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Updated October 2026Best Memoir Ghostwriters to Know in 2026
A memoir ghostwriter interviews you, learns how you talk, and turns your story into a book that reads like you wrote it. The right one depends on whether you want a book for a major publisher or a private memoir for your family. Below are the memoir ghostwriters and services we profile, with what each is known for.
Quick answer: For celebrity and public-figure memoirs, the best known names include Hilary Liftin, Lisa Dickey, Mark Dagostino, Joni Rodgers, Daniel Paisner and Andrew Crofts. For a private family memoir on a fixed budget, packaged services such as StoryTerrace are built for that job. Most families end up between the two: an independent memoir writer working from interviews.
At a glance
| Name | Known for | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hilary Liftin | Celebrity memoirs for Tori Spelling, Miley Cyrus and Teri Hatcher | Actors, musicians and public figures with a book deal who need a memoir that sounds like them |
| Lisa Dickey | Memoirs with Jill Biden, Tammy Duckworth, Patrick Swayze and George Stephanopoulos | Politicians, public servants, artists and executives with a major-publisher memoir in the works |
| Mark Dagostino | The Magnolia Story with Chip and Joanna Gaines | Public figures and faith-driven leaders who want a warm, hopeful memoir |
| Joni Rodgers | Celebrity memoirs and her own cancer memoir | Entertainers who want a memoir with a strong, theatrical voice |
| Daniel Paisner | 80+ books including 17 NYT bestsellers | Athletes, entrepreneurs, first responders and survivors |
| Andrew Crofts | Sold, with close to four million copies | Dramatic true stories and international clients |
| Stephanie Krikorian | Self-help books for doctors, actresses and media personalities | Doctors, wellness experts and media personalities |
| Mike Yorkey | The Every Man’s Battle series | Pastors, Christian leaders, athletes and veterans |
| StoryTerrace | Packaged private memoirs with printed hardcovers | Families preserving a parent’s or grandparent’s story on a fixed budget |
| Kevin Anderson & Associates | Large firm covering fiction and nonfiction | Authors who want a managed process |
| Claudia Suzanne | 200+ ghostwritten books | Authors who want a seasoned generalist |
Publisher-level memoir collaborators
Ghostwriter · Los Angeles, California
Hilary Liftin
Hilary Liftin is a Los Angeles based ghostwriter best known for celebrity memoir. Her website credits her with sixteen New York Times bestsellers, including books with Tori Spelling, Miley Cyrus, Teri Hatcher and Tatum O’Neal.
Ghostwriter · Los Angeles, California
Lisa Dickey
Lisa Dickey is a nonfiction book collaborator who has helped write more than 20 books, including 12 New York Times bestsellers according to her website. Her clients span politics, entertainment, music, media and business.
Ghostwriter · United States
Mark Dagostino
Mark Dagostino is a seven-time New York Times bestselling co-author of uplifting nonfiction, best known for The Magnolia Story with Chip and Joanna Gaines. His books span entertainment, faith, sports, business and military leadership.
Ghostwriter · Washington State
Joni Rodgers
Joni Rodgers is a #1 New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and novelist based in Washington State. She has ghostwritten more than two dozen high-profile books and specializes in memoir, message-driven nonfiction and screenplay-to-novel adaptations.
Ghostwriter · United States
Daniel Paisner
Daniel Paisner is a ghostwriter, novelist and podcaster with more than 80 books to his credit, including 17 New York Times bestsellers. He hosts As Told To, a podcast about the craft of collaboration.
Ghostwriter · United Kingdom
Andrew Crofts
Andrew Crofts is one of Britain’s best known ghostwriters, with more than 80 books to his name and a dozen Sunday Times number one bestsellers according to his website. He specializes in dramatic true-life stories and also writes novels.
Ghostwriter · New York area
Stephanie Krikorian
Stephanie Krikorian is a celebrity ghostwriter and journalist who has written more than 20 books, including a New York Times bestseller, according to her website. Her focus is self-help, with clients ranging from doctors and health experts to actresses, news anchors and a former US governor.
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Ghostwriter · San Diego, California
Mike Yorkey
Mike Yorkey is a San Diego based author and collaborator with more than 120 books, best known for the Every Man’s Battle series with Fred Stoeker. He specializes in Christian nonfiction, sports memoirs and inspirational stories.
Mark Dagostino (above) also writes for faith and inspirational publishers.
Family memoir and life-story services
Agency · Beverly Hills, California and London
StoryTerrace
StoryTerrace turns life stories and family histories into professionally written, printed books. It pairs each client with one of roughly 600 writers, who interviews them and writes the book, which is then designed and printed as a hardcover.
Agency · New York, Nashville, Los Angeles and London
Kevin Anderson & Associates
Kevin Anderson & Associates (KAA) is a ghostwriting, editing and publishing guidance firm founded in 2007, with offices in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles and London. It writes fiction, memoir, business, self-help and children’s books.
Ghostwriter · United States
Claudia Suzanne
Claudia Suzanne is a veteran ghostwriter with more than 200 uncredited books across fiction, memoir and nonfiction. Through Wambtac she offers ghostwriting, manuscript analysis, book proposals and ghostwriter training.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a memoir ghostwriter cost?
It depends on length and the writer’s track record. Packaged life-story services start around $1,200 to $3,250. Independent memoir writers commonly charge five figures for a full-length book, and collaborators with New York Times bestsellers often command six figures, usually funded by a publisher’s advance. Our cost guides break this down.
Do celebrity memoir ghostwriters take private clients?
Rarely. Most work on traditionally published books with an advance. If you are writing for family, a life-story specialist will cost less and is built for that format.
How long does it take to ghostwrite a memoir?
Most full-length memoirs take six to twelve months, including interviews, drafting and revisions. Packaged services can deliver a shorter book in a few months.
Listings are independent and compiled from public sources. Nobody pays to be included. See the full ghostwriter directory.
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