fleshwriter
n. The person for whom a ghostwriter writes a book.
Etymology
Examples
2003
No wonder Gruber found refuge online on The WELL, where for the past ten or so years he's hung out in the "writers" conference, telling us all about his real-life Ghostwriter v. "Fleshwriter" ordeal, discreetly keeping the Tanenbaum name out of the conversation.
—Brian Dear, “Michael Gruber at the Mysterious Galaxy,” Brianstorms, March 19, 2003
1999
This Wednesday, the featured speaker will be Ojai author Paula Spellman, who recently completed "Code to Victory: Coming of Age in World War II," for WWII veteran Arnold C. Franco. If you've ever considered writing about or for someone else, you might want to hear Spellman on "Ghostwriters and Fleshwriters—the Challenges and Rewards of Writing for Others."
—Ann Shields, “Out & About,” Los Angeles Times, June 13, 1999
1998 (earliest)
I fell into ghostwriting in 1989, during a slump in my journalism career. Established but neither flush nor famous, I was delighted to get this relatively well-paid work helping business stars write books. I interviewed my "fleshwriters" (as we ghosts call them), drafted early versions, and coached them through revisions.
—Art Kleiner, “Confessions of a Ghostwriter,” Wired, October 01, 1998
Filed Under