What Is a Ghostwriter & Why Do I Need One?
Want to know a secret?
Most high-level executives don’t write all their own content. In fact, it’s not much of a secret. It’s a strategy.
In 2024, Gotham Ghostwriters conducted their own large-scale Business Book ROI Study and found that ghostwritten books generated five times the revenue and four times more profit than those authored without ghostwriters.
Why?
Because great writing takes expertise, and great leaders are rarely able to be experts in everything. Even for those who are strong writers, consistently producing thoughtful, high-quality content that reflects your values, expertise, and leadership vision takes time. Leaders may have valuable messages to share, but for those short on time, a ghostwriter is best positioned to do it right.
Good Writing Is About More than Good Ideas
Readers are demanding and easy to lose.
In 2024, author coach Anne Janzer surveyed 158 nonfiction readers about what they choose to read. For articles and blog posts, they overwhelmingly wanted conciseness and clarity, but for books, they wanted a compelling narrative or series of work amplified with research and details. When asked what motivated them to finish a book, the clear top response was an engaging writing style.
Transforming raw thoughts into a clear, concise, but detailed and engaging message involves:
Clarifying the core message to be focused and relevant.
Framing the idea with context: background, examples, or personal experiences.
Creating structure — a logical beginning, middle, and end that flows.
Using relatable language or storytelling to evoke emotion or understanding.
Showing why it matters to the reader.
For example, a leader might say, “Empathy is essential in leadership.” Their ghostwriter should be able to draw out the details needed to turn that into a narrative:
“When I became a first-time manager, I thought I needed to be tough. Only when a team member came to me struggling with burnout did I start to question that approach to leadership. So, I started listening more. Learning to lead with empathy transformed the whole team.”
Can’t ChatGPT Just Do It?
AI tools like ChatGPT can facilitate a lot of basic work faster. I admittedly use it myself for brainstorming, outlining, or working through the details of my approach. But it falls short of producing good writing, and I never prompt ChatGPT expecting executive-quality content as its output.
The best ghostwriters approach their work as a collaborative, strategic craft. They establish frameworks and processes to extract your most valuable insights, capture your authentic voice, and position your thinking in a broader industry or societal context.
All AI can offer is an average answer in a general voice. Without any true understanding of human emotion and engagement, AI can’t evaluate what convinces readers to internalize a message, or why we might feel its impact.
Those who are most successful at leveraging ChatGPT to create good writing? They’re usually the same people who already have a strong knowledge of the elements of good writing: structure, clarity, flow, story development, research, and revision. Unsurprisingly, these are often ghostwriters.
So… Do You Really Need a Ghostwriter?
Well, let’s look at it another way. Do you:
Want to raise awareness about an issue you care about?
Want to shape public conversation or influence the future of your industry?
Want to write a book or thought leadership series that captures your values?
Write well?
Have the time to do it well?
If you answered yes to all of the above, then great! You’ve got all the makings of an author: an abundance of ideas to write about, at least a few hours to dedicate writing every day, and a gift with words. You may not need a ghostwriter.
If you answered yes to any, but not the last one, then yes, a ghostwriter is probably what you need.
According to research, thought leadership content can increase brand perception, drive revenue, and build trust with decision-makers, but most executives are already pulled in too many directions to build a consistent portfolio. Adding the work of expert-level writing on top of their leadership responsibilities is more likely to turn into a distraction than a value-add.
Ghostwriters supply the time, energy, and writing expertise so you can express your big ideas with appropriate nuance and clarity. By producing content in your voice that reflects your values, ghostwriters facilitate your positioning as a thought leader without the need to become a full-time writer. Your thoughts, your experiences, your genius — ghostwriters just make it possible for you to share them.
You’re in Good Company
Hiring a ghostwriter is a well-established norm among leaders, celebrities, and politicians who take their influence seriously. Ghostwriters have been the invisible hands shaping their best stories for decades.
In fact, the publishing industry depends on ghostwriting. While exact statistics are hard to determine due to the nature of the work, literary agent Madeleine Morel told NPR in 2014 that she estimated at least 60% of non-fiction bestsellers were ghostwritten.
Why?
Because the people who can sell books aren’t necessarily the same people who can write them.
At KNG, our ghostwriters convey your message clearly, consistently, and compellingly without adding another task to your already full plate.
