Often there are ghosts in articles.
Ghostwriting, and for clarity I mean writing AS someone else who has commissioned you, is a literary artform that many writers have in their repertoire, and which let’s face it, rarely gets them any publicity or credit by its nature. The person who commissions a ghostwriter often does so because 1) they are too busy running their businesses and 2) they often write in the style of a raging toddler which means articles, whitepapers and books can lose their appeal if in a similar vein. Many CEOs especially, I find, have a refined, hyper-efficient and functional email tempo, from the no-nonsense exchanges needed to clear cluttered inboxes in the morning.
The Delight of Dignified Deception
For the writer commissioned it’s a very strange task. On the one side, there can be an unusual kind of delight in the role-play of becoming the voice behind the said famous, senior or notorious figurehead. It means you access a large audience immediately – a guaranteed readership, and whilst you might use your words, which then become synonymous with their name and reputation it can be gratifying that your ideas are taken seriously and that your act is convincing. I have had comments for my ghostwriting congratulating me (well, not me technically!) from the biggest celebrity names in business, unless of course, those comments were written by other ghostwriters or PR people – and that would be ironic. That idea makes me smile, even laugh sometimes, the crazy notion that behind-the-scenes marketers are in fact talking to each other in the styles and the avatars of their bosses.
Being an Editorial Chameleon
The downside is you have to keep quiet about your contribution and are not validated beyond the payment for it. Sometimes you are gifted a mention or credit but mostly not. Recently I’ve completed several ghostwriting commissions, and no one was wiser who read them. It might seem puzzling for some looking in, but there are often very valid situations for ghostwriting and it does achieve objectives that may otherwise take a lot of time and energy for people who have other serious commitments to fulfil. I see it as a privilege to be a professional writer, getting paid to do what I love. After all, gardeners don’t get to etch their initials in lawns, cake makers don’t stick their business cards in icing – it’s a job for someone.
It is important to get to know and to listen to the person you represent. There are so many ‘tells’ in the way they talk, ego-driven or selfless, formal or informal, technical or layman – their communication style, their idiosyncrasies, that together form an impression that moulds their message and their way of addressing people.
The Learning in Journalism
With a kind of smug, self-warming glow, I often see ghostwriting for business people as validating what I have learnt from journalism and industry. It’s not for everyone, but when you have a lot to say, when you can mimic style and knowledge and generate interest in a specific sector, that feels pretty good – like the busker with a fake beard in the tube station, who is secretly a pop star, and still manages to draw the engagement from the crowd, it does say something about skill. Your name and your face is not the focus, it’s just your words that count and that does mean something.
For anyone reading this who needs professional writing, I’d be pleased to hear from you if you would like to talk.
Writer for Hire 