A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Ghostwriters are often hired by celebrities, executives, politicians, and other public figures who want to create written material but do not have the time, discipline, or writing skills to do so themselves. Ghostwriters can write a variety of works, including books, speeches, white papers, articles, and blog posts. They can also be used to write songs, lyrics, and instrumental pieces in the music industry.

Ghostwriters can work in collaboration with the credited author, sharing writing responsibilities or working on certain components of the work. They can also coach authors to develop a concept and organizational structure, identify their target audience, capture their authentic voice, manage the project, conduct interviews with outside sources, and find pertinent research studies. Ghostwriters can serve as developmental editors, helping authors to shape their work at the earliest stages of production, and as line editors and book doctors, polishing, revising, and revamping manuscripts that need improvement before being published.

Usually, there is a confidentiality clause in the contract between the ghostwriter and the credited author that obligates the former to remain anonymous. Sometimes the ghostwriter is acknowledged by the author or publisher for their writing services, euphemistically called a "researcher" or "research assistant," but often the ghostwriter is not credited. Ghostwriters are widely used by celebrities and public figures who wish to publish their autobiographies or memoirs.

In summary, a ghostwriter is a professional writer who is hired to write a text that is officially credited to another person as the author. Ghostwriters can work on a variety of projects, including books, speeches, white papers, articles, and blog posts. They can work in collaboration with the credited author and provide a range of services, including coaching, editing, and polishing. Ghostwriters are often required to keep their work confidential, and most credited authors don’t want to share this information.