Updated May 2026 to reflect current data. Original recording: January 2019.

Richard Lowe, The Writing King, sat down with Kelly Kelly on Tan Talk 1340-AM in the Tampa Bay area for what happened to be his first onsite radio interview. The brief was simple, ghostwriting and related topics, and it turned into a friendly demystifying of a profession most people have heard of but few actually understand.

For a general audience, the interesting questions about ghostwriting tend to be the skeptical ones, so that’s where this conversation lives.

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In this episode

Richard’s first time on the radio

For a writer who spends his days alone with a keyboard, a live in-studio radio appearance is its own kind of milestone, and this was Richard’s first. The format suits the subject: most listeners know the word ghostwriting without really knowing what it means, so the conversation works as an accessible introduction rather than an industry deep-dive.

Is it cheating?

The first thing a curious listener wonders is whether hiring a ghostwriter is somehow dishonest. It isn’t. The author brings the knowledge, the experience, and the story; the ghostwriter brings the craft of turning that into a readable book. It’s a division of labor as old as books themselves, and far from a gray area, it’s a normal professional collaboration. Richard is direct that there’s nothing unethical about it when everyone understands the arrangement.

Is it legal, and is it private?

Two more natural questions follow. Yes, ghostwriting is entirely legal and legitimate, governed by a contract like any other professional service. And yes, it’s confidential by default; discretion is part of the job, which is precisely why so many books you’ve read may have had a ghostwriter you never heard about.

Whose name goes on the book?

This is the part that surprises people. The client’s name goes on the cover, not the ghostwriter’s, because the ideas and authority belong to the client. The ghostwriter is invisible on purpose, and the author takes the credit, which is the whole point of the service. It’s more common than most listeners assume, especially among busy executives, experts, and leaders who have a book in them but not the time or the craft to write it.

Find Richard Lowe at TheWritingKing.com.

Common questions from this conversation

Is hiring a ghostwriter cheating?
No. The author provides the expertise, experience, and story; the ghostwriter provides the writing craft. It’s a normal collaboration, not a deception, as long as everyone understands the arrangement.

Is ghostwriting legal?
Yes. It’s a legitimate professional service governed by a contract, no different in legitimacy from hiring any other specialist to do work you can’t or don’t want to do yourself.

Whose name appears on the book?
The client’s. The ideas and authority belong to them, so they get the cover credit. The ghostwriter stays invisible by design.

Is the arrangement confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is standard practice, which is exactly why most readers never know a ghostwriter was involved in a book they enjoyed.

Who actually hires ghostwriters?
More people than you’d think, especially busy executives, experts, and leaders who have a book worth writing but lack the time or the writing skill to produce it themselves.