Ghost stories: an agent for writers who stay behind the scenes--and off the jacket.(2M Communications Ltd)

Among the ironies of today's book industry is the fact that good writers struggle to get published, while celebrities who can't write get big book contracts. Lots of people complain about it. But not literary agent Madeleine Morel, who has figured out a way to exploit these facts--she represents no authors, only writers--ghostwriters, that is. Morel's clients have written seven New York Times bestsellers in the past two years, three of which have reached number one. Though Morel's tight-lipped when it comes to revealing specifics, she would let slip a few of her writers' recent hits: there's The Biggest Loser (Rodale), the TV tie-in diet book, which, according to PW, sold more than 150,000 copies in 2005; and numerous books by lifestyle guru and perennially bestselling author Dr. Phil (published by Free Press).

With books by movie and television stars, athletes and "personal trainers to the stars" flooding the market (and bestseller lists), Morel's timing is perfect. Atria editor Wendy Walker, who has worked with Morel on two books in the past year, says, "Ideally, you want a book to be …