We discover two newly reviewed facet gig platforms this week — one searching for freelance guides to host ghost excursions; the opposite searching for ghostwriters. Ghostwriters and ghost excursions guides should have glorious language abilities and a aptitude for the dramatic.
Freelancers with each corporations additionally say that the roles are fascinating. In any other case, the roles for ghostwriters and guides for ghost excursions differ in each approach, together with whether or not they’re value trying out.
Let’s begin with the higher alternative.
Ghost excursions
An organization known as US Ghost Adventures is searching for tour guides in additional than 60 cities nationwide to host ghost excursions. The excursions are typically 90-minute strolling excursions that take guests by a bit of a metropolis.
In some cities, there are a number of excursions supplied, together with conventional sightseeing and “haunted bar crawls.” And the excursions might be booked all day and into the evening. In considerably smaller (and, apparently, much less haunted) cities, there’s just one tour supplied every day.
Most excursions are given at evening. So this is usually a good after-work facet hustle for somebody with a 9-to-5 job.
The positioning says that tour guides are paid $50 per tour, plus ideas, typically. And while you’re taking an enormous group in a preferred space, these ideas can add as much as actual cash. Nonetheless, the positioning will schedule excursions with as few as two folks, so you may’t rely on ideas as an enormous income. And, half of the per-tour pay is a “bonus” that’s discretionary.
So, generally the pay is nice. Generally it’s brushing in opposition to minimal wage.
Suggestions are constantly talked about as the important thing to creating the pay worthwhile. Nonetheless, most guides say the job is enjoyable and fascinating — supreme for an aspiring actor or dramatic historical past buff.
The underside line: This seems to be an amazing tourist-season facet hustle, notably in areas that get a number of guests. The positioning operates in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Boston, Austin, Alexandria and many other popular vacationer locations.
Information necessities
How do you nab these jobs? You’ve acquired to go a background test and each an in-person and a web-based “audition.”
The web audition includes memorizing a brief script and video-taping your self delivering it. After that, you’ll have an in-person audition the place you’ll conduct one of many website’s excursions for a Ghost Adventures staffer.
The positioning asks that freelance guides make themselves accessible no less than three nights every week.
Ghostwriting
In the meantime, a website known as HotGhostwriter enlists freelancers to jot down, edit, narrate and design covers for fiction and non-fiction books. The work and purchasers are fascinating, freelancers say. However the pay is depressing.
To be particular, writers are paid at a beginning price of $7 per 1,000 phrases. In the event you’re nice, you may probably be a part of the positioning’s so-called “elite” writing workforce. That will get you $20 per 1,000 phrases — i.e. 2 cents per phrase. Notably, that pay is for every little thing concerned, together with attending shopper conferences to speak in regards to the e book’s subject, type and size, in addition to writing. And also you’re additionally supposed to supply the shopper with revisions, for no further cash.
After all, the character of ghostwriting is that another person will get the credit score for the e book. So, in contrast to some content material mills that no less than assist you to construct your popularity as a author, right here you might be nameless.
Pay for modifying and narration
Editors additionally earn $7 per 1,000 phrases. So for those who edit a 500-page — 150,000 phrase — manuscript, which is prone to take weeks, you’ll earn about $1,000. Narrators earn $70 per 10,000 phrases of non-fiction and $90 for 10,000 phrases of fiction. For a way of perspective, entry-level narrators on Fiverr earn about 5 occasions extra.
And, if that wasn’t unhealthy sufficient, whereas HotGhostwriter says it pays freelancers twice a month, freelancers say they typically have to badger the corporate to pay them in any respect.
Higher choices
In the event you like the concept of ghostwriting, take a look at ServiceScape. ServiceScape permits writers to set their very own charges of pay to jot down every little thing from educational papers to books.
In the event you’re a seasoned e book editor, take a look at PenguinFreelancers or Reedsy, each of which enlist freelance editors to get books in form.
The perfect place to promote your voice-over/narration abilities is Fiverr. Fiverr additionally means that you can set your individual charges and specify exactly what number of phrases you’ll narrate with any given job.
3/11/2024
