The age of the ghostwriter; AI fixes writer’s block; Bain’s book cure: Newsletter 12 November 2025

Why it’s boom time for ghostwriters. Plus, a ghostwriter’s grief, AI licensing advice, three people to follow and three books to read.

Ghostwriters ascendant

I just returned from the second annual Gathering of the Ghosts conference in New York. The room was filled to capacity and the discussion was fascinating, both in the panel discussions from the stage and the buzz happening in throughout the day and into the night.

Ghostwriters are a diverse and interesting crew. As one panelist said, they must have “zero ego and a very high threshold for pain.” They’re not known for their looks, their extroverted personalities, or their visible power or influence. If you stumbled into the room unawares, you might think you’d encountered a gathering of very interesting librarians.

But these are some of the world’s most skilled storytellers. And this is their moment.

There are two reasons for that.

The first is that the number of people who want to tell their story continues to expand. It’s not just celebrities and sports figures. And it’s not limited to captains of industry either. The internet has made a fundamental, almost biochemical change in how people think about their experiences. If you escaped from an abusive marriage, lived in a foreign country, discovered something new about digital marketing, gained insights about recovery from imposter syndrome, realized and acted on insights about your gender — in short, if you learned anything interesting — you’re far more likely to think “Other people could benefit from learning about this.” There are endless channels for you to try that out, from TikTok to Substack to LinkedIn. People see others telling their stories and sharing their ideas and think “I have something to say, too. Why not me?”

But all the other channels are ephemeral. Books carry the promise of a greater impact. So an ever-increasing number of people want to write a book to share what they’ve learned. With hybrid and self-publishing options multiplying, it’s no longer obligatory to win over a publisher. The supply of would-be authors is endless.

The second reason is that while the structural barriers to getting into print are falling, the skill barriers remain. Having an idea does not equate to knowing how write a book and get it published.

These are some of the things that most in that room full of writers know but most first-time authors don’t: What is a powerful idea? How can I refine my idea? What’s the most effective way to do research? How should I start? What makes writing effective? Why is writing so painful, and how can I make it less painful? How can you structure a book? Who should review it and give me feedback? What can I do when I get stuck? How can I get a publisher? Do I need a publisher? How can I get an agent? Do I need an agent? How long will it take? How much will I have to invest, in time and money? How can I get attention for my book? How can I make it pay off for me?

What the heck is this book thing, and why is it so confusing?

Ghostwriters are great writers, but that’s really just the beginning. They are industry experts, therapists, project managers, and publishing experts. They’re networked into a vast community of researchers, illustrators, agents, editors, copy editors, publicists, and book-related service providers of every possible stripe.

Few people think they can instantly become a video producer, oil painter, doctor, or plumber without extensive training. But all of us can write to various degrees. Some of us can write so well — and have so much time — that we become authors ourselves. But there are far more people with ideas and stories to tell than competent writers; even the competent writers find the process of creating a book and getting it published daunting. They need help. Ghostwriters can help.

An AI pundit I know recently shared with me his opinion that due to AI, the profession of ghostwriting will become obsolete. Spending two days with a room full of ghostwriters and other publishing professionals has convinced me that this is very unlikely. AI does not understand what it takes to engage with human emotion, and is not going to acquire that capability any time soon. That includes the ability to connect with and rouse readers, as well as the ability to understand the emotions of authors. AI is very good at compiling information; most writers (including 68% of ghostwriters) are using it in some capacity. AI can make good writers more productive. But books can succeed only if the writing is not just competent, but great: surprising, engaging, erudite, emotional, human.

I know a former AI executive who started on a book project about the future of AI. His book was going to be visionary. He told me that writing it was going to be easy: he would just have the AI tool draft the chapters. This was one of the most sophisticated users and thinkers on AI in the world. If anyone could get an AI to create a great book, it would be him.

The project stalled. No AI-generated chapters ever appeared. In the end he hired a highly skilled and respected ghostwriter instead.

Ghosts are increasingly getting visible credit on the front of books, sometimes as coauthors. They style themselves as “collaborators” because the term “ghostwriter” still has something of a stigma associated with it. But it shouldn’t. No one finds it odd when a prominent person hires a publicist rather than doing their own publicity outreach, or a chief of staff rather than managing every detail of their interactions with others, or a strategist to advise them on decisions. Of course they need a book collaborator to create an effective book that matters. This should be neither secret nor surprising.

AI is coming for lots of jobs, as automation always has. But the skills of ghostwriters are more in demand then ever. This is their glorious moment. And the stories we all want to tell, and to read, will be better for it.

News for writers and others who think

The amazing Alice Sullivan teared up on stage at the Gathering of the Ghosts as she described what it’s like to weather grief and health challenges as a sole proprietor ghostwriter. And love came back to her from the whole audience. What a special group of people.

Thad McIlroy suggests a plan for how publishers should approach AI licensing.

An outfit called ClaimsHero is attempting to get authors to opt out of the Anthropic copyright infringement settlement. This is a sucker’s bet that will generate a grand total of zilch. Don’t go for it.

Two authors have novels coming out next year with the same title: Kiss, Marry, Kill. Rather than declare war on each other, they’ve teamed up for joint promotion.

The head of the publisher Bloomsbury says AI will be good to help writers get beyond writer’s block. That’s basically like saying the internet is good for writers because it can help them maintain their schedules — true, but not really the point.

A report from consulting firm Bain & Company claims “Books publishing has hope.” It’s full of condescending platitudes like “When we look at how much people say they focus on their media, books are the only media format a majority of US consumers say they pay full attention to while consuming it.” As a former media analyst, I found the analysis glib and superficial. My view: publishers need to lean into partnering with authors and embracing new forms of connection rather than centering everything on how many bound books they can ship (and hope won’t get returned).

Three people to follow

Naomi Haile, M.S. , leveraging AI to form smarter author relationships

Pauleanna Reid , ghostwriter and founder of The Writer’s Blok, a ghostwriting agency

Katya Fishman , whose Endeavor Ink will help you through the self-publishing process

Three books to read

Junk Values: Welcome to the biggest corporate culture con of the 21st Century by Erika Clegg DL (Softwood, 2025). Can corporate values statements ever transcend BS?

White Robes and Broken Badges: Infiltrating the KKK and Exposing the Evil Among Us by Joe Moore with John Land (Harper, 2024). The harrowing story of an FBI agent who went undercover to take on the Klan.

The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity by Tim Wu (Knopf, 2025). They don’t own everything yet, but at this rate, they eventually will.