3 Things You Never Knew About Ghostwriters

As we've just seen, ghostwriters step into the shoes of an existing person, speaking in their voice. For that reason, ghostwriting involves some of the same skills used by actors. Observant listening and a clear-sighted understanding of voice are requirements for the ghostwriter to be able to get into character and emulate their client's way of thinking and speaking. It's a fascinating writing process, with many ghosts running initial 'voice' sessions with their clients to test out short extracts of their work and workshop the authenticity of the narrative voice. If you're a writer who likes to work on dramatic monologues, for example, where you have to inhabit a character, maybe you should consider becoming a ghostwriter — it's a job where you learn a lot about people and often have famous clients!

I hope this secretive corner of publishing is a bit more transparent with these insights in mind, and that your curiosity is satisfied!

Rose Atkinson-Carter is a writer with Reedsy, advising authors on all things publishing, from explaining what ghostwriters are to writing successful author bios. She has previously written for Bang2Write, The Writer's Path, and more. She lives in London.