A friend texted me the other day, worried about money. She functions essentially like an independent contractor and because her company hired a bunch of new people, she expressed concern that fewer clients would want to work with her because now there’s more competition.
I get that. Sometimes I feel the same way. With so many people working as a ghostwriter for therapists and a content writer for small businesses, that means there’s less work to go around, right? Maybe. But also, the reality is not just anybody wants to work with my friend and my friend doesn’t want to work with just anyone. (Obviously that also applies to me.) It’s related to a post I wrote a year ago about how you can say “no” to clients. Business is like matchmaking — it truly has to be a good fit.
So yes, there may be a million people working as a ghostwriter for therapists or a small business content writer, but that doesn’t mean we should be working together. For instance, I would HATE working for Big Tobacco or a company that’s clearcutting the Amazon rainforest. And they would likely hate working with me because our values are not in alignment. I care about contributing to the world in a positive way. Not only that, climate change matters a LOT to me so no, I couldn’t work with just anybody.
Like I told my friend, a better mindset than the competition = scarcity one, is that she could affirm for herself, “May all who need me, find me.” It’s certainly what I do in my business and what’s interesting is I find my clients are similar to me — they’re sensitive, empathic, caring individuals. Their primary concern is being of service to others, not making a quick buck. We’re a match because we understand one another. I grok what they’re trying to convey and am able to convey it. That’s huge! First and foremost, a ghostwriter must be able to emulate their client’s voice. If they can’t do that, it’s not ghostwriting.
Content writing is different because my name usually is on the blog or article, but even there being a good match is important. Let’s be real — content writing can be boring and devoid of personality because the writer is just trying to insert specific keywords to boost search engine optimization. That’s fine, but the reason I’m able to make content writing fun is my clients allow me to have fun. They want me to be creative and that changes everything.
The bottom line is you, I, we, are not meant for everyone. We won’t work well with just anybody. That’s OK, fantastic even! We are meant to work with people who will get the most benefit from the relationship. You can’t please everyone and there’s that marketing saying that if you try to appeal to everyone, you’ll appeal to no one. Niches are important. It’s why I promote myself as a ghostwriter for therapists and not a ghostwriter for science-fiction novelists. Therapy and mental health I understand. Sci-Fi? Not so much.
Supporting small businesses? Sign me up! Every single one of my immediate family members has their own business so heck yeah I want to support small businesses with my writing skills. Again, it has to be the right small business but you never know if you don’t ask. So go ahead and ask! Reach out to me and let’s see if we’re a good match for one another. I look forward to hearing from you.