by Ruth Belena

Created on: January 24, 2009

Ghostwriting can takes many forms. It is not a sinister or underhand practice, but it can be a scary business. Most people are unaware of the business of ghostwriting, for the very reason that to be effective it is a secretive practice, performed anonymously. The ghostwriter lurks in the shadows, away from the glare of publicity.

Some ghostwriters offer a discreet service for academic projects, dissertations, and essays. That is not to say they do all the work, or that their clients are cheating. It can just be a way of helping with writing up and editing extensive research, putting it into acceptable academic style and language.

Another form of ghostwriting is done by freelance writers who provide text for businesses and content for websites. The ghostwriter is supplied with basic facts and asked to present them in a certain way. This could be a set of instructions, a recipe, a travel guide, or any informational text.

Much of what is read online or printed on leaflets is not given a byline, so the author remains unknown. All that matters is for the information to be correct, and the wording authoritative.

Many articles are commissioned, or purchased, to appear on a website for the purpose of search engine optimization. This means the text contains keywords to help the webpage appear in more search results. The theory is that frequent use of key phrases and search terms brings more traffic to the site, so the site owner earns more in advertising revenue.

Keywords are used to target visitors who will want to buy products advertised on the website. Visitors to those site are usually unaware that the articles they read have been composed for this purpose, and the writers remain unacknowledged.

The purpose of ghostwriting books is to collaborate with someone who lacks writing skills, but who has had an extraordinary personal experience, or has inside information that is highly marketable. The ghostwriter has to write in the voice of another person, and agrees not to hold copyright of their own work, allowing the other person to attach their name to it.

Many well read books have been ghosted, including celebrity memoirs, autobiographies, and guides supposedly authored by experts, sporting personalities or television presenters. Even fiction can be ghosted, to be marketed under a more famous name.

The successful ghostwriter may be unable to present a portfolio of previous writing achievements to a new client, because anonymity and secrecy are involved. This can create difficulties in finding new assignments.

The ghostwriting business can be scary, because discretion is necessary, the writer signs away rights to their own work, and there is no public acclaim for a ghostwriter.

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