Nistha Gehija, Chartered Accountant by training, is a first-time writer. However, this piece of news created quite the stir when it surfaced through a post on her LinkedIn page: the writer declared herself as Ankur Warikoo’s ghostwriter for his second book and also boasted of how she finished writing the manuscript “within three months.” The writer’s post showcased her exceptional output while again setting up an already popular debate concerning ghostwriting.
The Viral Revelation
In her post, Gehija spoke to the common frustrations of would-be authors, comparing procrastinators to those who focus on execution. “Many smart people stare at a blank document for years, while others, seemingly less intelligent or lazier, complete their books. What’s the difference?” she asked, pointing to the need for clear roadmaps and focused execution.
Gehija further advertised her ghostwriting services, offering to mentor aspiring writers while continuing to ghostwrite for high-paying clients. Her open claims generated curiosity and a flood of reactions online. Screenshots of her post went viral, with one social media user even calling out Warikoo to clarify the role Gehija played in his books.
Ankur Warikoo Responds With Transparency
Ankur Warikoo, author of Do Epic Sht* and Get Epic Sht Done*, added his two-pennies’ worth to the buzz. “Nishtha is lying in her post. She didn’t just write my second book; she also wrote the first one,” he laughed.
In a series of follow-ups, Warikoo elaborated on their collaboration, sharing a photo of the acknowledgment section in his second book that explicitly credited Gehija. “Nishtha, the one who actually wrote this book. We spent three months on multiple Zoom calls,” it read. Warikoo says their conversations were transcribed and shaped into the manuscript, which he describes as “an incredibly tough task” that Gehija executed with precision.
Can’t believe people are discovering ghostwriting as a profession :)) pic.twitter.com/v9tOODnYNJ
— Ankur Warikoo (@warikoo) January 5, 2025
When asked about his referring to himself as an “author” although he actually worked through ghostwriters, Warikoo responded realistically by saying that it was the easiest way to describe his business being a book publisher. He added that his future projects would be collaborative works written with ghostwriters.
Nistha Gehija: Emergence To Prominence
Nistha Gehija, an auditor turned ghostwriter, shares a story of reinvention. After working with brands like Kotak Mahindra and Blue Dart as an auditor, she joined Warikoo’s team as Content & Operations Manager. There, she played a key role in shaping his brand, contributing to an impressive 800% growth in followers over three years, from 1 million in March 2020 to over 9.1 million by June 2023.
She also managed content for WariCrew’s social media channels, doubling followers on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter between September 2022 and March 2023. Gehija now runs her own corporate communication consultancy, Write With Nistha, offering ghostwriting services and courses in corporate communication.
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