Do Ghostwriters Get Credit?

In this blog post, you’ll learn how ghostwriting works and if a ghostwriter gets credit for the blog post, article, or book that was written. 

A ghostwriter usually does most of the writing when they are hired –  sometimes the entire book.

And when a ghostwriter contributes most of the labour involved, it can be difficult for both the ghostwriter and the author to understand who should get their names in the byline.

Should it only be the author?

The ghostwriter?

Or both?

It’s not uncommon for the ghostwriter to come to an agreement with the author about getting partial credit for the work.

But to complicate things, sometimes the agreement can change halfway through the process.

A ghostwriter and an author usually spend a lot of time together and they get to know each other extremely well.

And during that time the scope of the project can easily change.

It IS a creative process after all.

And as a result, either the author or the ghostwriter might decide it’s appropriate for the ghostwriter to get credit.

What Is A Ghostwriter?

A ghostwriter is defined as someone who is hired to write a piece of writing, usually non-fiction and that is officially credited to another person as the author.

In this blog post, we’re talking about several types of writers and so we’ll define them here:

Ghostwriter – The writer who puts the words down on paper. He or she doesn’t get to contribute creatively to the book. (Usually hired by the author)

Author – The person who comes up with the original ideas for the book. He or she may or may not do any actual writing.

Co-author – Someone who partially writes the book and gets to put his or her ideas into the finished book.

Editor – This type of person is usually a seasoned writer or someone who has worked in publishing before. There are different types of editors. They help create the book structure, making sure it is easy to read and there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes.

So what type of person actually ghostwrites?

For young freelance writers, ghostwriting is usually a beginning job you find on Fiverr, Upwork or Freelancer.com.

Generally, however, it’s not recommended that you hire someone from a job site because you usually get lowgrade or inexperienced ghostwriters.

Sometimes writers move onto other types of writing, while a select few actually make a career of ghostwriting.

Busy people are always looking for writers to create content for them so there is always going to be a market out for them.

It seems like every second day, you see a politician or a celebrity come out with a book, usually after some major event like the Trump impeachment trials, for example.

The Difference Between Co-authorship and Ghostwriting

Both a ghostwriter and a co-author can help you write your book, blog, or case study and admittedly the lines between the two distinctions are blurred.

Many celebrities like Howard Schultz, Jack Welch, and Sam Walton have credited co-writers while others like Donald Trump, Richard Branson have not.

If you want to find out more check out this blog post HERE about 10 books you’ll be surprised are ghostwritten.

The question really is whether there is a workload difference between those who get credit and those who don’t.

Although each case is obviously different, there really isn’t that much difference between co-authorship and ghostwriting – only one gets his or her name on the book cover and one doesn’t credit.

While a co-author is invested in the client’s vision, it can also be, to some degree, his or her own creative creation.

A ghostwriter is invested primarily in the client and the client’s satisfaction with regard to the manuscript.

He or she can guide the author with their expertise and experience, but it’s really up to the author on whether to take it or not!

When you hire a ghostwriter, the roles of author and writer are split.

In some cases, the ghostwriter is hired to polish and edit a rough draft or a mostly completed manuscript.

In others, the ghostwriter actually pitches a celebrity or a publishing house with an idea.

Sometimes the ghostwriter will receive partial credit on a book, signified by the phrase “with…” or “as told to…” on the cover.

Credit for the ghostwriter may also be provided as a “thanks” in a foreword or acknowledgement section.

Sometimes the ghostwriter of nonfiction books will be credited as a “research assistant” or “contributor”.

How Does Ghostwriting Work?

In other cases, a ghostwriter does most of the writing, using ideas and stories provided by the credited author.

In this case, a ghostwriter will do extensive research on the credited author or their subject area of expertise.

Only very rarely does a ghostwriter compile a complete project with no input at all from the credited author.

At the bare minimum, the credited author usually jots down a basic framework of ideas at the outset or provides comments on the ghostwriter’s final draft.

For an autobiography, a ghostwriter will interview the credited author, their colleagues, and family members, and find interviews, articles, and video footage about the credited author or their work.

For other types of nonfiction books or articles, a ghostwriter will interview the credited author and review previous speeches, articles, and interviews, to assimilate his or her arguments and points of view.

Ghostwriters are hired for numerous reasons.

As is often the case, public figures and celebrities cannot possibly have the time or writing skills to write a “how-to” book or autobiography.

Or sometimes they just don’t have the skillset to be able to write a book.

A book is hard work and being able to sit down and write one that other people want to read is no easy feat.

It takes years of dedication to the skill and craft.

And just because you’re a writer doesn’t mean that you can become a ghostwriter.

I’ve known many great writers – award winners, in fact –  who needed help to write their book.

Sometimes that comes in the form of a ghostwriter, a writing coach or an editor.

It really all depends on a variety of factors on which is best for any given situation.

For example, if someone is suffering from writer’s block then a writing coach might be the best to get them out of the funk.

Or if they need help structuring the book then maybe an editor is the best way to get the book finished.

Protip: Even if a celebrity or public figure has the writing skills to write a short blog post, they may not know how to structure a several-hundred-page book so that it is captivating and well-paced.

In other cases, publishers use ghostwriters (think authors like James Patterson) to increase the number of books that can be published each year to maximize revenue.

Types of Ghostwriting

There are as many different ghostwriters as there are types of books.

In other words, whatever the type or genre of writing being published, there is the opportunity for the work to be ghostwritten.

Ghostwriters are usually very versatile who can work in a variety of genres but you also want to find a ghostwriter who has experience in your type of genre.

They should be familiar with the style and tone that is usually associated with that genre.

The type of writing can be:

• Business
• Self-Help
• Fiction
• Speeches
• Journals
• Blogs

When hiring a ghostwriter for your genre, make sure to ask if they understand the expectations of that particular type of book.

You don’t want to hire a fiction writer to help you with your memoir or a self-help writer to help you explain financial policy in 1920.

Do Ghostwriters Get Credit?

This is the question at the heart of the matter.

The original ideas are the authors but the ghostwriter was able to mold and shape them in an organized fashion so isn’t the book partially the ghostwriters?

If you choose to hire a writer as a co-author, the resulting book will only be partially yours.

The c-author will also get credit for the book ie both names appear on the cover or jacket of the book.

A coauthor can help you write and publish a book, but that book will be based partly on your vision and partly on hers or his.

A co-author is not just a writer—she or he is also an author.

On the other hand, a ghostwriter is “the writer” but not the author of your book.

I know it’s confusing…

Writing is an art, but it is also a craft.

A ghostwriter, like any other craftsperson you could hire, is concerned with satisfying your vision for the end product as completely as possible.

Ultimately the intellectual property goes to the author. (After all, that’s what the ghostwriter was hired for!)

The ideas put on paper are from the author’s mind and should be treated as his or her property.

The ghostwriter is just the executor, meaning that his or her ideas don’t go into the book.

Or at least the author has 100% final say of the book’s content.

Think of it this way:

If a photographer wanted to make prints of his photograph at Walmart, Walmart doesn’t get to claim it was the photographer.

The same thing applies to ghostwriting.

Having said that, it’s always important to have a clearly stated contract that spells out what the author gets and what the ghostwriter gets.

That way there are no misunderstandings down the line.

If in doubt, always talk to a lawyer who specializes in contractual law as they will be able to give you the best advice.

What Happens After The Book is Written?

Even after the content is created, a co-author may have personal motives apart from your desires for the book.

Because the coauthor may have specific career plans and ideas, he or she may take the book in certain directions with regard to marketing and genre categorization that could very well be different than your vision.

A ghostwriter wants you to succeed and be happy with your book just as you imagined it, so she or he will give input to support you but leave the final decisions up to you.

While a co-author may try to steer your book in the direction of their choosing, a ghostwriter can provide as much or as little professional advice as you want.

In other cases, the ghostwriter receives no official credit for writing a book or article.

In cases where the credited author or the publisher or both wish to conceal the ghostwriter’s role, the ghostwriter may be asked to sign a nondisclosure contract that forbids him or her from revealing his or her ghostwriting role.

Payment and Credit for Ghostwriters

Ghostwriting is time consuming and challenging.

Ghostwriters will often spend from several months if not a year to a full year researching, writing, and editing nonfiction works for a client.

You want to ensure that you pay fairly for a ghostwriter, otherwise, you’ll likely be disappointed with the end result.

I can’t tell you how many times, an author didn’t want to spend the money to hire a proper ghostwriter and ended up with something they didn’t want to print because there were too many spelling, grammar, or even factual mistakes!

Ghostwriters are paid either per page, with a flat fee, or a percentage of the royalties of the sales, or some combination.

Unfortunately, advances and percentages of royalties are rare these days unless but they do happen.

Ghostwriters can charge anything from 10 cents to $4 per word – often more – depending on the writer’s reputation and skills, and the detail required of the article.

I recommend that you pay somewhere in the middle as a fair place to start.

Does Ghostwriting also include Articles?

Yes absolutely.

In fact, it is important for a thought leader and or a business leader to hire a ghostwriter to do constant writing for them.

Why is that?

Because today’s consumers are very sophisticated, and depending on the industry, they will consume an average of four pieces of content before they even think about buying.

Blog articles are a great way to get your content out there and to increase your search engine optimization (SEO) results.

To learn more about how a ghostwriter can leverage your content marketing check out our blog post HERE.

I suppose there’s always been some ghostwriting of articles.

Today, however, article ghostwriting often means getting poorly paid to write articles aimed at search engine optimization (SEO).

A professional ghostwriter understands the strategy behind content marketing and will create content to drive specific results.

Sometimes that is ranking a blog post for a particular search term or educating your target audience about a specific topic.

Do ghostwriters get credit?

But Is Ghostwriting Ethical?

If a ghostwriter doesn’t get any credit for authorship, does this make ghostwriting unethical?

Is ghostwriting actually plagiarism?

No, of course not.

Ghostwriters can help you make your book a reality the same way that you could design a building, but would probably need to hire a contractor to build it.

A good ghostwriter will work as a skillful technician, working closely with you to coax your book out of blank pages and onto bookshelves.

What Skills Do Ghostwriters Need?

Ghostwriting isn’t for everyone.

A ghostwriter is part sociologist and part journalist.

It can be difficult to extract the necessary material from a subject and then translate it into words onto a sheet of paper.

For example, in addition to being a good writer, a valuable skill is the ability to listen deeply and clearly.

When you listen extra carefully, and with your own ideas out of the way, you should be able to write in the author’s voice.

Remember – a ghostwriter is just a vessel for the author.

It’s easy for the ghostwriter to (mostly subconsciously) add his or her point of view onto the piece of paper.

It’s a mistake I’ve done too many times and had to correct.

Sometimes a ghostwriter may not agree with that point of view but that is inconsequential.

If a ghostwriter finds the author’s point of view completely clashes with his or her own and isn’t able to get past it, then it’s time for the ghostwriter and the author to part ways.

Next, a ghostwriter needs to be able to ask the right questions, sometimes in a delicate way.

Sometimes the author will have a hard time talking about a subject or might have a hard time remembering it.

It’s the ghostwriter’s job to solicit that information while being empathetic.

It’s not an easy task and takes practice!

Lastly, a ghostwriter should also be an expert researcher, especially if you’re writing an autobiography or a memoir.

A lot of content will need to be well-researched and as such, you should be able to efficiently navigate the depths of the internet.

How Can You Demonstrate Your Experience if the Book is in the Name of the Author?

If you’re a ghostwriter this can be frustrating.

It’s hard to get testimonials if your name is supposed to stay in the shadows.

However, it’s obviously not impossible for ghostwriters to get new clients.

(If it was, then it wouldn’t be a profession!)

From google reviews to word of mouth, social validation is important for ghostwriters to get new clients.

Some clients will allow ghostwriters to disclose that they’ve done ghostwriting for them while others do not.

The ghostwriter has to ask for consent if they can use their name or not.

This kind of credit may be negotiated upfront and made a part of the contract.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking to hire a skilled ghostwriter, you don’t need to look much further.

The ghostwriters on staff at Ghostwriters & Co are highly skilled at conveying your voice and tone in a way that will leverage your time and bring in money to your business.

Our whole team is eager to help you with your content.

You can read more about our ghostwriting and editing services, and contact us to start creating your content.

Further Reading:

To Credit? Or Not to Credit?

Do Ghostwriters Get Credit? 

Ghostwriters and Coauthors