Editing Ghostwriter (section)

===Nonfiction===
Ghostwriters are widely used by celebrities and public figures who wish to publish their autobiographies or memoirs. The degree of involvement of the ghostwriter in nonfiction writing projects ranges from minor to substantial. In some cases, a ghostwriter may be called in just to clean up, edit, and polish a rough draft of an autobiography or a "how-to" book. In other cases, the ghostwriter will write an entire book or article based on information, stories, notes, an [[Outline (list)|outline]], or interview sessions with the celebrity or public figure. The credited author also indicates to the ghostwriter what type of style, tone, or "voice" they want in the book.

In some cases, such as with some "how-to" books, diet guides, or cookbooks, a book will be entirely written by a ghostwriter, and the celebrity (e.g., a well-known musician or sports star) will be credited as author. Publishing companies use this strategy to increase the marketability of a book by associating it with a celebrity or well-known figure. In several countries before elections, candidates commission ghostwriters to produce autobiographies for them so as to gain visibility and exposure. One of [[John F. Kennedy]]'s books (''[[Profiles in Courage]]'') is almost entirely credited to ghostwriters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2478/did-john-f-kennedy-really-write-profiles-in-courage|title=The Straight Dope: Did John F. Kennedy really write "Profiles in Courage?"|work=straightdope.com|date=November 7, 2003 }}</ref> [[Donald Trump]]'s autobiography ''[[Trump: The Art of the Deal]]'' was produced by a ghostwriter.<ref name="trump">{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-tells-all|title=Donald Trump's Ghostwriter Tells All|last=Mayer|first=Jane|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=July 25, 2016|access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref> Several of Hillary Clinton's books were  produced by ghostwriters.<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> [[Nelson Mandela]]'s autobiography (''[[Long Walk to Freedom]]'') was also produced by a ghostwriter.<ref name="Mandela">{{Cite web |date=February 5, 2014 |title=Q&A: Richard Stengel '77 on Nelson Mandela |url=https://paw.princeton.edu/article/qa-richard-stengel-'77-nelson-mandela |access-date=November 8, 2021}}{{dead link|date=April 2024}}</ref>
 
A consultant or career-switcher may pay to have a book ghostwritten on a topic in their professional area, to establish or enhance their credibility as an "expert" in their field. For example, a successful salesperson hoping to become a motivational speaker on selling may pay a ghostwriter to write a book on sales techniques. Often this type of book is published by a [[self-publishing press]] (or "[[vanity press]]"), which means that the author is paying to have the book published. This type of book is typically given away to prospective clients as a promotional tool, rather than being sold in bookstores.