These are two of the best books on the art and craft of ghostwriting that I have recently found. Both are in-depth, well-written and full of industry insights and anecdotes. Andrew Crofts and Teena Lyons are two of the best-known ghostwriters in the United Kingdom. Both of these books are highly recommended by Wordshaker.
Andrew Crofts (2004), Ghostwriting, A & C Black, London
‘Ghostwriting is a thriving, secretive industry. As a ghostwriter you can create best-selling books for film stars, footballers, pop singers, presidents, business tycoons, gangsters, gurus, spies, mercenaries, courtesans, four-star generals, royals and anyone else with an interesting story to tell.
This book reveals all the essential secrets of how to turn ghostwriting into a successful and lucrative career.
Andrew Crofts has ghosted more than forty books, many of them international bestsellers …’
‘One of the best known ghostwriters in the country is Andrew Crofts’
- Charley Lee Potter, Open Book, BBC Radio 4
‘Andrew Crofts – the king of British ghostwriters … has ghosted a staggering number of books. Crofts has spent a lot of time thinking about the nature of ghostwriting – what it takes to find another person’s voice … a one-man word factory.’
- Helen Brown, Daily Telegraph
Teena Lyons (2014), The Complete Guide to Ghostwriting, Thistle Publishing, London
‘Ghostwriters, for so long the publishing industry’s best kept secret, are finally stepping out from the shadows. In recent years there has been a rapid increase for professional writers who can turn their hand to every genre of book, from celebrity life stories, to misery memoirs from ordinary folk with extraordinary stories, to ‘how I did it’ style biographies of successful businesspeople. Some leading non-fiction publishers report that up to 70 per cent of their list is now penned by ghosts.
The Complete Guide to Ghostwriting is a comprehensive over-view of this little-known, yet burgeoning profession. Written by ghostwriter and former Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday journalist Teena Lyons, it explores every aspect of this secret industry revealing why people use ghostwriters, who might need one, from celebrities to ordinary people and how to get the best of out a publishing collaboration…’