ghostwriter

American  

[gohst-rahy-ter] / ˈgoʊstˌraɪ tər /

Or ghost writer

noun

1. a person who writes one or numerous speeches, books, articles, etc., for another person who is named as or presumed to be the author.

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Etymology

Origin of ghostwriter

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Explanation

Someone whose job involves drafting books, songs, or speeches that are credited to someone else is a ghostwriter. A movie star might pay a ghostwriter to pen her memoir, for example. If you don't want the bother of actually writing a book, but you like the idea of your name on its cover, you may want to hire a ghostwriter. Sometimes a ghostwriter gets credit for being a "researcher," but usually their name doesn't appear anywhere on the book, screenplay, or magazine article. Politicians sometimes employ ghostwriters to work on speeches, and celebrities routinely use ghostwriters to write "autobiographies."

Example Sentences

Jen Singer is a ghostwriter and editor who has survived cancer, a complete heart block, and heart failure.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

Its relative shapelessness, along with its use of a ghostwriter, doesn’t bolster her literary credentials, but its existence points to Monroe’s ambition to have them.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

For the past week, I’ve been testing AI Inbox, along with the new Gemini-powered ghostwriter and editor coming soon to your Gmail account.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

Virginia Giuffre would have viewed Prince Andrew giving up his titles "as a victory", the ghostwriter of her posthumous memoir told BBC Newsnight.

From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025

Grace was going to have to hire a ghostwriter.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway

Related Words

• author
• biographer
• columnist
• correspondent
• critic
• dramatist
• editor
• essayist
• journalist
• novelist
• poet
• reporter
• screenwriter