Name: English Rewind - 6 Minute English: Ghost writers
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Duration: 6 min 25 s
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Hello, Catherine, here from BBC Learning English.

Adverbs of degree

Just so you know, this program is from the BBC Learning English Archive.

Adverbs of manner

It was originally broadcast in June 2008 on our website.

BBClearningenglish.com hello, this is 6 Minute English with me, Amber Barnfather.

This week we hear from Joel Ricketts, deputy editor of the Bookseller Magazine, about something called ghostwriting.

And with me to look at some of the language to do with this topical topic is Callum Robertson.

Callum, the verb to ghostwrite has nothing whatsoever to do with ghost stories, ghost towns or even ghost trains, does it?

When we're talking about ghost writing and children, ghostwrite, it means to write a book or an article for another person.

So it seems that that person wrote that book, but actually somebody else wrote it for them.

I think many people might expect that books by celebrities particularly have actually been written by somebody else.

Now, today's the word autobiography comes from the Greek for A, life pictures, B life and self or C self life and.

Well, I don't know Ancient Greek or even modern Greek for that matter, but

I think I can probably work this out because of auto.

I think that's to do with the self bio is life and graphy, you know, graphology is writing, so I would say self, life and.

Well, we'll find out whether you're right at the end of the programme.

Now, the singer George Michael has recently signed a multi million pound deal for a no holds barred autobiography which he will write in entirely himself.

In other words, he's not going to use a ghostwriter.

Callum, what does that three word adjective mean?

Well, it's a good expression and here it means that nothing will be hidden.

If it's no holds barred, everything will be revealed.

Now, George Michael has had quite a colourful life and no holds barred autobiography will be very interesting for many people to get his side of the some of these colourful stories from his past.

Well, whatever kind of book George Michael writes, it's likely he will get some help from his agent and his publisher because that's how the publishing process works.

So why do celebrities use ghostwriters to write their life stories?

Listen now to Joel Ricketts, an expert on the UK book industry.

Why does he think a ghostwriter may make a better job of a celebrity autobiography than the celebrity Themselves.

Ghostwriters, in many cases can actually capture the essence of the celebrity's character and their voice better than the celebrity could themselves if they were actually trying to write it.

What makes these books sell is the sense that you're sitting down one on one, you're having a cup of tea or a beer with this celebrity and you need to feel like it's really them that you know.

And actually if they're kind of trying to write it in their own stilted style, that doesn't work as well.

Whereas if you've got a professional there, they can actually capture that voice, that tone and that comedy and as I say, craft a book in a much more coherent way.

So Joel says there that ghostwriters often make a better job of a celebrity autobiography than the celebrity themselves.

And he says that's because celebrities aren't professional writers and so they need help to be able to put their voice over on paper.

And a professional writer can do that better than a professional celebrity.

And the marketing of these best selling celebrity autobiographies, or memoirs as they're sometimes called, is often about how intimate these books are, how they'll take you very close to the celebrity and reveal private and personal things about them.

You're listening to bbclearningenglish.com let's hear again from Joel, and

this time he talks about readers attitudes to ghosted celebrity memoirs.

By the way, he says if you read the small print, you'll see the ghostwriter or ghost credited.

That means their name appears somewhere on the book to acknowledge their contribution.

As you listen, try to catch whether Joel thinks ghostwriting is becoming more acceptable to readers.

If they looked closely, they would see that the ghost is credited.

I think ghost writing itself is becoming more mainstream.

The ghosts are sort of stepping out the closet.

In fact, Robert Harris has written a whole novel about a ghost.

And I think readers are getting a bit savvier.

I think they don't mind as long as they understand that it's the celebrity's life, the celebrity's story, and

So Joel says ghostwriting is becoming more mainstream.

It's becoming less shocking because more people know about it.

And he says the ghosts are sort of stepping out of the closet.

Well, a closet is a wardrobe, somewhere you keep your clothes.

And if something is in the closet, it means it's hidden.

But if something steps out of the closet, it becomes well known.

So the ghosts are stepping out of the closet.

They know that there are ghostwriters and they accept that there are ghostwriters.

Now it's time to say, Callum, you got the right answer to our question at the beginning of the program.

The word autobiography comes from the Greek for self, life and Right.

Do join us next time for more six minute English goodbye.