Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting is an unusual occupation.  At parties, people ask me if I write about ghosts.  Ghostwriting, of course, has been around as long as publishing has existed.  It is estimated that one third of all books purchased have been ghostwritten or developmentally edited by ghostwriters.  Ghostwriters are used quite frequently by politicians and celebrities who do not possess the writing skills to produce their own publishable manuscripts.

Ghostwriters also are used more frequently in this age of genre fiction, in which writers of thrillers, science fiction, romance, and horror are expected to produce several novels a year or create a franchise for their fiction.  Detective series are a perfect example.  Some collaborations are "open," and one need only look at the number of novels written by James Patterson to see that he uses a stable of writers to execute his outlines and ideas even though his name will always be written in large letters on the cover of the book.

Finally, many published authors eventually discover that mainstream publication is not the royal road to riches.  They frequently turn to ghostwriting in order to supplement their income or write in other genres under a pseudonym.

~ William Hammett 

Index of Articles

Believe in Your Work
Children's Nonfiction: It's Now More Popular
The Craft of Writing
Daily Transit Public Ridership
The eBook Revolution
Fifty Shades of Boring
George Clayton Johnson: Fictioneer by Vivien Kooper
Ghostwriting: The Decline of Professionalism
How Long Does It Take to Write a Novel?
Is Journal Writing Worth the Effort?
Literary Agents
Kindle Direct Publishing (Select)
The Novella is Back and Thriving
Print-on-Demand
Promoting Your Book
The Quest for Literary Representation
The Rewards of Being a Writer
Short Fiction
Smashwords
What Is Developmental Editing
Why Do People Write?
Writing Celebrity Memoirs
Writing a Novel
Writing as a Full-time Job
Writing as a Mystical Process
You Own the Copyright to Your Literary Property
Zen in the Art of Writing