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Why Sarah Palin and George W. Bush Hired Ghostwriters

By T.R. Locke on October 12th, 2011

Sarah Palin signing her ghostwritten book

George Bush signing his ghostwritten book

Everyone who writes a book is not a writer. Whether you agree with their political beliefs or not, it is pretty clear that neither George W. Bush nor Sarah Palin was known for their quick wit, eloquence, or ability to turn a phrase. In fact, it could be argued that it is their folksy, near-bumbling personas that make them appealing to so many.  Both Bush and Palin stand as testaments to the power of personality and charm to elevate an individual to national fame, power, and riches.

As a former president, George W. Bush would, of course, be expected to produce a memoir of his time in office. As a political celebrity, former half-term governor, and proffered first republican female vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin would also be given a chance to tell her story in a book. The fact that ghostwriters were hired to produce their books is not a surprise to anyone, but the reasons for their choice to work with ghostwriters may not be as obvious as they seem.

Hire a Ghostwriter to Save Time

Although George Bush has much more time on his hands than he used to, Sarah Palin keeps a very busy schedule. According to her once-future son-in-law Levy Johnson, Mrs. Palin was eager to quit her governorship of Alaska so that she could earn as much money as possible while she had the national spotlight. That meant there was simply no time for writing a book. Books take time–lots of time. Stopping a lucrative speaking schedule to write wastes time and opportunities that can never be redeemed. Hiring a professional ghostwriter saves time, and time is money.

Hire a Ghostwriter to Compile a Clear, Coherent Story

As a former president presiding over one of the most controversial presidencies in the history of the nation, George Bush has a lot to account for. Choosing which issues to address and which to ignore during his presidency was handled by a team of strategists, advisers, lawyers, publicists, and secretaries. Choosing what to include in his book will no doubt require similar guidance–not only because of legal reasons and national security concerns but because certain “facts” have already been presented to the public and a certain level of consistency with those facts is required. In addition, there is a concerted effort to make sure history is recorded by all parties involved in a way that stands unified against evidence to the contrary.

Hire a Ghostwriter to Research Facts

Similar to the point above, professional ghostwriters are hired to research what was said and when. In writing a presidential memoir, it is important that dates be right. Many people will need to be contacted and interviewed. In many cases, the former president himself may need to be reminded of issues that were part of his presidency that he forgot, but which still need to be commented on. Left to himself, a president may well leave out important elements that must be discussed in order for the book to be considered serious.

In Mrs. Palin’s case, her book is more of a vision cast for her future political aspirations. Ghostwriters in her case would make sure that she covered pertinent political issues she would be expected to understand and mention in any such book. Forgetting to discuss issues of importance in the national debate, may make her seem out of touch, unintelligent or disingenuous.  A ghostwriter will research all the pertinent issues and, if necessary, polls, popular conservative political blogs and conservative think tanks to craft a coherent response to those issues.

Hire a Ghostwriter to Impress Audiences

All of this research works to lend credibility, intelligence, and understanding to both former president Bush and Mrs. Palin. In addition, a ghostwriter ensures high-profile people that a manuscript replete with spelling errors, sentence fragments, incomplete thoughts, incoherent sentences, and other grammatical errors is not leaked to the press. Such a leak would be a goldmine to reporters who would love to embarrass any celebrity would-be author.

Hire a Ghostwriter to Write Fast

Finally, when time is of the essence, as it was and is in the case of Mrs. Palin, hiring a professional ghostwriter can make sure that book gets released before the nation turns its attention to other things. As has been evidenced by the poor sales and returns of her second book, Sarah Palin was wise to rush her first book to the press as quickly as possible. When time matters, hiring a ghostwriter is essential. First-time writers face too many learning curves to navigate a manuscript under time constraints.

There are many reasons George W. Bush and Sarah Palin would hire a ghostwriter, but those reasons are not necessarily related to incompetence. Ghostwriters are essential in the publishing business for professionals of all fields who have something to say and want to say it well. When you’re ready to tell your story, contact me by clicking here and filling out the form or calling today.

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