Ghostwriting

Many busy people have more to say than time to write it down. A ghostwriter turns their ideas, experience and opinions into finished writing in their voice. Executives, founders, athletes and authors have long worked this way. Done well, the reader cannot tell, because the thinking really is the named person's and only the drafting was shared.

How Good Ghostwriting Works

• Interviews: the writer draws ideas from regular conversations, recordings or notes, not from invention.
• Voice: the writer studies how the person speaks and writes, often recording it in a written voice guide.
• Drafts: every piece is reviewed and revised by the named person.
• Approval: nothing is published in the person's name without their sign off.
• Ownership: the finished work belongs to the person, not the writer.

Where the Ethical Lines Sit

Ghostwriting becomes a problem when it misrepresents the person: claiming experiences they did not have, opinions they do not hold or credentials they did not earn. Artificial intelligence raises the same question in a new form. Every practice in this directory publishes how it uses AI, and has committed not to present generated work as human craft or to let it do the heavy lifting of a client's intellectual property or speaking voice.

Questions to Ask

• Ask who will write for you, and whether that person stays the same over time.
• Ask how the practice learns your voice, and how much of your time that takes.
• Ask how approvals work, and how quickly you are expected to respond.
• Ask whether and how AI is used in drafting.
• Ask who owns the work, including drafts, if the engagement ends.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ghostwriting?

Writing done by one person and published under another person's name, such as articles, posts, speeches or books, based on the named person's ideas and approved by them.

Is ghostwriting dishonest?

Not when the ideas are yours and you approve the result. It becomes dishonest when the writing invents experiences, opinions or credentials you do not have.

How much of my time does ghostwriting take?

Usually an initial voice and strategy session, then a regular interview or review slot each week or month, plus time to approve drafts.

Will ghostwritten content sound like me?

It should, if the writer has enough of your raw material and you edit the early drafts closely. Expect the first few pieces to need more revision than later ones.

Related: Brand Voice, Approval Workflow, Done For You, AI Disclosure, Byline · In the Wiki: Done For You vs Done With You: Agency Models Explained, Personal Branding for Executives: Hiring the Right Help, Personal Branding for Authors: Choosing an Agency