So, what is ghostwriting?

Maybe you already know what ghostwriting is and who ghostwriters are, and if so, feel free to skip this page. But if not, read on and let us help you . . . .

Anytime you see a book on the NYT nonfiction bestseller list, chances are someone helped that author write that book. That's true especially if that author is a celebrity, be they a well-known athlete, movie star, successful businessperson, politician, influencer, or whatever. Whenever a well-known person says that they want to write a book, publishers often take notice, not because these celebs are great writers, but because their name will attract book buyers. And publishers, like any business, love to bank on a sure thing, if they can. They're in the business to make money, after all.

There's just one little problem with putting out a book by someone famous or well-known: Most of these people aren't writers.

And so, publishers will put their best editors on the case. Or better yet, the publisher (or the celeb's literary agent or manager or the celeb themself) will hire a ghostwriter to help the book get written and written well. This ghostwriters is a seasoned professional writer, someone who knows how to tell a story. Many come from journalism, some are bestselling authors themselves, whether they wrote fiction or nonfiction, and still others are former agents or people who used to work as book editors or in publishing. Other ghostwriters are former business writers and copywriters. The list goes on.

The point is, a person has a story to tell or knowledge to share and a name that might attract readers, so those around them make sure to hire an expert to help them write their book.

The story and the knowledge and the information still comes from the named author, but a professional writer has done most of the hard work.

That, my friends, is a ghostwriter and that it ghostwriting, plain and simple.

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Why use a ghostwriter?

At this point, you might be thinking,

"I'm not famous, so why should I bother to should I bother to write a book, let alone hire a ghostwriter?"

Just this: Many successful people got where they are today because, at some point, they had the foresight to buckle down and write a book. And that book sometimes sold well.

But besides whatever money it made, that book also did something else: it made their author into an authority, someone others turned to for advice and direction, and someone they wanted to do business with.

Love him or hate him, Donald Trump would not be where he is today had he not written The Art of the Deal, the book he wrote (with a ghostwriter's help, thank you) back in the 1980s. But it's not just him, Martha Stewart's arc was aided by her first book, as were other countless influencers and celebs.

No, writing a book will not automatically make you rich, famous, or the go-to person in your field, but without one, your path to greater influence will doubtless be longer and harder. It's just the way it is.

Books still lend their authors credibility that can come almost no other way.

Now, you don't have to write a book, but if you want to make a splash in the world, or if you want to make a difference and get your message out there, nothing beats a book.

And when you hire a ghostwriter, you make sure that your book takes less time to be written, is better organized, and has a greater impact.

So, if you want to make a difference, in your career, the world, or in your field, what are you waiting for??