Being a premium ghostwriter in the UK can be a strange job. For a start, no one quite knows whether the correct term is ghostwriter, ghost-writer or ghost writer. But that is a minor detail.

I write in the name of other people – usually experts in their field – and others often find it a bit strange.

There are two questions that people often ask when I tell them that ghostwriting for CEOs, C-suites and well-known figures is a big part of my work. The first is ‘how do you know what to say?’ and the second is ‘how do you get inside their personality?’. The answer to both of these is talking and process.

Ghostwriting, whoever you are doing it for, is a relationship and a learning process. It starts with an informal chat, as both parties get the feel for the other and examine the question of whether they could work well together. It can then move on to more in-depth conversations and/or interviews.

What I write is usually thought leadership in some form, although it can include more personal first-person articles or think pieces. It can also be speeches, white papers, or ‘about us/me’ sections for websites

Initial conversations will be followed by regular or irregular meetings, either conversing about potential articles, reports and presentations, or meeting to work on a specific opinion article (or op-ed, if you are American). It is as collaborative (or not) as the client wants it to be. Some like to work in shared document and throw edits back and forth, while others like me to become them. Often it sits somewhere in the middle. I write, they suggest some changes, I re-write and they then approve.

I find that the work leans towards me doing more on my own as the relationship develops. Some clients have trusted me to write or respond without even running copy by them.

The best thing about ghostwriting is the learning. I learn twice on a new job. First I learn about the topic (be it AI, large language models, construction techniques, business style, finance, education or health products) and then I learn about the person I am ghosting for. This means picking up on cadence, regularly-used terms, definite no-nos and the lingual tics that even they don’t know that they possess.

Before long, I know that their grand-daughter has a kitten called Mr Miaowface and that their aunt invented the metal piece that holds rubbers on pencils. Often, we never even meet in person, although it is great when we do. I try to not finish their sentences for them.

I find that the skills to parse complex information, recreate that as original thought, maintain a relationship with CEOs/C-suite and another with editors is neither for the faint-hearted, large language models or junior agency staff. If you or a C-suite member at your business or non-profit would like to see how this could work for you, please contact me on iain@thisidea.co.uk.

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As well as being the Director of a creative history Community Interest Company, I regularly worship at a football ground where fans sing the words ‘If you know your history‘. I am drawn to the topic despite, or perhaps because of, being barred from studying it at school after a disagreement about socio-political history with a rather precious teacher at the age of 13 (me, not him). It turned out better for me.

My interest in history is not born of nostalgia, but from learning. I want to know the hows and the whys, usually from ordinary people who were there at the time. I am often involved in projects that combine social history with the arts to celebrate moments in time and the creativity around them.

I like how it can help shape the future without being stuck in the past. You can enable others to enjoy nostalgia without wallowing in it.

My interest in histories also extends to my work with businesses, charities and non-profits, acting as a kind of corporate historian, archive digger and social historian to inspire future endeavours. I have helped brands to look at their past products, founding story or heritage to create new products, new ranges or inspire new ones.

Often, these delves in to the past are a fantastic way to revive a brand, dig up media-ready stories and give a new lease of life to a business. They can mark an anniversary, presage a new era or simply establish or re-establish a brand or business as an important part of its market, locale or community. You can’t become a heritage brand without first exploring, establishing and publishing that heritage in some way.

Many writers keep old notebooks, knowing that many of their ideas are not ready now, or way too far ahead of their time. They may also contain great things we have done and forgotten. In constantly moving forward we can forget our own work heritage and history. It really helps to look over our shoulder from time to time.

The same is true for brands, organisations and businesses.

Histories can take any form and dig into culture, design, geographies, staff or process. The value of exploring them cannot be underestimated. To move forward you often have to take one step back.

Contact me if you would like to discuss how digging into your history could work for your business, charity or brand. iain@thisidea.co.uk

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