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Before I take on any project I make sure that I believe in it, wholeheartedly. Yes, I make a living by ghostwriting, but if I lose my integrity, I’ll lose my passion as well as my voice.

Make sure that you don’t take on a client or a job that you can’t get behind. If you disagree with a client’s viewpoint, but take the project on because you need the money, you won’t be happy in the end. I’ve seen it happen to others, in various professions. The money is spent, but the guilt remains.

My overriding purpose in life is to help people. It’s what motivates me to work hard and succeed. Because I stand by that purpose, I make good money.

This doesn’t mean that everything I write must be happy-happy fairy tales. It’s the overall message that matters. Am I promoting violence? Pass. However there are ways to tell a tragic story where the reader has realizations that can help them in life.

It boils down to how the reader feels after they read your work. If they feel beaten up and depressed, unmotivated to do much in life, that isn’t helpful to them or the society. However, if they are eager to make improvements as a result of reading a book I’ve written, I have done my job.

Having said that, it’s vital that you don’t try to hit people over the head with a message. No one particularly cares for that. It’s insulting to the reader.

Allow your readers to make their own decisions simply based on the story you tell.

Only you can say which writing jobs to accept and which you should decline. Trust your instincts!