Ghostwriting in the cultural and creative industries – An analysis

The cultural and creative industries have existed practically as long as humanity itself. From the first cave paintings to the present day, culture and creativity have moved people and fundamentally distinguished us from all other mammals on this earth.

There is simply no other living being that paints a picture or creates a sculpture for fun.

Nowadays, we even go so far as to create artificial figures with AI that appear so real to us that some people even fall in love with them. It's easy to see how much the cultural and creative industries are still undergoing constant change.

As old as the art form is, it evolves practically every day. This also applies to the way culture conveys the meaning and beauty of its artworks to other people.

While it was once believed that only the creative individual could convey the deeper meaning of a work of art, today even ghostwriters from ghostwriting agencies for artists. This is because not every artist can express themselves compellingly, and so ghostwriting itself often becomes part of the creative industry.

Because it requires far more than a typical freelancer who occasionally writes a few texts in their spare time alongside their job as an accountant to earn some extra money. For the cultural sector, the writing is often done by students who are themselves currently studying art and culture.

Because you need a certain level of education for that. But highly specialized ghostwriters also write for the cultural and creative industries. It simply wouldn't work optimally for such topics otherwise. At this point, some readers are surely wondering: what is ghostwriting?

What are ghostwriters?

The primary question here is: what is ghostwriting? It refers to authors who secretly write texts for clients, who then publish them under their own names. The ghostwriter has no problem with this, however, because the work isn't about the text itself, but only about the topic it covers.

Anyone who has been to an art opening more than once has surely already encountered one of those talented artists who cannot express themselves elegantly at all, because their talent simply lies elsewhere.

They create fascinating works of art like paintings or sculptures, but they simply can't fluently explain what they wanted to express with them or what lies behind them. Many a listener may have wished that such a ghost speaker existed.

That's precisely what a ghostwriter can do for such an artist. Clever and usually successful creatives supposedly have speeches written for such events by a good ghostwriter, so they can simply read them aloud. This is also ideal if an artist has trouble speaking in front of large groups, which is relatively common among creatives. But guess why that is.

Why creative people often fail to write compelling writing themselves

In this case, we're not talking about authors when we speak of creative people. Because those are usually the ghostwriters themselves. Writing about the cultural sector, in particular, requires not only education but also a high degree of creativity. But now we want to discuss why so many artists, painters, or sculptors can't write compellingly.

Consider this: that's usually the very reason why they became painters or sculptors in the creative industries. Talented individuals with outstanding works often become artists who express themselves through their art. Only then do these paintings or sculptures truly stand out from the crowd.

The viewer wants to be moved and enchanted by it. Then, an art lover is happy to pay high sums to experience this feeling from a painting or sculpture in their own home.

At the same time, this is also the reason why these creative individuals don't express themselves so well in writing. Otherwise, they would have become authors and created a fantastic, atmospheric novel instead of a painting. That sounds logical, and precisely why ghostwriters have a higher status in the cultural sector than many might think.

What ghostwriters can do for the arts and culture industry

Some readers might object that ghostwriters also exist among authors. However, upon closer examination, ghostwriting in this field is most commonly used when the author is not a professional writer, but rather an amateur.

By this we mean, for example, a celebrity writing a biography about their exciting life, or an athlete recounting their successes. In these cases, a ghostwriter can provide invaluable support.

These same reasons also apply to painters and sculptors as examples of the creative industries . We then list seven reasons why it makes so much sense for a cultural professional to hire a ghostwriter to present their work:

1. Stick to what you know: This old proverb expresses it most simply. The painter paints beautifully. A sculptor creates fascinating sculptures. The ghostwriter writes captivating texts about them.
2. Professional wording: Often, the ghostwriter can better express the artist's feelings and intentions in words and thus convey them directly to the hearts of art enthusiasts than the artist himself.
3. Creating a professional brand: As an outsider, the ghostwriter has a better understanding of how the artist is perceived by their fans. This allows for the development of an attractive brand around the artist and their artwork.
4. Search engine optimized publications: As unfortunate as it is, anyone who doesn't appear in search engines for the most relevant search queries is essentially invisible. That's why SEO ghostwriting is so crucial for online publishing. The texts must be unique, and a professional plagiarism check is essential. All of this requires specialized knowledge, which ghostwriters typically possess but authors usually lack.
5. Time savings and efficiency: Artists—and by that we always mean female artists as well—usually want to be able to concentrate fully on their artwork. Promoting their work, publishing their work, and answering numerous inquiries would only distract them from it. A ghostwriter is happy to take on these tasks.
6. New perspectives and an outsider's view: We briefly mentioned this in the context of branding. A ghostwriter has a completely different perspective on both the artist and their artwork than the artist themselves. This outsider's view usually results in a much more compelling description of the works than one written by the creator.
7. Overcoming language barriers: Ghostwriters not only write texts in German, but can also deliver them in other languages. These are not simply translated, but also adapted to the respective cultural context.

Conclusion on ghostwriting in the cultural and creative industries

As you've probably already realized, the definition of ghostwriting has nothing to do with cheating or being dishonest. Ghostwriters are an established and valuable part of the cultural and creative industries today. This profession is practiced skillfully, often becoming an art form in itself. That's what should be the focus when discussing ghostwriting in art and culture.

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor, and passionate blogger in the fields of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Graduated with a degree in web design from university (2008). Further developed creative techniques through courses in freehand drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market gained through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with key players and institutions in the arts and culture sector.

www.kunstplaza.de