10 Ghostwriting Projects You Didn’t Know Existed
November 27, 2024
If you’ve ever needed the services of a professional ghostwriter, chances are you might have had a story knocking around in your head that you couldn’t let go of and needed someone to put it to paper.
Ghostwriters are super useful in taking someone else’s idea and turning it into an actual book. That’s the great thing about them––they take what was once just an idea and make it into reality.
Ghostwriters are known for writing memoirs and non-fiction stories about families and interesting lives. However, there are some projects that you might not have known a ghostwriter can help with.
Let’s take a look at 10 unique, strange, and sometimes plain old weird ghostwriting projects.
1. Personalized Romance Novels
If you’ve ever wished you were living in your favorite romance novel, now you can––almost.
Companies like Book By You let you create a personalized romance novel using only a few personal details like your name, the name of your partner, and maybe your hobbies.
You get to pick from a few templates (such as a Fifty Shades of Grey-inspired story), and they send you a physical copy of your book.
Sure, it’s not a completely unique book, but at the end of the day, it can be a fun experience and even make for a quirky gift.
However, if you are looking for something that is completely once-off, consider hiring a ghostwriter to come up with a 100% original story starring you.
Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork have a ton of ads for personalized romance novels, but we recommend reaching out to a ghostwriter with experience writing romance and hiring them to create a tale that’s never been told.
2. Game World Building
Anyone who loves role-playing games (RPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons will know the importance of storytelling in building a game world.
A well-crafted game doesn’t come together by accident. Every detail, from the lore to the characters, is crafted by professional writers working behind the scenes.
Tom Keenoy, who’s been playing RPGs since the mid-’80s, notes that in games like Warhammer, for example, the amount of writing involved—from the setting to the in-game stories—shows that writers are a key part of the process.
“I don’t know exactly how many writers and editors work full-time at Games Workshop (the producers of Warhammer),” Keenoy says, “but I’d guess there are quite a few.”
So, if your next big idea is a never-before-seen RPG, consider getting a talented ghostwriter on board.
3. Speechwriting for Special Occasions
Very few people like to get up in front of an audience and make a speech. And yet, there are some occasions, like weddings and funerals, where you simply can’t escape it.
If you’re the groom or the father of the bride, you can bet you will need to say at least a few words. Luckily, ghostwriters can help. They are great at writing speeches and can create custom—and compelling—ones on demand.
According to Guy Faber, a writer with over 10 years of experience ghostwriting speeches for special occasions, it is common to experience panic at the thought of delivering a speech.
That’s because writing and delivering a good speech is not an easy thing, especially if you’ve never done it before.
If this is you, don’t worry, as there are a ton of writers on sites like Fiverr and Upwork who can ghostwrite your speech for you for a reasonable fee. (Or check out The Writers For Hire!)
4. Fan Fiction
Where there is an idea, there’s a writer willing to turn it into a story…
Say you are a massive Harry Potter fan; you’ve finished all the books and need to know how the story continues.
To that end, you’ve read as much fan fiction as you could get your hands on, even the most obscure titles out there. And yet, none of it quite matches what you imagine in your head for Harry and his friends. Perhaps it’s time to (ghost)write it yourself.
If you have a specific story for your favorite literary characters that you’d enjoy reading, why not hire a ghostwriter to create it for you? We love the idea of creating a unique piece of fiction based on a world you already adore.
And for those hyper fans in your life, a custom fan fiction story could make a really thoughtful gift, too.
5. End-Of-The-World Survival Guides
We’ll admit that we had no idea this niche even existed, but ghostwriting end-of-the-world survival guides is a thing.
These guides are often found on survivalist websites that sell the kind of goods you’d theoretically need in the apocalypse, but they are also widely sold on platforms like Amazon.
In an article for Vice, Christopher Moyer describes how at one stage he made most of his income by writing these kinds of guides. “Prepping is big business,” he says, adding that although many people are interested in it as a hobby, it can’t hurt to be prepared for disasters.
“There’s much to be said for having your own preparations in place as opposed to relying completely on government intervention and large-scale relief efforts.”
Considering the recent devastation wreaked by Hurricane Helene, we can’t agree more.
6. Obituaries Written in Advance
Type-A personalities will love this one: Why not hire a ghostwriter to write your obituary while you are still alive?
In all seriousness, even though the topic of obituaries might seem a bit morbid, preparing one in the event of your eventual passing might be the very last service you do for your loved ones.
When a person you love passes away, it can feel quite overwhelming to write an obituary about them.
If an obituary hasn’t been prepared beforehand, hiring a ghostwriter can be a great help in coming up with the perfect words to describe the precious life of the person you lost.
7. Bios and Personal Manifestos
Have you ever considered that every political movement once started out with a manifesto outlining what it stood for? Someone, somewhere, had to sit down and condense difficult ideas into a simple, readable, and shareable document.
A manifesto can be a handy tool, not only for political movements but for everyday people, too.
Knowing what you stand for, what your values are, and what you want to achieve in life can be the framework for your personal brand.
To a lesser extent, your personal manifesto could also serve as the basis of the bio you use on platforms such as LinkedIn.
Writing about yourself is never easy, and hiring a ghostwriter can help to clearly put into words your journey, goals, and ideals.
8. Haunted House Stories
If you are the owner of a boutique hotel, you might be surprised to learn that a ghostwriter can help with your business.
Different people have different preferences when it comes to where they choose to stay for the night. However, you might be surprised to learn that there is a niche within the hospitality industry that caters specifically to guests looking to stay in a place with a little more history.
For some guests, this might mean sleeping in a place where things go bump in the night. For others, it simply means enjoying the fascinating facts and stories of the people who inhabited their favorite hotel.
By enlisting the help of a ghostwriter, you can dig into the history behind your property and share your fascinating finds with your guests.
9. Custom Song Lyrics
If you have the kinds of friends and family who frequently buy themselves whatever they need or want, it can make Christmas shopping extra difficult. Which is why, in this case, a sentimental gift might be your best bet.
Imagine presenting them with a custom song containing quirky facts and personalized details, written and recorded by a professional artist.
It’s not your average gift idea, we’ll grant you that, but you can be sure they won’t regift it next Christmas.
Freelance sites such as Upwork and Fiverr are rife with skilled and talented people with the expertise to write you a custom song using lyrics based on the information you provide.
(Sidenote: Another gift idea for the person who already has everything is a Family History Book.)
10. Pet Memoirs
Okay, we admit it, we made this one up––but hear us out! Seasoned ghostwriters are great at writing memoirs, right? So, it stands to reason they’d be able to write the life story of your favorite furry friend.
A pet memoir can be a fun gift for the dog-lover or cat-lady in your life, or even yourself. Why not? We won’t judge.
As you can see, there are a ton of ghostwriting projects out there that you might never have thought about.
From personalized romance novels to special occasion speeches, if there’s something you need written, there’s a ghostwriter out there who can write it for you.
