The surprisingly un-scary world of ghostwriters
According to a Pew research study, almost one out of five Americans believe in ghosts. While many of us do not agree on the existence of ghosts, just as many do not recognize the presence of real ghosts among us—ghostwriters.
When people think of ghostwriting, they think of someone hunkered down in a basement somewhere with a steady stream of cigarette smoke and dim lighting. While this may be true in some cases, the majority of ghostwriters are representative of the public. We pay our bills, we get up for work and for the most part, are not part of any clandestine organization.
It is not known what percentage of the content on the Internet or otherwise is “ghosted,” but it is believed to be about the same percentage that believes in ghosts, one in five articles or books.
Ghost sightings
It only takes a quick web search to see the reach and scope of ghosting on the Internet. Go ahead and type “ghostwriter” into your favorite search engine and you will see that there are entire organizations and guilds (isn’t guild a great word that evokes something along the lines of ghostwriting services) dedicated to providing ghost content.
Ghostwriters are actually a very important, dare I say needed occupation. Anyone that has come across Sarah Palin or Lindsay Lohans’ books can quickly conclude that there are celebrities with stories to tell without the ability or time to dedicate to writing a book. There are countless executives, travel experts and companies that need content to look as though it came from them and do not have the time or knowledge to keep up with the rigors of providing content. That is where the ghostwriter becomes essential.
Famous ghostwriters
Not only is ghost writing an essential function, it can be quite a lucrative and career expanding one. Many famous writers started their careers as ghostwriters, and went on to become award-winning novelists after they moved on from ghosting.
- H.P. Lovecraft: Lovecraft is one of the innovators of horror writing. His writing continues to resonate today, and his created mythos continues to be the fodder for video games, novels and movies.
- Larry McMurtry: Eventually won an Academy Award and the Pulitzer Prize. McMurtry is one of the most respected and read western and Cowboy tale writers of all time.
- Sinclair Lewis: Nobel prize winner for literature
No shame in being, or hiring a ghost
So as you can see, ghostwriters are everywhere, including WriterAccess.com. There is no need to fear either being, or using a ghostwriter. Though many writers agree not to disclose their part in writing a ghosted blog or book, they can still use the experience they gain and parlay that into a successful career where their name is right there in the forefront, or on a book cover. Those that need content should not hesitate to use a ghostwriter. They are trained, experienced and have the know-how and time that you may not have. You have the ideas and need the content, so why not outsource content writing duties? If your electricity goes out, you don’t start grabbing tools and go tearing out every wire in your house do you? No, you call an electrician.
So for content, who ya gonna call? Ghostwriters!
Richard D is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments. WriterAccess is powered by ideaLaunch.
