Top Ghostwriters
An honest, working ghostwriter’s assessment of the most established names in the field as of 2026. No agency rosters. No content-marketer rankings. Just the people who have built their reputations.
You’re on it. The established individual ghostwriters who work directly with clients, listed below.
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Prefer a firm with a managed team and process? See the companion list of established agencies.
Why does a ghostwriter publish a list of other ghostwriters?
If you’re considering hiring a ghostwriter, you should know who the most established names in the field are. Most lists of “top ghostwriters” are written by agencies promoting their own rosters, or by content marketers who’ve never been in the room with a real client. This is a working ghostwriter’s honest assessment of the field as of 2026.
The names below are individual ghostwriters with heavy track records. No agencies, no collectives. Each of them has built their reputation. Most of them charge accordingly. Their fees typically start in the high five figures and run into six figures for the most established names. If your project and budget fit that tier, any of them would be a strong choice.
If you’re not sure yet whether that tier is right for you, this page tells you who they are, what they’re known for, and how to reach them. My own positioning is at the bottom.
Who are the top ghostwriters working today?
The most established individual ghostwriters working in 2026 are Sally Collings, Andrew Crofts, Mark Dagostino, Donna Frazier Glynn, Wendy Holden, Hilary Liftin, JR Moehringer, Daniel Paisner, Randy Peyser, Lisa Pulitzer, Mim Eichler Rivas, Mark Steisel, Mark Sullivan, and Lynn Vincent.
Listed alphabetically by last name. No ranking. Rankings depend entirely on what kind of book you’re writing.
Australian-based ghostwriter with international reach. Executive memoir and business book specialist working with founders and senior leaders on legacy projects.
Site: sallycollings.com
UK-based with more than 100 published books across four decades. Celebrity memoir specialist who has worked with royalty, rock stars, and household names on both sides of the Atlantic.
Site: andrewcrofts.com
Multiple New York Times bestsellers as collaborator and ghost. Worked with Tim Tebow, Joe Montana, and the Wahlberg brothers, primarily in sports and celebrity memoir.
Site: markdagostino.com
Established business and celebrity ghostwriter with a long track record. Known for handling complex subject matter and demanding clients.
Contact: Available via literary agent referrals
UK-based royal and celebrity memoir specialist. Long track record in the British market with international reach.
Site: wendyholden.net
Celebrity memoir veteran who has written or co-written with multiple high-profile entertainment figures. Author of her own memoir about ghostwriting, a useful read for anyone wanting to understand the craft from the inside.
Site: hilaryliftin.com
Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi, Phil Knight, Prince Harry. The rare ghost whose name carries marketing weight, with selectivity and pricing to match. If you can engage him and afford him, you’re getting the top.
Contact: Represented by literary agents
Multiple-time New York Times bestseller list collaborator with Serena Williams, Anthony Bourdain, Ray Romano, and many others. Among the most consistently successful collaborators of his generation.
Contact: Represented by literary agents
Founder of Author One Stop. Long-established literary services for nonfiction authors with strong ghostwriting and book coaching credentials, well-respected for matching clients with the right writers.
Site: authoronestop.com
Dozens of New York Times bestsellers in true crime and celebrity memoir. Prolific and selective in those specific categories.
Contact: Available via literary agent referrals
Bestselling collaborator across business, inspirational, and memoir categories. Long career with notable clients and a strong reputation for capturing voice.
Site: mimeichlerrivas.com
Veteran business ghostwriter writing for executives, consultants, and professional services leaders. Solid choice for senior business books at the high end.
Contact: Available via professional networks
Bestselling author and collaborator known for Beneath a Scarlet Sky and others. Strong on historical, investigative, and narrative-driven projects.
Site: marksullivanbooks.com
Multi-million-copy seller behind Going Rogue with Sarah Palin, Same Kind of Different as Me, and Heaven Is for Real. Among the most successful collaborators working today in faith-based, political, and inspirational nonfiction.
Contact: Represented by literary agents
Where does Richard Lowe fit among top ghostwriters?
I’m not on the list above. Those writers work at a tier where projects routinely start in the high five figures and run into six. Excellent work, priced accordingly. If your project fits that tier, hire one of them.
My positioning is different. Senior-level ghostwriting at a working professional’s rate, with direct access to me throughout. No agency layer. No junior writer behind a famous name. 113+ books authored, 54+ ghostwritten, mostly for executives, founders, and coaches building authority on the back of a book.
If you’ve talked to one of the names above and the budget didn’t fit, or you’d rather work directly with the person writing your book, let’s talk.
A note on inclusion: This page is updated annually. If you’re a ghostwriter who should be considered for the list, contact me with your credentials. Inclusion is editorial. I don’t accept payment for placement, and I don’t list anyone I haven’t either worked with, met, or thoroughly verified.
How do you talk to a ghostwriter about your project?
If you’ve reviewed the list above and want to talk about whether your project fits with me, schedule a conversation. No pitch on the other end. Just a real discussion of the work.