What Does an Executive Ghostwriter Actually Do?
An executive ghostwriter captures a leader’s own thinking and turns it into precise writing that the leader approves and publishes under their own name. It begins with listening, typically three to four hours of conversation, not with drafting. The content is built from what the leader actually believes, and the test is simple: a draft should read like something the leader could have written on their best day. If it does not, it is not published.
What happens first: listening
A good ghostwriter does not write first. The opening conversations cover how you think, what frustrates you, and what you believe about your industry that most people have not yet said clearly. Three to four hours of that gives the writer your actual language and your actual positions.
This is also where you decide what to talk about. In one engagement, we identified the three topics a senior executive owned with genuine authority and built her content around those, rather than around general industry commentary.
How the work runs
| Step | What happens | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Listen | Long conversation about how you think | You talk, the writer listens |
| 2. Choose topics | A small number of subjects you genuinely own | Together |
| 3. Draft | Posts and longer pieces in your voice | The writer |
| 4. Review | You read every draft before it goes anywhere | You |
| 5. Publish | Only what you approve | You |
| 6. Review the direction | A quarterly check that the positioning still fits your goals | Together |
What a monthly engagement can include
In our retainer: six to eight LinkedIn posts drafted in your voice and reviewed with you before publishing, one long-form piece a month where relevant, a quarterly positioning review, and direct access to Lalit before you respond to something in public, accept a speaking slot or post something that could be read the wrong way.
It does not include managing your company’s social accounts, PR campaigns or paid advertising. The scope is your personal brand.
What a ghostwriter should never do
- Invent opinions you do not hold.
- Publish anything you have not approved.
- Write what “sounds authoritative” for your sector in a style that could belong to anyone.
That last point is what separates ghostwriting from a generic posting service. A posting service writes from the outside, researching what sounds authoritative. A ghostwriter works from the inside, from your experiences and your point of view. Colleagues who know you well should read the content and hear you.
Good ghostwriting also covers what to leave unsaid. Knowing when silence builds more credibility than a post is part of the work.
Is ghostwriting dishonest?
Every speech a senior leader delivers has had help. Every CEO op-ed has been drafted by someone who understood their thinking. What matters is that the thinking is yours. The alternative, no content at all because there is no time to write it, is not more authentic. It is less visible.
How long before it works
LinkedIn credibility compounds. The first three months establish a consistent voice. Months four to six begin to bring speaking invitations and inbound requests from decision-makers. Board appointments and institutional roles typically emerge twelve to eighteen months into a sustained programme.
Frequently asked questions
What does an executive ghostwriter actually do?
They listen to a leader’s thinking, then write posts, articles and speeches in the leader’s voice that the leader reviews and approves before anything is published.
How can a ghostwriter write in my voice?
By listening first. Several hours of conversation give the writer your language and positions. If a draft does not feel like something you could have written on your best day, it is not published.
Is executive ghostwriting honest?
Yes, when the thinking is genuinely yours. Senior leaders have always had help with speeches, op-eds and papers. The ghostwriter supplies the language, not the ideas.
How long does it take to see results?
A consistent voice takes about three months. Speaking invitations and inbound interest typically follow in months four to six, and board or institutional roles in twelve to eighteen months.
Want to talk it through?
Email solutions@sancoale.net for a 20-minute positioning conversation. It shows whether this is the right fit, and we work with only three or four executives at a time.
Lalit Saraswat is the Founder and CEO of Sancoale Technologies, a digital marketing firm delivering results for clients across three continents since 1998. He is Past Chairman of CII Goa and a regular speaker at BITS Pilani, GIM, and CII programmes.
