Great Examples of Ghostwriting That May Surprise You
If you’ve landed on this page, you’re likely giving thought to hiring a ghostwriter. Whether you want to publish a memoir, a business book, online content for your brand, or even a fiction book, ghostwriting services can be of use to you. You probably have questions, and one we hear a lot is about the quality of writing you can expect from a ghostwriter. After all, why would someone write without getting credit if they were any good at the craft?
This feels like an appropriate question to someone with great ideas for a book but no time or writing experience to make it a reality on their own. The truth is that whether a writer is credited or not doesn’t constitute an accurate measure of their writing skills. Many choose to ghostwrite because they love writing but don’t have their own story to tell, so they focus instead on crafting others’ memoirs or nonfiction books on behalf of experts in a certain field. Diving deep into someone’s innermost thoughts and feelings and taking on their voice to tell their story in the most engaging way possible is exciting and rewarding for many ghostwriters. Whatever the reason, choosing a career in ghostwriting has nothing to do with a lack of writing skills.
To prove that ghostwriters can be immensely talented, we bring to your attention some well-known books penned by ghostwriters.
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3 ghostwriters who excel at their craft
You may not know these three authors by name, but you’ll probably recognize the books or series mentioned below. Perhaps you’ve even read these works without knowing that they were ghostwritten. Without further ado, here are three instances of great ghostwriting.
1. Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson has written a dozen James Bond novelizations, notably Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough. He has also been a ghostwriter for Tom Clancy with the Splinter Cell novels.
2. Peter Lerangis
Peter Lerangis is a famous children’s book author, his best-known work being the Seven Wonders series. Lerangis has also been prolific as a ghostwriter, contributing to the hugely popular series The Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley High, and The Babysitters Club.
3. Andrew Neiderman
Andrew Neiderman’s best-known novel is The Devil’s Advocate, which was adapted for the screen in 1997. Neiderman has also written under V.C. Andrews’s name. When Andrews died, Neiderman was hired to write some of her unfinished books from the popular Flowers in the Attic series.
These prolific authors have also done their fair share of ghostwriting, proving that it isn’t indicative of a lack of talent. In some ways, ghostwriting even requires more talent—the writer must adapt their style to match that of the client, emulating their voice to tell the story. In the case of fiction ghostwriters, such as these three, they must conform to the author’s unique style to ensure consistent storytelling.
What about ghostwriting for memoirs?
While we’ve offered only a few examples, ghostwriting is ubiquitous across all genres. Memoirs are no exception. In fact, ghostwriting is quite common in that niche as many people who have compelling stories to share often don’t have the time or the skills to write a book themselves. The majority of memoirs published by celebrities, politicians, business leaders, or other public figures are ghostwritten. If you’ve read a lot of nonfiction, you’ve probably devoured your fair share of ghostwritten books.
Most people would feel pretty good about leaving their memoir in the capable hands of one of the above-mentioned writers. There are countless skilled ghostwriters out there who can help bring your story to life, finding all the right words to make your book a success.
Want to learn more about hiring a ghostwriter? Book a free memoir consultation, and we’ll take you through the process, from outline to finished product and beyond.
