Ghostwriting is an ancient service that began in antiquity with scribes in places like Egypt and Mesopotamia. They were usually men educated in the art of writing. It was by their talents we have surviving documentations of kingdoms and their interactions with other kingdoms. They recorded economic activities, royal histories, epic poems, theatrical developments, oral traditions, coping of various texts by hand, dictations, sacred scriptures, mythologies and royal documents of every kind.

Without mentioning any names or specific situations, the service of ghostwriting has reached almost epic proportions. Celebrities, politicians and anyone who has a story to tell or advise to give has written a book but not by their own hand.

Ghostwriters are hired on a regular basis for a variety of projects and to write for others is a gift. It is a skill to adapt the persona of a client and keep your own personality at bay when writing for these types of projects.

Yet, the exploitation of the modern ghostwriter has developed into a dishonest practice. People who use ghostwriters should maintain their integrity by crediting that writer for their contribution. It was by the talents of the ghostwriter that their project was molded to fit the market they reached for. Ghostwriters write, edit, research and draft as part of their services and they should be properly recognized for it.

As a reader, I’d prefer the celebrity to admit they only narrated their biography to someone who wrote it out in a legible manner for the reader to comprehend. Most of us speak in a manner that is totally different from the way we are taught to write. That’s normal.

A very good ghostwriter who provides services for a popular identity is usually compensated well for their efforts. Depending on a variety of factors, ghostwriters are paid by the page, word count, a lucrative flat fee, royalties or any combination. This type of writing can be very profitable and their service should remain negotiable. That’s fair for both sides. The ghostwriter is only assisting with the basic mechanics of writing and should not interfere with the creative flow of the creation.

There is an onslaught of ghostwriting jobs available through the internet marketplace that offer an average of two dollars per every five hundred words. They want writers for content articles, academic essays, blogs, rewriting articles and unfortunately much more. These profiteers are unethical and should not be trusted.