What a Ghostwriter Actually Does: And Why More Executives Are Hiring One
- Angela Sauceda
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
At some point in almost every conversation I have with a potential client, the same thing comes up. They lean forward a little, lower their voice slightly, and say some version of: "Is it weird that I want someone else to write this?"
It is not weird. It is, in fact, extremely normal. Let me explain what ghostwriting actually is, and then we can talk about why so many executives, founders, and public figures are using it.
What Ghostwriting Is
Ghostwriting is the professional practice of writing content, a book, a memoir, a speech, a column, a LinkedIn post, on behalf of another person. Who then publishes it under their own name. The ghostwriter is not a co-author. Their name doesn't appear anywhere. The copyright belongs entirely to the person who commissioned the work.
The practice is older than most people realize. Presidential memoirs, bestselling business books, celebrity autobiographies, the majority of these are written with significant ghostwriting support. It is not a shortcut. It is a collaboration.
What Ghostwriters Actually Do
This is where the misconceptions usually live. A ghostwriter is not someone who takes a messy Word document and cleans it up. The work is more substantive than that.
In a memoir or narrative nonfiction engagement, a ghostwriter typically:
Conducts extended interviews to gather the material and study the client's voice
Identifies the narrative arc, the through-line that gives the story structure and meaning
Drafts the manuscript in the client's voice, not the ghostwriter's
Revises based on feedback until the client feels that what's on the page actually sounds like them
For content ghostwriting: LinkedIn posts, newsletter essays, speeches, the process is similar but faster. The ghostwriter captures the client's voice in an intake process, then produces content on an ongoing basis that sounds like the client wrote it on their best day.
Why Executives Hire Ghostwriters
Time is the obvious answer, but it's not the whole answer.
The executives and founders I work with are not struggling because they're lazy or don't care about their writing. They're struggling because they're too close to their own story to see it clearly. When you've lived something, built a company, survived something, changed the direction of your life, the experience is too large and too tangled to hold at the right distance. You know too much. You can't tell which details matter.
A ghostwriter provides the outside perspective that makes the story legible. This isn't a service for people who can't write. It's a service for people whose story is too important to leave half-told.
Ghostwriting vs. Copywriting: What's the Difference?
Copywriting is writing created to sell or market: ads, website copy, email campaigns. Ghostwriting is writing created to communicate a person's ideas, voice, or story. There's some overlap (a ghostwritten LinkedIn post is also, technically, marketing), but the primary goal is different. Copywriting optimizes for conversion. Ghostwriting optimizes for authentic voice.
What About the Ethics of It?
People ask this occasionally, and I think it's worth addressing directly: ghostwriting is not dishonest. It is a professional service, clearly understood as such by everyone in the publishing industry, in content marketing, and in executive communications. The ideas are yours. The experience is yours. The story is yours. A ghostwriter gives those things a form that other people can actually read.
If it helps: the speech a CEO delivers at a board meeting is almost certainly written by someone else. Nobody calls that a scandal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ghostwriting legal?
Yes. Ghostwriting is completely legal and has been a standard professional practice for well over a century. The arrangement is typically governed by a contract that specifies the transfer of all intellectual property to the client.
How do you find a good ghostwriter?
Look for someone with specific experience in the type of writing you need, memoir ghostwriting is not the same as business book ghostwriting, and neither is the same as content ghostwriting. Ask for samples, ask how they capture voice, and pay close attention to whether they listen well.
What types of content do ghostwriters write?
Memoirs, business books, narrative nonfiction, LinkedIn posts, newsletter essays, speeches, op-eds, and more. The range is wide. The unifying factor is that the content is written in the client's name and voice.
Do ghostwriters sign NDAs?
Typically, yes. Professional ghostwriting engagements are governed by contracts that include confidentiality provisions. The ghostwriter agrees not to disclose that they worked with you, and not to use your material for any other purpose.
What is a content ghostwriting retainer?
A content ghostwriting retainer is an ongoing arrangement in which a ghostwriter produces content, LinkedIn posts, newsletter essays, short-form writing, on a regular schedule, under the client's name. It's how executives and founders maintain a consistent, high-quality voice online without writing every piece themselves.
