How to Handle Condescending Ghostwriting Clients
For those times when your client thinks they’re smarter than you (but hired you to write their thoughts anyway)
Let’s start with the obvious: ghostwriting requires humility. You’re writing for someone else, often in their voice, sometimes even under their name. That takes skill, patience, and an ego that’s securely fastened in place.
But here’s the thing nobody tells you until you’ve been in the trenches: humility does not mean being a doormat.
And if you’ve been ghostwriting long enough, you’ve probably encountered a client who mistakes “ghostwriter” for “servant.” The kind who rewrites your work with ChatGPT, then asks you to “polish it.” The kind who compliments your writing with, “not bad for a freelancer.” The kind who drips condescension in every tracked change and will pepper feedback with salty insults (it *may* be lunch time as I'm writing this).
So how do you handle that?
1. Recognize That It’s About Them, Not You
A client’s need to flex, micromanage, or belittle usually comes from insecurity. They know they should be able to write this themselves, but they can’t. So they undermine you to protect their own ego.
Your job isn’t to fix their self-worth. Your job is to protect your energy—and your work.
Stay neutral in your responses. Don’t defend every sentence. Don’t take the bait. Let your writing speak for itself, and don’t get pulled into emotional labor.
2. Set Boundaries Early
If the first feedback round comes back dripping with passive-aggressive edits, don’t ignore it. Address it professionally, but directly.
Try: “Thanks for the notes—going forward, could we focus on the strategic direction rather than rewriting line-by-line? That’ll help me capture your voice more efficiently.”
This is your gentle reminder that they hired you for your expertise, not your keyboarding skills.
3. Establish a Revision Limit
Condescending clients love to “just tweak one more thing.” And then another. And then another. If you haven’t set a clear revision limit in your contract, they will rewrite your brain into dust.
Two rounds. That’s industry standard. Add a clause that states any additional rounds are billable, and stick to it.
4. Match Their Energy, But Stay in Control
Sometimes, you have to mirror a client’s tone just enough to get their attention. If they’re being snide, you don’t need to grovel. Try confidence instead:
“This section was structured intentionally to mirror your earlier tone—happy to change it if we’re shifting direction.”
See what we did there? You’re not apologizing. You’re inviting collaboration, but staying in control of the process.
5. Know When to Walk
Some clients will never stop needing to prove they’re smarter than their ghostwriter. They’ll nitpick, undermine, and resent you for doing the job they couldn’t.
Don’t be afraid to fire them. There is no amount of money worth being disrespected.
And yes, end the contract professionally. But know this: walking away from the wrong client is one of the most powerful things you can do for your business.
You’re not “just” a ghostwriter.
You’re a professional voice shaper. A strategic thinker. A translator of messy brilliance into marketable language. And if a client can’t see that, you’re not obligated to shrink for their comfort.
Want to learn more about how to manage client relationships and build a ghostwriting business on your terms? Join us in New Orleans this October for the Ghostwriting Life Retreat, or check out one of our upcoming classes here.
Happy ghosting!
