Ghostwriter

:This article is about a ghostwriter, the type of writer. There is also an article on the children's television series Ghostwriter.

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A ghostwriter is a writer who writes under someone else's name, with their consent. Ghostwriters are often employed by celebrities to write autobiographies in situations in which the celebrities themselves may not be talented writers. Ghostwriters are also employed, often with proper billing, by authors whose names alone will sell a book, such as Tom Clancy. Ghostwriters sometimes receive partial credit, signified by "with" or "as told to". Credit may also appear as a "thanks" in a foreword or introduction. Just because a book is ghostwritten does not necessarily mean that the credited author did not make a significant contribution to the work; a ghostwriter is often employed to polish and edit existing material, or to work directly with the credited author to shape the book from start to finish.

Related Topics:
Writer - Celebrities - Autobiographies - Tom Clancy

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A related concept is that of the house pseudonym, where a series is credited to a single author to disguise the fact that it is the work of diverse hands. This practice is distinct from ghost writing proper in that the author of record is usually not a real person.

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Prominent examples include Carolyn Keene ("author" of the Nancy Drew mysteries), Franklin W. Dixon (The Hardy Boys), and Maxwell Grant (The Shadow).

Related Topics:
Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew - Franklin W. Dixon - The Hardy Boys - Maxwell Grant - The Shadow

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