7 Things Ghostwriters Should Do Now to Start 2026 Strong

Now that we’re officially in the last month of 2025, some ghostwriting clients are going to be shifting their focus to 2026 and putting off starting any new initiatives right now, while others may be trying to squeeze in some last-minute projects to spend any available funds.

If you’re in the former camp and are experiencing the typical holiday slowdown between Thanksgiving and Christmas, now is the perfect time to prep your business for the coming new year.

Here are 7 steps you can take to ready your ghostwriting business for a more profitable 2026:

1. Audit your online presence

Before you ramp up your marketing efforts and send more prospects to your website and social media accounts, stop and take a look at what they currently convey about you. What message and positioning are they communicating?

Most ghostwriters don’t keep their online assets completely up to date, especially when work gets busy, so stop now, before year-end, and clean up the sites that represent your personal brand.

Start by taking a look at your website, your LinkedIn profile, your AOG directory listing, and any other platforms where clients find you. Update your bio, refresh testimonials, remove outdated information, and ensure your messaging clearly speaks to your ideal client. If you don’t have a strong online presence yet, now is the perfect time to build one.

2. Review your current pricing structure

How long has it been since you’ve raised your rates? Most ghostwriters wait longer than they should before instituting an increase. It’s time.

Not sure what your rate should be? Ask what colleagues are charging, take a look at online rates cited at Gotham Ghostwriters or the Editorial Freelancers Association (though I have long said those rates are below market), and consider how long it’s been since you changed your pricing. If it’s been a year or two, you’re due for an increase. After all, prices everywhere else are going up; why shouldn’t the cost of your services?

Could you lose some work? Yes. Some clients will be unwilling to pay a higher rate. That’s true in every business. But could you attract a less price-sensitive clientele? Also yes.

The truth is that by charging lower-than-market rates, you’re positioning yourself as less qualified, and I suspect that’s not where you belong. Bring your rates at least in line with what ghostwriters of your experience level and caliber are charging today.

3. Strengthen your referral network

Next, with all of your online information up to date, start taking steps to drive traffic to those online platforms. Reach out to past clients, collaborators, agencies, editors, and other professionals who know your work. A simple year-end check-in or thank-you note keeps you top of mind for 2026 referrals.

Also, consider formalizing how you acknowledge referrals so people know you appreciate them sending business your way. You might let them know that you offer a certain percentage as a referral fee, or a gift to express your appreciation. Or ask what their organization’s process is for being added to their preferred vendor list. Find new sources of referral and stay in touch.

4. Let go of low-profit services or clients

Look back over the past 12 months and assign grades to each of your clients. You get to create the rubric, or the factors to consider, but then it’s time to grade your clients based on how well they match your business’s future plans.

As part of each grade, you might consider how easy the client is to work with, how quickly they pay, how much they pay, whether scope creep is ever an issue, whether you receive positive feedback or expressions of appreciation for your skills, and anything else that’s important to you. Each client should receive between an A and an F.

After you’ve graded all of them, it’s time to stop working with any client who received a D or an F. If your project was a one-time engagement and you’re done, make a note not to accept additional work without some changes to your working relationship. You might even consider dropping those that earned a C, unless you think expectations can be reset.

Clearing out clients that drain your energy, are not aligned with where your business is headed, and are not willing to pay your rates in a timely fashion, will make time and space for better clients in 2026.

There’s no need to make an official announcement or to let clients know that you’re dropping them. Simply decline future work opportunities they may offer you. Yes, you could let them know that you can no longer take on work unless x, y, or z happens, or you can thank them and refer them elsewhere. It’s just business.

5. Outsource administrative tasks

Another way to make more time and space for better clients and to maximize your revenue potential is to outsource all of the tasks that are not the best use of your time or talents. For ghostwriters, that typically means delegating non-writing work, such as administrative activities, some marketing tasks, and even some research or editing.

Some of the tedious tasks I’ve successfully offloaded are online research, payroll, graphic design, website monitoring, bookkeeping, and tax prep. This way, I can rely on expert professionals who are up-to-date on these important topics, and I can stay focused on becoming a better ghostwriter and business owner.

If you want to check out some of the service providers I use regularly, here are some links: Gianna Palma at ADP for payroll (affiliate link), Bench.co for bookkeeping (affiliate link), Speechpad for transcription (nonaffiliate link), and website monitoring through SUMY Designs (nonaffiliate link). I use and highly recommend all of these.

6. Pay ahead for 2026 products and services

In addition to clearing your schedule for new work in the coming weeks, it’s a good idea to prepay expenses if you can, to reduce your taxable business income for 2025.

I’m not an accountant, so this is not financial advice, but if you end up with some extra profits this year, consider paying in advance for products and services you know you’ll need next year. Stock up on ink cartridges, paper, and pens, for example. Buy any new computing equipment you were planning on getting in the next few months. You could even switch from monthly tech subscriptions and pay the annual rate instead.

7. Make a retirement plan deposit

Another smart financial move is to maximize your retirement savings. In the U.S., you have until April 15^th of the following year to make deposits into your retirement accounts. However, you need to make them before year-end in order to reap the tax benefits in 2025.

Again, I’m not an accountant, and this is not tax advice, but it’s always a good idea to make sure you’ve deposited as much as you can each year into your retirement savings accounts, such as a SEP, IRA, or Solo 401(k). Maximums vary by account, income levels, and your age, so check first before shifting funds there. But moving profits into tax-advantaged accounts can benefit you in the short and long term.

If you take these seven steps and clean up your online image, follow up with past and current prospects, let go of low-profit work, raise your rates, outsource tasks you shouldn’t be handling, and fortify your financial situation, you’ll be in a great position for all of the new opportunities 2026 is going to bring.