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Seven Bestsellers You Probably Didn’t Know Were Ghostwritten…

Seven Bestsellers You Probably Didn’t Know Were Ghostwritten…
written by
Hend Salah

In the world of literature, one might well consider ghostwriters as unsung heroes, stepping in to write, contribute or, sometimes, carry the legacy of a deceased author, famous politician or celebrity while the work carries the name of someone else. The 'ghostwriter' has a simple job – make sure this piece of work is of a publishing standard. But more often than not, there are other, less straightforward reasons.

From 007, to some of the world’s most influential politicians’ biographies, to some classic oldies – here is a look at seven published books which you probably didn’t know were ghostwritten….

The Man with the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming

The infamous author behind 007, Ian Fleming, published over ten novels following Bond and his adventures. However, Fleming died when he was just done with the The Man with the Golden Gun’s first draft. Comic novelist, Kingsley Amis (pictured above) – himself a huge Bond fan – stepped in at the request of Fleming’s publisher. Though reports differ on how much of his contributions made into the book, he did eventually go on to make a contribution to the series under a pseudonym with Colonel Sun.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

The epic novel portraying the adventures of the Musketeers of the Guard isn’t solely the work of renowned writer Alexandre Dumas. The French author, Auguste Maquet (pictured above), contributed greatly to the plot and to the writing process – something that drove Maquet to drag Dumas to court for authorial recognition.

Hard Choices by Hilary Clinton

Politicians have tended to employ the services of ghsotwriters of the year; which is exactly what Hillary Clinton, former United States Secretary of State and presumptive presidential nominee, did with her memoir Hard Choices. Clinton turned to her speechwriter, Ted Widmer (pictured above), along with two former state department assistants.

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

26 year-old YouTuber and Vlogger, Zoe ‘Zoella’ Sugg (pictured above) published her first young adult novel Girl Online back in 2014 which broke the records for the highest first-week sales. Rumour has it that the romance and drama novel was ghostwritten by the young-adult novelist Siobhan Curham and Amy Alward who is Sugg’s editor.

Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy

The book that won John F. Kennedy a Pulitzer Prize, Profiles in Courage was long assumed to be the work of the former US president. Kennedy had always maintained that it was all his work, but after his death, his speechwriter, Ted Sorenson (pictured above), was revealed to have ghostwritten it.

Open by Andre Agassi

Renowned tennis player and eight-time Grand Slam champion, Andre Agassi, wrote his autobiography Open , tapping into his deepest secrets and explained how he grew to resent the game and the world of fame; except that Agassi didn’t actually write the book— it was Pulitzer Prize winner, novelist and journalist, J.R. Moehringer.

GoosebumpsThe Scarecrow Walks at Midnight by R.L. Stine

Bestselling children and young adult horror fiction series, GoosebumpsThe Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, was actually a collaboration between the talented R.L. Stine and several ghostwriters. As the novel grew popular, demands for new series and sequels were increasing which made Stine resort to working with other authors to be able to produce more than one book per year.

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