To some people, the term “ghostwriter” conjures up images of some kind of covert, undercover secret agent who writes novels under a pen name, never revealing their true identity.

The reality, though, is a whole lot less mysterious.

So, what exactly is a ghostwriter, and what do they do?

Ghostwriters are writers who are hired to write books (or other material) that someone else will be credited for.

In essence, the ghostwriter is the person who listens to your ideas and stories, and then helps you turn those ideas into a book. Once the book has been completed, you are listed as the author, with the ghostwriter’s identity remaining anonymous.

There are times that ghostwriter does receive credit for the part they played in the writing process. However, more frequently ghostwriters remain unknown (as does the fact that a ghostwriter was even used).

Although this may sound odd, it is actually quite a common practice. In fact, there are many celebrities and well-known personalities who regularly hire ghostwriters to help them pen their autobiographies and memoirs.

While ghostwriting is frequently associated with writing books for celebrities and non-celebrities alike, ghostwriters are also used for a variety of other written works, including:

• Speeches
• Blogs
• Social media posts
• Proposals
• Newsletters
• Website content