10 Books You Didn't Know Were Ghostwritten

Ghostwriting is more common that you think! You’d be amazed by how many books you thought were written by the name on the cover that were actually ghosted.

Ghostwriting is an art form in its own right – and a huge part of the craft is composing prose in the authentic voice of the “author”.

Here are ten well-known books that are reported to have been ghostwritten:

1. "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Malcolm X and Alex Haley - Alex Haley is credited as the book's co-author and is believed to have played a significant role in writing the book based on his extensive interviews with Malcolm X.

2. "The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories" by Carolyn Keene - This series, created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer, was penned by various ghostwriters under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.

3. "The Hardy Boys" series by Franklin W. Dixon - Similar to Nancy Drew, this series was created by Stratemeyer and written by various ghostwriters under the name Franklin W. Dixon.

4. "Goosebumps" series by R.L. Stine - Although R.L. Stine is the credited author, ghostwriters contributed to many books in this popular children's horror series.

5. "The Babysitters Club" series by Ann M. Martin - This series was created by Ann M. Martin but was mainly ghostwritten by various authors.

6. "The 50th Law" by 50 Cent and Robert Greene - Robert Greene, known for his book "The 48 Laws of Power," collaborated with rapper 50 Cent on this self-help book, which is believed to have been largely written by Greene.

7. "The Bobbsey Twins" series by Laura Lee Hope - Similar to Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, this series was created by Stratemeyer and written by various ghostwriters under the name Laura Lee Hope.

8. "Puckoon" by Spike Milligan - It's suggested that John Antrobus was a significant contributor to this comic novel by Spike Milligan, although Milligan is credited as the author.

9. "The Secret Footballer" series - This series of books detailing the life of a professional footballer was written anonymously by a footballer or ex-footballer, with their identity being kept secret.

10. "James Bond" novels by Robert Markham (Kingsley Amis) - Kingsley Amis, under the pseudonym Robert Markham, wrote one of the James Bond novels, "Colonel Sun," as commissioned by the Bond creator Ian Fleming's estate.

Do you have a story to tell, but feel your writing chops aren’t up to the task? Drop me an email at geoff@geoffpoundeseditor.co.uk and we’ll have a friendly chat about how we can work together to put that story in print (or online).

Geoff Poundes is a writer and professional developmental editor, specialising in non-fiction and in particular business, sport and history, biography and memoir. Go to www.geoffpoundeseditor.co.uk to find out more.