Do you believe in ghosts? They are mostly unseen. Unnoticeable. And
believe it or not they are moving behind the scenes in the
publishing industry. If you’re lucky you might catch a fleeting
glimpse. They are officially called ‘ghostwriters’.
A ghostwriter is a writer who writes on an assigned topic under
someone else's name, with their consent. They often write books
completely from scratch but sometimes their work involves rewriting
or polishing an existing work.
Most books by famous personalities are actually
written by ghostwriters. When you see an autobiography or memoir
from a politician, businessperson, or celebrity, chances are that it
has been written by a ghostwriter.
Here are a few examples. The autobiography
"Ronald Reagan: An American Life" was ghosted by Robert Lindsey.
“Learning to Sing”, the autobiography of American Idol star Clay
Aiken, was written with ghostwriter Allison Glock. The
autobiographies of Doris Day and Sophie Loren were written by A.E.
Hotchner.
So how popular is ghostwriting? Statistics are hard to come by since
many people don't want to reveal that their book is ghosted. Some
industry estimates suggest that up to fifty percent of all
non-fiction books are ghostwritten.
A client may decide to hire a ghostwriter
because the client does not have any writing talent or because they
are too busy. Ghostwriters, for their part, are usually
well-established writers already, and are selected on that basis.
What do Ghostwriters
Write?
Ghostwriters are hired to write many types of
documents, from autobiographies for famous personalities to e-books
for internet marketing gurus, and even letters for politicians.
They also write fiction. Sometimes it is for a
series of books written by several ghostwriters under one name, as
with the stories of Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys. Ghostwriters also
continue to write novels under the name of popular authors who have
died, as in the case of Robert Ludlum.
Is Ghostwriting Ethical?
Although ghostwriting is a widely accepted practice within the
publishing industry, some people outside of the industry complain
that ghostwriting is deceptive. But that is not necessarily true.
Consider for a moment the ghostwriting process. The client is the
author of the work in that they are the person who is really behind
the content. It is the client's ideas, the client’s stories and
experiences. It is the client’s words recorded on hours of
interview tapes. The ghostwriter is a professional consultant
providing expertise in the area of bringing together all the
information, organizing it, and writing it up in a way that will
produce a marketable and readable masterpiece.
What Skills does a
Ghostwriter Need?
A ghostwriter must be a good writer.
He or she should also have good interviewing skills, since they will
spend many hours and days interviewing clients. They should have the
ability to ask good questions that will draw out the best aspects of
a story.
Another skill - which may need to be developed - is the ability to
maintain the client’s voice so that the book reads like the client,
not the ghostwriter.
How is a Ghostwriter
Paid?
Ghostwriters usually charge a flat fee for
their work.
Sometimes they will reduce their ghostwriting
fee in return for a percentage (perhaps 25-50%) of the royalties, or
in rare cases they may waive their fee in return for a percentage of
royalties.
The advantage of a flat fee is that a
ghostwriter knows exactly how much he or she will be paid. The risk
of relying on royalties is that even if the book is well-written,
the ghostwriter has no control over the book's marketing and
promotion.
Does a Ghostwriter
Receive Any Credit?
More often than not, the public never knows
that a book was ghostwritten. Sometimes ghostwriters are even
legally bound to not reveal that they have ghosted a particular
book.
Occasionally ghostwriters will receive some credit. The writer’s
name may appear on the cover as a co-author or it might read "as
told to Jenny Ghost.” Another way to thank the ghostwriter is under
the acknowledgements, for example “…and thanks to Joe Ghoul without
whom this book would never have been completed”.
Are You Thinking of Becoming a Ghostwriter?
It could be an excellent career move. You've
probably heard it said that everyone has a book inside them. Well,
the fact of the matter is that not everyone has the time or the
skill to write it.
As long as there is a story to be told,
ghostwriters will continue to be in demand.
