What is a Ghostwriter? Everything You Need to Know

In publishing, a ghostwriter is a professional hired to write text that's credited to someone else. 

Think of it this way: you bring the ideas, stories, and experience — while the ghostwriter brings the skills to shape it all into something readers actually want to read.

Ghostwriters write your book without being credited 

Ghost projects exist on a spectrum: some are fully "ghosted" (no public credit), some are credited collaborations ("written with"), and others fall somewhere in between, with an acknowledgment mention.

The ghostwriter is compensated fairly (often more handsomely than other freelance writers), and the credited author gets a polished manuscript that reflects their voice and vision. Both sides enter the agreement willingly, and both sides benefit.

Besides money, they get to work on a wide range of fascinating projects, learn about new subjects, and collaborate with people whose stories deserve to be told. Moreover, many ghostwriters also publish under their own names, so ghostwriting doesn't deprive them of a credited writing career. 

In other words, there’s nothing murky about this arrangement. Ghostwriting is an established, transparent business practice that's been part of the publishing industry for decades — and it’s a productive career path for writers who have time and creative energy to spare.

Ghostwriters write memoirs, novels, business books, and more

People hire ghostwriters for all kinds of projects — from full-length books to blog posts, speeches, and social media content. But the scope and nature of the collaboration will look quite different depending on the type of project. 

Let's walk through the most common ghostwriting services.

Memoirs and autobiographies

Ghostwriters are perhaps best known for contributing to people’s life stories: memoirs and autobiographies. In this scenario, you've lived the life and have the stories — but translating decades of memories into a compelling narrative arc is its own skill set. A ghostwriter can take everything you know about your life and experiences and weave them into a book that reads beautifully.

Celebrity memoirs are the most visible example of this. J.R. Moehringer helped Phil Knight tell the story of founding Nike in Shoe Dog, and he's also the pen behind Prince Harry's Spare. Or take William Novak — a 20th century ghostwriter who helped write iconic memoirs for figures like Lee Iacocca, Nancy Reagan, and Magic Johnson.

But ghostwritten memoirs aren't just reserved for the famous. Anyone who has lived a full and interesting life can benefit from working with a nonfiction ghostwriter — especially if you've always wanted to write your story but never had the time or the writing confidence to do it justice.

Business and thought leadership books

Many entrepreneurs and thought leaders cement their authority by publishing books. But because they often lack the time or writing expertise to do it themselves, they turn to a ghostwriter to bring their ideas to life. For example, Sheryl Sandberg collaborated with writer Nell Scovell to transform her experiences as Meta’s COO into the global cultural phenomenon Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.

In many cases, the ghostwriter's involvement can also extend beyond the book itself. They may help shape the tone and language of a client's broader communications — website copy, social media posts, keynote speeches — to ensure everything sounds like it's coming from the same authoritative voice.

Book proposals

If you're a nonfiction author hoping to land a deal with a traditional publisher, you'll need a book proposal. A strong proposal has to sell your concept, demonstrate your authority on the subject, outline the market opportunity, and include a polished sample chapter — all while striking a tone that makes acquiring editors want to read more.

Even if you're confident in your writing abilities, the conventions of proposal writing can be tricky to navigate (particularly if you're a debut author). This is why many authors end up hiring a ghostwriter to help them nail it.

Fiction

Ghostwriters don't only work in nonfiction — they write novels too. This is especially common in genre fiction, where publishers sometimes commission ghostwritten books to keep a popular series going or to capitalize on a well-known name. But individual authors also hire ghostwriters for fiction projects, particularly when they have a great concept but need help with the execution.

For an example of a ghostwritten series, the beloved Baby-Sitters Club series saw creator Ann M. Martin hand the reins to Peter Lerangis after book #35. As for individual projects, think about former US President Bill Clinton, who co-authored three political thrillers with none other than James Patterson. Even certain literary classics were actually ghostwritten or co-authored — like The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, which was written in collaboration with Auguste Maquet. 

If you're curious about how widespread fiction ghost writing is, check out our list of popular novels you never knew were ghostwritten.

Blog posts, articles, and speeches

Not every ghostwriting project is a book. Many ghostwriters work on shorter-form content — blog posts, LinkedIn articles, op-eds, and newsletters — for executives, entrepreneurs, or companies who want to build an online presence. This kind of ghostwriting is all about capturing the client's knowledge, perspective, and voice. 

Speechwriting is another area where ghostwriters thrive. Pretty much all public figures, politicians, and corporate leaders rely on ghostwriters to help them communicate more effectively from the podium.

Now that you know what ghostwriters can help with, let's cover what the actual process looks like from start to finish.

Ghostwriters shape your ideas into a book written in your voice

Ghostwriting can be deeply collaborative, involving as much back-and-forth as the client wants. Both sides play an important role, so the quality of the final product depends on how well you work together. Let’s look at the main stages of having a manuscript ghostwritten. 

🗺️ Mapping out the project. Every collaboration typically starts with an in-depth conversation where they get a full picture of your project. This should cover your book’s subject, the audience, the tone, and the key themes. From there, the ghostwriter will produce a chapter-by-chapter plan that maps out the narrative flow. This is your chance to make sure the structure feels right before any writing begins.

🎤 Filling in the details. Next comes the interview phase, which is the real heart of the collaboration. Over a series of sessions (spaced out over weeks or months, depending on your schedule), the ghostwriter digs into the details of your story or expertise. You can also share supporting materials — diaries, photographs, articles, slide decks, even a partial manuscript — anything that helps bring the content to life.

🔊 Fine-tuning the voice. Your ghostwriter will typically submit the first few chapters for your review to make sure they're capturing your voice well. Point out phrases that don't sound like you, flag anything that feels off, and suggest corrections as you go. The more you engage at this stage, the stronger the end result.

📙 Revising the manuscript. Once the full draft is complete, the ghostwriter edits the entire manuscript for consistency and flow, then submits it for your final approval. Most agreements include one or two rounds of revisions at this stage. And in the best ghost-author relationships, the partnership often continues beyond the manuscript — with the ghostwriter offering guidance on next steps, like approaching agents or preparing for publication.

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Now that you know what a ghostwriter is, what they do, and what it's like to work with one, you may want to know where to hire a ghostwriter — and how much it'll cost.