College student turns writing into cash by becoming a ghost

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.-- Ghostwriting is a secret publishing that companies try to shield from the public.  They are the people who are paid to secretly write  everything from celebrity cookbooks to tell-all memoirs of reality television stars.  While public figures and corporate executives basks spotlight as published author, the ghostwriter remains shielded in anonymity.  However, ghostwriting has moved from the shadows of old media into the digital realm.  It's a booming trend for freelance writers online.

Freelancer.com reports ghostwriting is up 32 percent (to 12,585 jobs) during the past year.  Freelancer researchers sorted through nearly one million job postings on the web site. 

College students are now cashing in on the call for these types of freelance gigs.  Westminster senior public relations major and campus newspaper editor, Pat Sylves, says ghostwriting provides that much needed financial validation of his craft.  However, for the man who heads up The Holcad and publishes a weekly campus editorial, there are no bylines when he's hired by bloggers to create original content.

WCN's Joe Ligo takes a closer look at how online ghostwriting fits into an enterprising student's lifestyle while giving him a chance to practice as a professional, despite the fact he'll never get the credit for what is published.