What Is a Ghostwriter? Meaning, Definition & Everything You Need to Know
- Aug 1
- 11 min read
It is quite likely that a number of your favorite books were not actually written by the authors whose names are on the covers of those books.
Ghostwriting is not considered scandalous. In fact, ghostwriting is an age-old and highly respected practice.
Usually, when people hear the term ghostwriter, they are unsure about what it means, thus leading to skepticism.
Want your book professionally developed by expert writers? WhatsApp the Rolling Authors team, and let's figure out what’s right for you.
Table of Contents
Ghostwriter Means... Here Is What You Should Know
A ghostwriter is a writer who works on a book, article, or other content but receives no credit. The ghostwriter's name does not appear anywhere on the finished product; it is only attributed to the credited author, the client. The term "ghost" means the writer remains anonymous. They do all the writing, but someone else gets the credit. In return for that anonymity and skill, the ghostwriter receives payment, usually a flat fee or advance, that is bound by a formal non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that prohibits the ghostwriter from ever publicly confirming that they worked on the project.
The client (author) has the right to all the information they provided, and their skill shapes the book.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines ghostwriting as "the activity of writing books, articles, etc. for another person to be published under their own name." The term "ghostwriting" is constantly evolving. It is currently understood by many to merely refer to the act of writing in the name of another. However, there is an ever-growing number of definitions for the term as it is evolving into more of a custom-built collaborative experience that uses all of the knowledge, skill, time, energy, and resources needed to produce a finished piece of work, as opposed to simply a one-time act of writing according to a set of rules.
The named author is responsible for the content idea of their book by shaping the vision, providing the subject matter, and sharing their expertise. The ghostwriter develops all of this and creates polished, captivating prose from that information. The authorship credit goes to the author.
Ghostwriter Kevin Anderson indicated in an interview with The Washington Post that "a ghostwriter is an interpreter/translator, not an author. In that capacity, we believe that our clients deserve full recognition as the authors of their completed books."
A Brief History of Ghostwriting
Ghostwriting as we know it today did not originate with the birth of books or with modern-day busy executives needing someone else to write their books. It goes all the way back to the inception of writing. Composers have been using ghostwriters to complete their musical pieces and create songs for years. One example is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was a composer said to have used ghostwriters to complete compositions assigned by wealthy patrons.
A collaboration between illusionist Harry Houdini and horror author H.P. Lovecraft in the 1920s resulted in ghostwritten works promoted as "true accounts" of Houdini's experiences.
Political speechwriting, one of the longest-standing and most respected types of ghostwriting, has been used since the beginning of political leadership. During Barack Obama's time in the Senate, he had a speechwriter named Jon Favreau, who became the Director of Speechwriting in the White House after Obama was elected president. With the rise of celebrity culture came increasing awareness of, and appreciation for, ghostwriters.
Most Hollywood talent agents, top public relations executives, and CEOs of famous brands understand what ghostwriters do and rely heavily on their services. Jack Welch and Lee Iacocca were among the best-known and most popular leaders of the 1980s, largely due to the success of their two blockbuster autobiographies, both of which were written by highly talented ghostwriters.
Today, ghostwriting is a flourishing and highly established professional field, particularly within the book publishing industry.
Many writers work as ghostwriters for screenplays and scripts, including those produced for television, film, film series, and increasingly podcasts and audiobooks.
At Rolling Authors, we focus on book writing, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, autobiographical accounts, biographical works, and books that provide business, self-help, or spiritual guidance.
The following is a partial listing of some of the most successful books written by ghostwriters. If you think ghostwriting cannot create quality written works that are "real" and "meaningful," these titles will provide you with evidence to support the contrary notion.
Trump: The Art of the Deal is one of the most visible examples of successful, quality ghostwriting from the 21st century. The author of this book, Tony Schwartz, is a journalist who was responsible for the book's production. He worked with Donald Trump for an extended period of time so that he could capture and convey his personality, style, and attitude toward life.
John F. Kennedy wrote Profiles in Courage, and the book was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. John F. Kennedy did not deny using a ghostwriter, and his long-term aide and speechwriter, Ted Sorensen, later stated in his autobiography that he "did a first draft of most chapters" and "helped select the words of many sentences."
Long Walk to Freedom — this well-known autobiography was also written with the help of a ghostwriter.
I Am Malala — the co-author of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai's memoir was British journalist Christina Lamb, and her political reporting experience allowed her to effectively translate Malala's life into a format that would be read by a worldwide audience.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — one of the most important business books ever published, the landmark book by Stephen Covey, was written with the assistance of writing partner Ken Shelton.
Made in America — the founder of Walmart, Sam Walton, wrote his memoir "with John Huey," whose writing partnership helped shape the manuscript.
A majority of books written by celebrities are actually authored by ghostwriters. These books still have value, impact, and authenticity, but they often require the help of ghostwriters to convert ideas into a written form suitable for publication.
Who Hires Ghostwriters?
There are different types of people who hire ghostwriters, and each has their own reasons for doing so. Many clients have powerful stories, knowledge, or ideas and do not have the time, writing ability, or both to create a book from those resources.
Entrepreneurs and founders choose to hire a ghostwriter in order to tell the story of their journey in establishing their business, including any challenges, obstacles, and lessons learned.
CEOs and executives choose to hire a ghostwriter because they recognize the importance of being a published author, which provides additional opportunities for public speaking or other forms of revenue by establishing them as reputable experts in their respective fields.
Coaches, consultants, and professional authorities hire ghostwriters to turn their methods into books that serve as both client-acquisition and authority-building tools.
Medical and healthcare professionals may have areas of expertise that can help readers, but they are often too busy with patient care, research, and clinical practice to write a book themselves.
Spiritual leaders, yogis, and teachers may want to help others through their guidance, but they may not feel comfortable expressing themselves through writing.
Seniors and retirees may want to record their life stories, family histories, or professional legacies in a format that can outlive them.
Public figures, celebrities, and athletes may have inspirational stories, but no time for sustained writing activities.
The common denominator between these individuals is not fame or wealth; it is the gap between having something important to say and not having the skill or the time to say it in print form.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Ghostwriter
This is the most pragmatically important section for anyone contemplating hiring a ghostwriter for the first time. The market is filled with both great ghostwriters and amateur ones. A ghostwriter with no experience will run into more mistakes than an experienced ghostwriter. The wrong ghostwriter is a waste both financially and in terms of time.
Subject Experience and Genre
A ghostwriter who has completed twenty business books may be perfect for your business book, but not suitable for your life memoir, even if the writer has written about life experiences before. It is important to ask about previous experience with authors in your category.
Request samples from your selected ghostwriter. Their written work will give you insight into how many clients the writer has worked with, as well as offer credentials or verification of professionalism.
Author's Process
A quality ghostwriter should be able to describe clearly what they will do for you in terms of outlining, reviewing the outline, writing, and the finished product. A good ghostwriter should define clearly how they will conduct interviews, develop and review the completed outline, provide you with a timeline for when you can expect the completed work to be delivered, and explain what you will receive at each phase of the project.
Look for a writer who has proof of experience or certifications, strong interviewing skills, and who thinks strategically about the project to write as authentically as possible. Ask questions that will allow you to learn more about how the writer works, their review process, and their non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements.
A good ghostwriter should be like a member of your team, not just an external vendor. Red flag: if a writer starts talking about the price before getting into detail about your project, your audience, or your end goals, then they are not likely to give you quality work.
Non-Disclosure Agreements & Contracts
Before sharing sensitive information with a professional ghostwriter or agency, they should provide you with a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). This is standard practice. If a ghostwriter does not mention confidentiality, mention it yourself. The NDA should specify that the ghostwriter will never publicly take credit as the author of the book, discuss the project, or share materials with anyone.
The contract must make it clear that all intellectual property rights (i.e., the rights to the manuscript) will be transferred to you upon completion of the project and payment for the project.
Professionally Typed — Not AI
The increased use of artificial intelligence in writing is allowing some ghostwriting service providers to produce manuscripts by inputting your notes into an AI generator and lightly editing what the AI produces into a finished manuscript. A manuscript produced in this manner may function as a written manuscript from a technical perspective, but it will lack the emotional depth, narrative instinct, and authentic voice of someone who truly writes. A book produced by artificial intelligence will read like it was produced by AI, and your readership and, even more importantly, the publishers, editors, and literary agents reading the manuscript will be able to tell. You should therefore insist that your manuscript is produced 100% by a human who types it and have the ghostwriter certify this in writing.
All manuscripts created at Rolling Authors are composed entirely by writers and are not supplemented or substituted by artificial intelligence. It is our position that the process of writing is an art and will always require a consistent level of quality to maintain its credibility. The use of technology to ghostwrite books greatly diminishes the artistic merit produced by the writer. In addition, works created by technology will lack emotional attachment and significance.
Another common misconception concerns "ghosts," "coauthors," and "editors." Here are some definitions of each:
A ghostwriter will create an entire manuscript using your writing style, and there will be no acknowledgment of their contribution as a co-writer. Therefore, you will be the sole credited author of the book created through the use of a ghostwriter.
Coauthors collaborate with you to create a manuscript. When the book is published, the coauthor will have their name printed on the cover next to the author's name, e.g., AUTHOR NAME with COAUTHOR NAME. Therefore, both parties receive credit for the intellectual content produced in the co-authorship relationship and are credited for their respective contributions.
An editor does not create a manuscript. An editor works on your completed manuscript to enhance the overall structure, language, clarity, and flow while also providing additional support to preserve your writing style.
Developmental editors are similar to both ghostwriters and editors. A developmental editor will assist you with the development and construction of your manuscript by offering feedback on previous drafts and providing support throughout your creative writing process.
Choosing the right ghostwriting solution depends on your circumstances: how much writing you’ve completed already, how much time you have available for writing, how developed your book is so far, and how much help you require.
What Is the Cost of Hiring a Ghostwriter?
The price of hiring a ghostwriter can vary greatly based on the writer’s experience, the length and complexity of the project, and the level of service they will provide.
Here’s a general pricing guide:
Freelance websites (Fiverr, Upwork) — this is a very broad range of pricing. You can find writers with very low prices and writers with mid-range prices. These platforms offer no guaranteed quality of product. The bottom end of the price range runs a significant risk of AI-generated content. The only content type that is appropriate for freelance sites is at the very bottom of the scale, i.e., short-term, simple projects. It is not advisable to hire through these sites if you plan to publish your book.
Independent freelance ghostwriters — independent freelancers are often more expensive than those found on freelance websites because they usually deliver a better-quality product than writers on freelance platforms. However, the quality of writers is still very mixed, and their level of quality is often not guaranteed.
Ghostwriting agencies — agencies are for those with larger budgets and for those who require a more structured process, vetted writers matched to the project, signed contracts, and the highest level of accountability during the term of the project. If you are serious about having your name on a book, then this is the only place to invest in ghostwritten content.
Summary of What Ghostwriting Means
To summarize all of these points, ghostwriting is when one person hires a professional writer to write a book or other content, such that the finished product will be attributed to the person who hired the writer. In essence, the writing is completed by someone else, but the finished work still represents that individual’s ideas, expressions, and voice. Ghostwriting is a mutually beneficial and legally acceptable process between the ghostwriter and the individual benefiting from the finished work. Ghostwriting occurs in all professional areas, including business, self-help, autobiography, politics, and celebrity biography.
FAQs
1. Are ghostwritten books "real"?
A ghostwritten book represents both the author's ideas/experiences/expertise. The ghostwriter will help you put it into an organized story. A ghostwriter is like an interpreter; they help you communicate your story clearly, professionally, and in your own voice.
2. How do I know a ghostwriter will capture my voice?
A professional ghostwriting process includes extensive interviews and voice capture sessions between the author and ghostwriter, as well as constant collaboration. The author will always have several chances to review drafts, provide feedback, and adjust tone, so the finished product will reflect the author's voice, not the ghostwriter's voice.
3. Should I hire a ghostwriter from an agency or a freelancer?
This depends on your specific goals. A local, freelance ghostwriter could do well for projects that are small and less complex; however, if you want an entire book, then a ghostwriting agency is typically a better choice due to their structure - vetted ghostwriters, clear processes, contracts, and accountability. If you are serious about writing a high-quality book under your name, then you typically want to use a professional ghostwriting agency.
Are You Looking to Get Your Book Written?
At Rolling Authors, we can help.
If you have a story that needs to be told, expertise that needs to be documented, or a legacy that needs to be preserved, we can make it happen.
We are a book development studio that works with business owners, coaches, consultants, thought leaders, and first-time authors to develop and write books in their name and in their voice. All manuscripts are 100% human-written, 100% confidential, and created through an extensive collaborative process that requires us to learn about you before we write the first word of your manuscript.
We write across all genres: memoir, biography, business, self-help, spirituality, and fiction.
Contact us by WhatsApp — let us know about your book and how we can help.
Your story. Your expertise. Our craftsmanship. Your book.
Comments