Ghostwriting is when a writer creates content that is published under another person's byline. In B2B SaaS it is common for founder and executive posts, contributed articles, books and speeches. Done well, the named author supplies the ideas, experiences and opinions, and the writer shapes them into readable form. Done badly, it produces generic content with a famous name attached.
How good ghostwriting works
The quality depends on access. Ghostwriters need regular time with the named author to capture their views, stories and way of speaking.
- Regular interviews or voice notes from the named author
- A record of the author's opinions, stories and phrases
- Drafts reviewed and approved by the author
- Nothing published that the author does not actually believe
Honesty and disclosure
Ghostwriting is widely accepted for business writing, but there are limits. The named author should stand behind every claim, and any personal experiences described must be real. Some publications have rules about contributed or ghostwritten articles, so check before submitting.
Bylines matter for credibility. Google's guidance asks whether it is clear who created content and whether they have relevant expertise. A byline that misrepresents who has the expertise undermines that.
Example
A founder's weekly post
The founder of hypothetical company Cinderwold, a payroll tool, records a 15-minute voice note each week about something she saw in customer calls. A ghostwriter turns each note into a LinkedIn post and, monthly, a longer article. She edits every draft and rejects anything that does not sound like her.
Common mistakes
Inventing experiences
Writing stories the named author never lived is deceptive and can be exposed.
No author involvement
Without regular input, ghostwritten content becomes generic and loses the value of the author's expertise.
Questions
Broadly accepted in business writing when the named author supplies the ideas and approves the content. It becomes misleading when experiences or expertise are invented.
