ASJA and Gotham Ghostwriters are cosponsoring the Gathering of the Ghosts, the first-of-its-kind national convention of ghostwriting professionals, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, in New York.
The Gathering of the Ghosts brings together ghostwriters for a day of conversation, education, and celebration of this evolving profession.
It’s time for ghostwriters to get their due, according to ASJA President Emily Paulsen. “We’re eager to recognize, support and encourage the valuable work collaborators perform to help authors share their stories with the wider world,” she said.
The Andy Awards – first-ever awards for ghostwriters
As part of the conference, ASJA and Gotham Ghostwriters are also launching the Andy Awards, the first-ever writing award program specifically for ghostwritten book collaborators.
The Andy Awards takes its name from the “and” that underpins creative cooperation. The award honors both the author and ghostwriter behind the best jointly written works of the year. The inaugural Andy Awards will be given in three categories: business and thought leadership; memoir and narrative nonfiction; and prescriptive nonfiction.
Andy Award submissions are extended through October 20, 2023. Read the submission guidelines for more information.
GOTG conference sessions
The one-day Gathering of the Ghosts conference will include deep-dive discussions on:
- the role of ghostwriters in an increasingly diversified publishing industry
- the state of compensation for the profession
- the profound impact of AI on the work of collaborative writers in the years ahead
Additional details, speakers, and the New York City are location will be announced in coming months.
“Our immediate goal is to build a greater sense of community and connectivity within the field and start what we hope will be an ongoing dialogue about the trends shaping our work and the common challenges ghostwriters face,” said Gotham CEO Dan Gerstein.
“We also hope to use this forum to help bring the profession ‘out of the shadows’ – to educate the broader public about the service and value we provide and elevate the field as a viable career path for publishing professionals and writers of all kinds.”
Super early bird tickets are $275 for ASJA members, and $300 for nonmembers through Sept. 11. After that, early bird registration of $400 is available through Nov. 11, and the regular $500 registration fee runs until Jan. 15, 2024. Find all registration information here.
To find out more about the conference, visit the Gathering of the Ghosts webpage or go directly to the ticket site.