ghostwriting in the 21st century

• Arbor Services supplies writers for busy celebrities, politicians, business leaders and military personnel

• In the UK, professional clients of Elizabeth Hall Associates include military officers.

• ghostwriting clients of Venture Capital Advisors include  "United States Military, officers, non-coms, and enlisted personnel"

• Need "someone with the skill to turn your ideas into an exciting, organized, well-written manuscript ready for publication"?  Not to worry my friend, "Tate Ghostwriting, a division of Tate Publishing, has a staff of experienced, professional writers ready to do just this."

 Jenkins Group answers FAQ's about ghostwriting, for example:

How much does it cost?
A ghostwritten manuscript for a 100- to 250-page book will cost between $10,000 and $60,000, depending upon the extent of the required research and the selected writer's credentials. All ghostwriters recommended for interviews by Jenkins Group will have extensive experience in writing non-fiction books.

Who will own the rights?
All Jenkins Group ghostwriters are contracted on a "work for hire" basis. You own all the rights to the manuscript and you are free to exploit all rights in any way you determine is in your best interest.  (Jenkins Group)

Looking for "the only ghostwriting service you'll ever need"?  That would be Houston's The Writers for Hire

A few books on the subject...
Andrew Crofts, Ghostwriting (A & C Black, 2004)
Jennie Erdal, Ghosting:  A Double Life (Anchor Books, 2004)
Bruce W. Speck, Collaborative Writing:  An Annotated Bibliography  (Greenwood Press, 1999)

Non-fiction ghostwriter Bob Olson breaks it down:

People hire me to write their books for four reasons:

1. They don’t have the TIME to write a book
2. They don’t have the TALENT to write a book
3. They don’t have the DISCIPLINE to finish a book
4. They don’t have the KNOW-HOW to properly structure a book.

People hire me to ghostwrite their books because they don't have the time, talent, discipline or know-how. I really respect my clients because it takes honesty, personal insight and courage for many people to admit that they don’t have what it takes to finish a book on their own. It also indicates to me that this person is a doer rather than a dreamer. Dreamers talk about the book they are writing or are going to write, but it never gets done. Doers who hire ghostwriters recognize that their book is not getting written so they find a way to get it done. That takes enormous strength of character.  (The Olson Interviews on Ghostwriting)

 "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me a Ghostwriter"

"The demand for more ghostwriters stems from the need for more books that are authored by celebrities whose name might help market the book-like product but who themselves are unable to write." (Jack Hitt, "The Writer is Dead," New York Times, May 25, 1997).

Nowadays, even social media pros need Twitter Ghostwriters.  Ghostwriting is ghostwriting.