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Who Uses a Ghost Writer?
For those unfamiliar with the world of ghostwriting, the knowledge that the author whose name is printed on the cover may not have actually penned the book can be quite a shock. However, ghostwriting is actually a very common practice, especially among celebrities, athletes, T.V. personalities, and successful executives and CEOs who desire to write a book but lack the time or writing skills required to actually do so.
Some experts estimate that up to 40% of all published works are written by ghosts; however, due the opaque nature of the industry, pinpointing the exact number of ghostwritten works is impossible. Although some authors will publicly acknowledge the ghostwriter as a collaborator, editor, contributor, or even as a ghost, other ghostwriters are asked to sign a nondisclosure contract that prohibits them from ever revealing their role in the writing process.
John Blake of Blake Publishing estimates that as many as 80 percent of celebrity books are ghostwritten. Consider the following list of known celebrities and personalities whose works are known to have been written or “co-written” (often code for ghostwritten) by a ghost:
• Henry Ford – My Philosophy of Industry
• Hillary Clinton – It Takes a Village
• Naomi Campbell – Swan
• General Schwarzkopf – It Doesn’t Take a Hero
• Alan Greenspan – The Age of Turbulence
• Pamela Anderson – Star
• Ivana Trump – For Love Alone
• Big Brother winner Jade Goody – My Autobiography
• Big Brother personality Pete Bennett – Pete My Story
Publishers also utilize the work of ghostwriters to generate a steady stream of books that are published under the name of an already successful and highly marketable author. The following series are known to have been written by a ghostwriter or team of writers-for-hire:
• Nancy Drew
• The Hardy Boys
• The Rover Boys
• The Bobbsey Twins
• The Babysitters’ Club
• Sweet Valley Twins
The use of ghosts by famed authors is not limited to the authors of children’s series. Best-selling thriller writers Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlam, and Clive Cussler are all known to have used teams of writers to generate works published under their names. Clancy’s publisher once explained that “Tom Clancy creates the ideas for these series, and the writers execute Clancy’s ideas.”
Ghostwriting is an age-old practice utilized by individuals from all walks of life. Could you use a ghostwriter to turn your great idea into a literary masterpiece or best seller?
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