Ghostwriting is far more common than you think with some of the most popular books in the world actually written by ghostwriters.
This is usually done when the author may be short on time or experience to write a book and they can simply share their ideas or life experience(in the case of autobiography or memoirs) to professional ghostwriters in order to have a complete book written in their name. Sometimes the original author of a very popular book series passes away and the publishers decide to continue the series with the help of ghostwriters as well.
Today we have an interesting blog where we are going to talk about 20 famous books that were actually written by ghostwriters and this is something that is still surprising to a lot of people and people who are not directly associated with the ghostwriting industry.
There are a multitude of reasons why these books were written by ghostwriters and we are going to dive into some of these reasons and also help you understand the significance of these important books when it comes to world literature.
While it is impossible to know if other famous books have been ghostwritten due to NDAs but here is a list of some very famous books that are known to have been ghostwritten. Some were actually confirmed by the ghostwriter and others have very strong pieces of evidence as speculations for ghostwriter usage.
So without any delay let’s jump right into this exciting blog of the 20 most famous books written by ghostwriters.
20 Famous Books Written by Ghostwriters
“Nancy Drew” series – Carolyn Keene (pseudonym used by multiple ghostwriters)
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The first and the most surprising among the books written by ghostwriters is the Nancy Drew series. If you pick up any of these mystery books then you are going to find the name of Carolyn Keene on the book’s cover in the section for the author’s name.
However, the name Carolyn Keene is actually a pseudonym that was created by the book packaging company, the ones that actually published the books.
They simply wanted to put together a series of mystery books about an intelligent amateur detective into a series that would become popular among young readers.
And it actually did become a success and most Nancy Drew fans still do not know that there is no one called Caroline Keene and there are actually multiple authors behind the series.
“The Autobiography of Malcolm X” – Malcolm X and Alex Haley
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If you find Malcolm X an interesting character then you are going to find his autobiography even more exciting and is one of the most important books when it comes to African American literature.
However, although it is an autobiography, it was shaped by Alex Haley. He was a journalist who was very close to Malcolm and actually ghostwrote the book for him.
Of course, Malcolm was in close coordination with Alex and provided his life’s story to be written but it was actually written by a ghostwriter.
“James Bond” novels post-Ian Fleming
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James Bond is perhaps the most prolific and the most popular spy in the world and most of us James Bond book fans actually have the idea that all the James Bond books were written by Ian Fleming.
However, that is not the case because Ian died in 1964 and after that, his legacy was carried on by other authors such as John Gardener.
It does not really matter who writes these books because we love our favourite spy.
“The Hardy Boys” series – Franklin W. Dixon (A Pseudonym Used By Multiple Ghostwriters)
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At number four we have yet another classic because we are talking about the Hardy Boys Series which is known to be written by Franklin W. Dixon.
However, the name Franklin W. Dixon is a pseudonym that was made up by the Syndicate responsible for publishing the books and we are talking about the Stratemeyer Syndicate.
The story of the origin behind the Hardy Boys books is quite similar to the Nancy Drew novels and it was actually the intention of the people publishing the books to bring together a series written by multiple ghostwriting authors under a single name. Publishing book series like this was a very common trend in the 1920s and 30s.
“Rich Dad Poor Dad” – Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
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If you are someone into inspirational and motivational books and you also like books on financial strategy and philosophy then this is probably one of your favourite books.
We are of course talking about Rich Dad Poor Dad written by Robert Kiyosaki. He is the face behind the book and he has been credited as the author and that is definitely true.
However, he was assisted by multiple ghostwriters who helped him organise the book and they even helped write significant parts of the book. His book was co-written by Sharon Lechter.
“The Bourne Series” (post-Robert Ludlum) – Eric Van Lustbader (Continuation By A Ghostwriter)
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If you are looking to read one of the best modern spy thriller series then The Bourne Series should definitely be on your list.
It is public knowledge that these books are written by Robert Ludlum and yes he is the author behind the original works that were initially published in the 1980s.
However, after his death, his legacy was carried on by the very acclaimed author and writer Eric Van Lustbader.
“Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance” – Barack Obama
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Barack Obama needs no introduction and this book also needs no introduction as it is a book about his early life and his journey into politics.
This is a very popular book and one of the most popular books ever written by a President and there are rumours that it was actually co-written with the help of many ghostwriters.
We all can agree that a President of a country is a very busy person and that is why he might have taken some help from his assistants, ghostwriters and other collaborators when it comes to writing a book.
“The Doctrine of Fascism” – Benito Mussolini
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At number eight we have a very famous book written by the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini and people who are into historical books related to historical figures and books on politics and philosophy can actually find this book a very interesting read.
This book was actually not written by Benito Mussolini but by a philosopher named Giovanni Gentile. It was published in 1932 and Mussolini’s name was added to the book in order for it to become more popular and to also solidify the image of Mussolini. In a sense, Mussolini helped the book become popular and the book helped with Mussolini’s image as an intellectual.
“The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” – Robin Sharma (reported to have used ghostwriters for some parts)
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This is one of the most popular, inspirational and motivational books to have ever graced the bookshelves of the world.
It is about the story of a lawyer who seeks happiness and peace instead of wealth and power and was actually published in 1997.
However, there are rumours that Robin Sharma, the author of the book got a lot of assistance from ghostwriters in order to write the book.
You should definitely read this book as it is a fantastic read.
“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” series (post-Clancy) – Various ghostwriters, including Mark Greaney
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Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Series is yet another case of a very popular book series being continued by other authors after the death of the initial author.
Tom Clancy was the original author and his name is permanently cemented with the name of the book series.
After his death, his legacy was continued by other authors like Mark Greaney.
“Donald Trump: The Art of the Deal” – Donald Trump and Tony Schwartz
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At number eleven we have yet another iconic book that is often considered as one of the most important books related to business success and business negotiations.
We are talking about Donald Trump: The Art of the Deal – Donald Trump and Tony Schwartz.
While most people believe that this book was written by Donald Trump himself, it was actually written by Tony Schwartz based on his interviews with Donald Trump.
“Decision Points” – George W. Bush (ghostwritten by Christopher Michel)
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At twelve we have the third book in the list that was written by a US President and we are talking about Decision Points by George W. Bush.
We all can agree that presidents can be very busy people even after they are no longer presidents and that is also the case with this book and George W. Bush.
It was published in 2010 and it was actually written with the assistance of Christopher Michel in close coording with George W. Bush.
“The Vampire Diaries” series – L.J. Smith (Later Books Ghostwritten By Other Authors)
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We all loved reading this series of books by L.J. Smith namely The Vampire Diaries Series as teens and while L.J. Smith was the original author of the series, the later books while written by other authors.
There is a very unique and rare reason behind the book series being continued by other ghostwriters instead of the original author.
The reason for this is that L.J. Smith was actually removed from the book series by the publishers because of an internal dispute and after she no longer wrote the books it was written by ghostwriters.
“Spare” – Prince Harry
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If you want to understand what it is like being a royal in the 21st century then you have to read Spare by Prince Harry.
It is a very fascinating book and while it was definitely mostly written by him, he had significant help from J.R. Moehringer who is actually a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer.
It is about the life story of Prince Harry and his struggles of being a royal of the British royal family in a time when the system of royalty is a rarety.
“The Curse of Yig”- Zealia Bishop and H.P. Lovecraft
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This is one of the rare cases of books where the ghostwriter is more popular than the writer and that is exactly why at number fifteen we have The Curse of Yig by Zealia Bishop.
The author credited in the book is Zealia Bishop but it was actually ghostwritten by H.P. Lovecraft for her and it is an amazing horror story that is about Native American folklore.
If you are looking to read something unique and different then this is a very good option.
“Going Rogue: An American Life”- Sarah Palin
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If you follow American politics and if you have been following it in 2008 then you definitely know Sarah Palin. She is one of the most famous politicians in the US and she also ran a vice-presidential campaign.
Going Rogue: An American Life was her memoir that was actually ghostwritten by Lynn Vincent.
This was done because Sarah Palin was a politician all her life and she did not really have any experience with professional writing but she wanted to get her views across in a book and that is why she needed the assistance of a professional ghostwriter.
“Pursuit of Happyness” – Chris Gardner (ghostwritten by Quincy Troupe)
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If you are like us and you have probably seen the movie “Pursuit of Happyness” and were intrigued to read the book that the movie was based on.
We are talking about the very popular and famous as well as inspirational book Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner.
This book was actually written by a ghostwriter by the name of Quincy Troupe. This is also one of those cases where the original author simply does not have working experience in professional book writing and that is why they enlist the help of a professional and experienced author to ghostwrite for them.
“Open” – Andre Agassi (written by J.R. Moehringer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer)
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If you follow sports and you also like books that are about motivation and personal struggles and if you are willing to dive deep into the career of a tennis legend and understand his journey then you have definitely read Open by Andre Agassi.
This is one of the most iconic books in the world and this book is among multiple lists of top 10 books by sports personalities. Open was actually ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer.
Agassi obviously heavily contributed to the story because it is his life’s story but it was all put together and organised by a professional ghostwriter who helped the tennis star organise his life story into an amazing book.
“Think and Grow Rich” – Napoleon Hill
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Self-help and motivational books are very common in this day and age but there are a few books that were the pioneers in this genre.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is definitely among the pioneering books in the category of self-help and motivation books and it is a classic self-help book that talks about maintaining the right mindset and achieving success. It was written all the way back in 1937.
While this book was credited to have been written by Napoleon Hill, there are very credible rumours that suggest that it was actually written with the help of other authors and that Hill took the help of multiple editors, assistants and ghostwriters to write the book.
“Go Ask Alice” – Anonymous (ghostwritten by Beatrice Sparks)
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At number 20 we have a very controversial book that was actually marketed as a real diary of a teenager and was published in 1971. It was later revealed that it is fiction. We are of course talking about Go Ask Alice by Anonymous.
This is a very unique book that talks about drug addiction and the problems associated with drug addiction and it was actually ghostwritten by Beatrice Sparks.
This is a very interesting read and we would definitely suggest you read it.
We hope you have found this blog interesting and we also hope you now understand why famous personalities choose to have ghostwriters to write a book for them.
If you are someone who is also looking to publish a book about your life but you simply do not have any experience or time to write a book then we are here for you.
We are Ghostwriting India and we are one of the most renowned names when it comes to professional ghostwriting in India.
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