Ghostwriter

A ghostwriter is a writer whose work is credited to another. Ghostwriters are often employed by celebrities to write autobiographies in situations in which the celebrities themselves may not be talented writers, or are too busy doing other work.

Many politicians also employ at least one ghostwriter to compose letters for them. Even officials with refined writing skills generally lack the time to both perform their duties, and respond to the large volume of correspondence they receive. They may, however, sign these letters themselves, or simply approve them to be autopenned. A ghostwriter is distinct from a speechwriter, who writes public remarks for an official, although both jobs may be done by a single person.

Other writers are also employed, with proper billing, by authors whose names alone will sell a book, such as Tom Clancy, many of whose recent works bear the names of two persons on their covers -- Clancy's name in larger print and the other author's name in smaller print. Sometimes a professional writer will receive partial credit, signified by "with" or "as told to". Credit may also appear as a "thanks" in a foreword or introduction. Strictly speaking, if the less famous writer's role and name are clearly acknowledged in the work as published, this is not ghostwriting but collaboration.

Just because a book is ghostwritten does not necessarily mean that the credited author did not make a significant contribution to the work; a ghostwriter is often employed to polish and edit existing material, or to work directly with the credited author to shape the book from start to finish. The opposite, however, is also often true.

Alright, now, the reason why i brought this term up, isn't because i inspired to become one or hire anyone for the job, no! But, recently, actually 2-3 days ago, someone approached me for this line of job. I was a little bit shocked, when i received the email from another country (somewhere in Asia), intended to poach my poetic capability, sell it and credited to some other artists or whatnot. At first, i thought it was another hoax or scam, though the letter looks convincing with proper link to the firm's website and everything were pretty much detailed. So, i just replied with a brief respond, and if they're serious bout it, they're free to contact my mobile. And they did....

Well, of course i rejected it, though they promised good money and some other fantabulous terms, but... as a writer of some sort, fame may not be something that's truly important (which a ghostwriter sacrifice it all), pride and proper acknowledgment however is vital to a writer's principles. It very much depends on how you perceive the job and nature of a writer, and their aims and objectives. Nonetheless, i am not regretting on rejecting their offer, as of now. As i am not desperate for money yet, in any time soon. And i wouldn't wanna abandon my own dignity and principle in order to 'enhance' others words and gets no recognition and rot on one end.

Cheers ^^V