What is a Ghostwriter?
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who writes stories, books, articles, web content,
political speeches, or any other type of written material. The ghostwriter writes without
receiving credit for the work. Famous people such as politicians, sports figures often
hire ghostwriters to pen speeches, autobiographies, or other kinds of books. Some
5 people work full-time as ghostwriters, making their living creating material that will
never have their byline.
Ghostwriters can write about countless topics, whether they need to write a cookbook,
a thriller, or a biography. A ghostwriter may even serve as a book doctor, polishing
10 the work of another author until it is publishable. This job may not be glamorous but
it pays well.
Some writers work for book packagers. Book packagers hire writers to write books
from an outline or basic idea. Other writers may work for a web content company,
15 writing keyword articles that will appear on a variety of web sites.
No matter what type of ghostwriting a writer completes, she rarely has her name
on the finished product. Neither does she receive royalties from her work. Instead,
a ghostwriter receives a flat fee for any work completed for either a company or
20 individual.
If a writer wishes to become a ghostwriter, she is required to “audition” for a company.
This involves sending a writing sample to the company seeking new ghostwriters. If
the company likes the writing sample, it will add the writer to its list of ghostwriters.
25 Immediate work may be available for ghostwriters of web content. A writer who works
for a book packager may need to wait until the packager has an opportunity that fits the
writer’s expertise or experience.
Ghostwriters must be excellent writers and have the ability to write quickly. They
30 must be willing to remain hidden from the public eye, allowing celebrities or famous
authors to take credit for the written work. Whether they are provided with a detailed
outline, interview a person about his life, or write a book based on a general idea,
ghostwriters are required to write quality material while staying out of the public eye.
According to paragraph 1, working as a ghostwriter involves all of the following EXCEPT ______?
Afitting into a specific literary genre
Bremaining an anonymous author
Cbeing employed by the politicians
Dbeing engaged on a regular basis
