instead of scrambling to take notes.

Getting paid right, and keeping control

Richard is blunt about the money. Revisions are where freelancers quietly bleed time, so the work that’s included and the work that costs extra has to be spelled out in the agreement, and then enforced. Maintaining control of the project, the scope, the schedule, the boundaries, is what keeps a good engagement from sliding into an exhausting one. For people who’d rather steer the writing themselves, he also points toward coaching instead of full ghostwriting.

What a book is really for

Underneath the mechanics is the reason clients hire him at all. A book is an authority tool, and the executives and entrepreneurs Richard works with use theirs to build trust and credibility in ways that open doors. That’s also the case he makes for why hiring a ghostwriter is worth it: not to avoid the work, but to get a finished, professional book that actually does its job, by collaborating closely rather than handing it off blind.

What’s next

Richard closes with goals he’d set for himself: writing a book about ghostwriting, and delivering a TED talk. The book is no longer a plan, it’s published as The Ghostwriting Advantage, his guide to everything a client needs to know about hiring a ghostwriter.

Find Richard Lowe at TheWritingKing.com.

Common questions from this conversation

What’s the hardest part of working as a freelance ghostwriter?
Not the writing, the business. Handling taxes, getting the right licenses, deciding whether to incorporate, and protecting your time are what trip up newcomers. Talking to an accountant early matters more than most writers expect.

Why would a ghostwriter record client interviews?
To protect both sides. A recording is the reference if a client later disputes what was said or requested, and it lets the writer focus on listening and capturing voice rather than taking notes.

How should revisions be handled so I’m not working for free?
Define what’s included and what costs extra in the agreement before the work starts, then enforce it. Clear revision limits keep the project from quietly expanding into unpaid work.

How does a ghostwriter capture my voice?
Through detailed interviews and a feedback loop. The writer drafts opening pages, the client reviews, and the voice gets refined over a few rounds until it reads as authentically the author’s own.

Should I hire a ghostwriter or write it myself?
Either can work. A ghostwriter delivers a finished, professional book through close collaboration, while coaching supports authors who want to do the writing themselves. The right choice depends on your time, budget, and goals.