How Does Ghostwriting Work?
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What is Ghostwriting?
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Ghostwriting describes a piece of work written or partially written by one individual while another person receives credit for it. For instance, many celebrities, famous politicians and other noteworthy individuals enlist the assistance of a ghostwriter when completing their memoirs or biographies. This allows the famous individual to collaborate on the work and ensure accuracy without actually being a professional writer. People may choose ghostwriters simply because they do not have time to write a manuscript or piece of text. They may also lack spelling and grammatical skills and want a ghostwriter who is experienced in these areas. Clients may procure ghostwriters to influence public perception of their business or expertise. For instance, politicians may hire ghostwriters to write their speeches or other professional documents.
Contributions and Skills
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The amount of text provided by the ghostwriter varies greatly depending on the agreement between the credited author and the ghostwriter. Some individuals choose to write the majority of their manuscript and then simply hire a ghostwriter for polishing. The ghostwriter then edits the document correcting mistakes and providing feedback. In instances where the author hires a ghostwriter to write the entirety of their manuscript, more work is expected of the ghostwriter. If the manuscript is biographical they will research the author and the author's friends, family and acquaintances to attain information for the biography. The credited author may have an outline already established for the ghostwriter to follow or they may work together to create one.
Certain skills are generally required for ghostwriting. Proper grammatical and text usage knowledge is imperative. A ghostwriter must also be able to understand clients' specific needs and their personal voice. Ideally when a person hires a ghostwriter for a biography, the manuscript will reflect the credited author's personality. Therefore, the ghostwriter must style flex according to each individual that they write for.
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Perks of Ghostwriting
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Although a ghostwriter often receives little or none of the recognition for contributions to a manuscript, there are still other benefits to ghostwriting. Firstly, a ghostwriters receive payment for her work and expertise. Payment depends on the type of project undertaken and the agreement made between the client and the ghostwriter. Sometimes a ghostwriter receives a percentage of the total sales for a manuscript. The client may also offer an upfront payment amount for the estimated work to be completed.
A ghostwriter also gets to learn firsthand about the intimate details and spectacular events that occur in people's lives. According to ghostwriter Andrew Crofts, ghosting is similar to being taught by the greatest teachers in the world. He is able to gain in depth details of events by people who actually experienced them.
Although a ghostwriter generally gains little attention for contributions, in some cases a write is mentioned with the credited author's name or in another area of the manuscript. A credited author often thanks a ghostwriters in the acknowledgment section or at some other point during the manuscript.
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