Everyone thinks their voice is a one-of-a-kind.

People like to believe they are different. But, your client’s voice is really not that special. In fact, after ghostwriting for hundreds of people, we can tell you that the idea “everyone’s voice is unique & different” is a myth.

(And there are 3 more myths all ghostwriters must dispel if they want to capitalize on this lucrative—and growing—opportunity for writers.)

The truth is, many of us are the same.

Which means, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you start writing for someone new.

99% of your ghostwriting clients can be reverse-engineered into 5 different archetypes.

Surprisingly, there are really only five “voices” clients fall into:

• The Storyteller
• The Opinionator
• The Fact Presenter
• The Frameworker
• The F-Bomber

If you can write these, you can write for anyone.

Let’s dive in!

Archetype #1: The Storyteller

The Storyteller — tells stories!

They love dates, times, locations, real-life examples of what they’ve learned. They are natural speakers, creative people and often have a quirky personality.

You can spot the Storyteller by the phrases they use.

• “In 1999…”
• “The first time I…”
• “A few years ago…”

When you ghostwrite for a storyteller, you would be shocked by how many clients will say to you, “This is so vivid!” when all you do is name a date or describe one object.

As a good rule of thumb, when you are telling a story in a piece, use two 1/3/1 blocks to pull your reader into the story and keep the moving down the page.

• (1) Open with a single strong, declarative sentence
• (3) Add 3 sentences of description in the middle paragraph
• (1) Close the section with a 1 sentence summary

In the first 1/3/1 sequence summarize your story, and in the second 1/3/1 sequence bring it back to the reader and explain to them the “takeaway.”

Let’s move on to the next archetype.

Archetype #2: The Opinionater

The Opinionator is someone who **emphasizes a strong opinion on a topic.

The love to prove their point. And want to explain why they’re “right” more than they want to ground the reader in any specific moment like the storyteller. “Never” and “always” are foundational to their vocabulary.

The Opinionater sounds like this:

• “There’s a reason why…”
• “It’s unbelievable how…”
• “It’s abundantly clear that…”

The overarching theme here is conviction.

The secret to writing for Opinionators comes down to adverbs.

• Really
• Rarely
• Honestly

Adverbs equal “emphasis,” which is the core attribute of the Opinionator voice.

And so you can immediately make your clear, concise, straightforward content sound more “opinionated” simply by adding in these types of adverbs (or similar variations).

Archetype #3: The Fact Presenter

The Fact Presenter backs up their opinion with a memorable stat or research-backed story-study.

They tend to be academics (either formally, or aspirationally). These are people who avoid “fluff,” and go to great lengths to make sure they aren’t sharing “naked opinions.”

You know you are working with a Fact Presenter when you see:

• Stats
• Studies
• Surveys

Bottom line: they want data to back up their claims.

When you’re ghostwriting for a Fact Presenter, here’s the golden rule you need to follow:

One “source” per section.

If you do that, the Fact Presenter is going to “see themselves” in the writing (because this is what they would do).

Archetype #4: The Frameworker

The Frameworker gives the reader something actionable they can go and execute on to achieve a similar outcome.

They put together “how-tos” based around a concept that “took them a decade to figure out.” The cut away the fluff and give the reader only what’s most important, thinking carefully about how to move readers from point A to point B.

Their subtitles are a dead giveaway.

• “A Proven Process…”
• “A Timeless Framework…”
• “A Simple Checklist…”

The key here is organized ideas.

When it comes to writing for Frameworkers, it’s all about packaging and naming.

• “The Endless Idea Generator”
• “The 1/3/1 Writing Framework”
• “The 5 Archetypes Of Client Voices”

Sounds “official,” right?

Just name the overarching framework, and then walk through the steps. Your Frameworker will love you.

On to the last archetype!

Archetype #5: The F Bomb Dropper

F-Bombers are abrasive.

They pushes boundaries ever-so-slightly with their words. They desire to stand out by using brash and abrasive language.

• Cursing
• Ranting
• Sarcasm

No need to overthink this archetype of voice.

You can create this voice literally by just adding 1 expletive per section, or even per paragraph (you’ll learn “how many” expletives they feel best represents their persona).

And that’s it!

Ghostwriting is not about magically creating a custom voice for every client. It’s about aligning expectations with your client.

And if you really want to impress clients (and start accelerating your income as a ghostwriter), don’t wait for them to ask you to do any of the above.

In their very first draft, give them:

• A Story
• An Opinion
• A Relevant Study
• A Named Framework
• An Abrasive Sarcastic Rant

Then, see which pieces they like, don’t like, or want changed — and adjust from there.

And, if you want more tips on how to nail a ghostwriting project (and build a network of clients to keep feeding you referrals), you need to master these 7 rules of delighting clients.

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