Earlier this week, Insider profiled a ghostwriter who says he works 5 hours a week and makes $200K. What’s his niche? Writing tweets for venture capitalists.
Also, this is his side hustle; at his main job, he has dozens of employees.
Before you say, “How do I get one of these gigs?” let’s apply a little journalistic skepticism to these boasts.
The reporter says he saw screenshots of bank statements and wire transfers.
1️⃣ You don’t need Photoshop to manipulate a screenshot.
2️⃣ What about seeing some *invoices*? I’d be curious to see if those documents simply say “ghostwriting” or “social media,” or if they include details (like 10 tweets/month)? Also, do the invoices include other services, or is the $200K solely and specifically for ghostwriting tweets?
3️⃣ The writer says he sends his messages to clients via Trello. Well, did the reporter see the Trello boards? Did he compare the tweets submitted with the tweets published?
4️⃣ The writer says he “made about $200K” last year. What does “about” mean? $170K? $195K? This is still big money, but why didn’t the reporter press for an exact amount?
5️⃣ Why didn’t the reporter talk to any of the writer’s clients? Or at least contact them, so he could say they declined to comment? This is journalism 101.
6️⃣ The writer says he charged $100K for a threaded tweet. He later says, “Threads don’t work.” Does this blanket statement include his own $100K payday? A reputable publication shouldn’t let this kind of discrepancy stand unacknowledged.
