Ghostwriters are for everyone (not just the rich and talentless!)

What links Donald Trump, Katie Price, and Prince Harry?  Apart from strange hair and questionable life choices, they’ve all worked with ghostwriters.

Knowing this, you might assume that hiring a ghostwriter is only something you do if you’ve got a) lots of cash, b) no writing talent, or c) both.

But ghostwriting is a truly democratic profession, in that anyone can hire someone to write for them.  Better still, a ghostwriter can write just about anything you ask for.  Their talents aren’t confined to embarrassing tell-all memoirs, bluster-filled business books, and Pink Perfect Pony-tales (those aren’t Donald Trump’s but I wish they were).

In fact, those three famous cases are rare because we know their books were ghostwritten.  We even know who by.

Usually, there’s a reason why ghostwriters are called ghostwriters. 

They don’t exist – at least, not as far as readers are concerned.  Ghostwriters are the bridesmaids of the literary world: always the writer, never the author.  Because of this they specialise in shape-shifting, adjusting their tone and style to reflect each author they work with.

What does all that mean for you?

If you hire a ghostwriter, you’ll be presented with written work that reads like you wrote it yourself.  As its official author, you can promote and share it as though you actually did.  That’s great news if you haven’t got time to write, or you wouldn’t know where to begin if you had.

What do ghostwriters write?

Ghostwriting covers all kinds of written work, including:

• Autobiographies
• Memoirs
• Professional articles
• Social media posts
• Company blog posts
• Short stories
• Wedding speeches
• Corporate presentations
• Poetry
• Business books
• Scripts
• Novels
• Songs

I’ve ghostwritten at least half of the items on this list myself (I’d give you more details, but I’m sworn to secrecy!)

Ghostwriting is a collaborative process.

Even if you already know what you’d like to write, working with a ghostwriter can shape your ideas, give structure, and help you complete your project quickly.  For example, one of my clients is an accomplished writer themselves, but they work with me to help them sound “more eloquent” (their words!) when pushed for time.

Well-known people frequently use ghostwriters, even celebrated authors.  Don’t believe me?  Famous ghostwritten books include The Count of Monte Cristo, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and the Nancy Drew mystery series.

Oh, and part of the reason James Patterson has been able to write so many bestselling novels (over 200 and counting) is because he’s known to collaborate with ghostwriters.

So, what’s in it for the ghostwriter?

I can’t speak for everyone who ghostwrites, but I love getting the opportunity to meet and interview different people.  Hearing their stories.  Absorbing their speech.  Trying their style on for size.  Helping them craft writing that speaks directly to the people they care about, in their own voice.

I also love spotting my ghostwritten work here and there.  If readers like it, I’m genuinely pleased for the author.  If they don’t… well I didn’t ‘officially’ write it, so who cares?

(That’s sort-of a joke).

Can I ghostwrite something for you?

If I do, nobody will know unless you choose to tell them.

You can tell me about your project in confidence, just by clicking here or here.