I know, I know–I keep answering questions instead of posting about stuff. But since people want to know why I ghostwrite, here’s my answer:
Why I Ghostwrite
Ghostwriting is a lucrative business for those who know the difference between putting someone else’s name on a manuscript they’ve written and actually ghostwriting another person’s book. I’ve ghosted more than 200 titles and mentored/coached countless writers over the last thirty-plus years to support the people in my life. It’s been a good run.
But I don’t do it for the money.
Ghostwriting is also an educational pursuit. I’ve acquired more knowledge about history, business, healthcare, psychology, addiction, neurodivergence, gender, marketing, religion, science, and just plain human nature from the books I’ve ghosted than I ever learned—our could have learned—in college.
But I don’t do it for the learning.
Ghostwriting is an intimate endeavor. I’ve been privy to the confidences of people along every spectrum: economic, political, gender, sexual-orientation, race, creed, religion, mental health, career, job, disability. Sharing slivers of so many people’s lives has been an extraordinary privilege and a remarkable journey.
But I don’t do it for the human connection.
I do it for the book.
I love books. How they smell when they’re new. How they open my eyes to ideas I never considered before. How they make me laugh, cry, cringe, gasp, or have to walk away. Books, even more than film or music, chronicle the slice of what the author was experiencing right then—a slice already gone, never to return. They preserve those miniscule, already past but cherished, rewarding, and instructional dots in the human experience we call life.
That’s why I ghostwrite. Because ghostwriting is, above all else, about the book.