In this extract from her article for the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2025, Gillian Stern explains the role of a ghostwriter and their significance in helping people to tell their story.
Make no mistake: ghostwriters fuel the publishing industry. We are the best-kept secret that is no secret, especially since J.R. Moehringer stepped into the limelight in a brilliant article, ‘Notes from Prince Harry’s ghostwriter’ (The New Yorker, 8 May 2023), that allowed ghostwriters to emerge from the publishing underworld and enjoy a brief moment of collective recognition. Yes, I thought. That’s what I do. That’s how I feel and yes, yes, that’s exactly how it works.
We all know that there are books out there – many of them bestselling – by authors who are well known for their particular skill or place in society, that they could never have created without considerable input from someone who can write. And – again – make no mistake, this is often not because the famous person has insisted they write their memoir, but because publishers have seen a place in the market for their book and have then needed someone who can write, to write it.
There’s nothing wrong with this. I have ghosted for people who are at the very top of their tree, world-famous and celebrated; and I have ghosted books for unknown people with extraordinary stories. What they all have in common is that none of them is skilled in the art of writing a book. Why should they be? They’ve been busy leading their book- worthy lives. And just in case you think they aren’t, every single person I have ghosted for has been humble about putting a book out there – excited, cooperative, available (give or take) and intensely grateful. And it’s for this reason, that I refer to them, with no problem at all, as the author.
[…]I have no desire to see my name on the front of a book when the story belongs to someone else. I just get this intense buzz and satisfaction from bringing interesting stories to life, in capturing someone else’s voice so convincingly, they hear themselves come off the page. I like being mired in the messy complexities of others, and ghostwriting definitely delivers on that front.
Gillian Stern has ghostwritten several bestselling memoirs, some of which have gone on to win awards. She combines this with her work as a structural editor for fiction and non-fiction for many leading agents and publishers and is known for her passion for discovering and supporting debut novelists. She is also a judge for The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. Contact her at gillybethstern@hotmail.com or follow her on X/Twitter @gillybethstern
Comments