Happy Halloween creative friends!
Welcome to my first *official* post on my website. Since it’s Halloween, I thought I’d touch on a spooky subject that’s come up a handful of times throughout my college career: ghostwriting.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with ghostwriting, ghostwriting is the act of writing material for someone else who is the named author. You might be thinking, “why on earth would anybody do this?” but there’s plenty of people out there in need of ghostwriters and plenty of writers willing to do it.
In both my journalism and public relations classes, we’ve touched on ghostwriting only a handful of times. Some students have never heard of ghostwriting. Other students have very strong opinions for or against it. Some believe that it is illegal (it’s not) or that it’s plagiarism (also not accurate).
But, time and time again, I end up going head-to-head with people who simply don’t understand the subject enough to have a well thought out opinion on it. Are there legal and ethical standards pertaining to ghostwriting? Absolutely. Is ghostwriting illegal? If done right, no.
So, here’s a rundown on some ethical and legal issues surrounding ghostwriting I’d like to debunk for my fellow writers.
In a nutshell, ghostwriting in and of itself is perfectly legal and ethical if the writing stems from the author’s client’s original thoughts and ideas. The issues surrounding ghostwriting come into play when outright lying is involved, such as lying about skills or knowledge.
One area specifically where ethics and legal issues around ghostwriting are the foggiest is when it pertains to academia. If you’re a college student, this may hit close to home, because yes, ghostwriting does haunt higher ed.
Ever had a giant research paper or senior thesis you simply couldn’t muster up the motivation to complete? Let’s say you hire a ghostwriter to complete the assignment for you. Since the ghostwriter would be doing all the writing and research of the paper, this would be illegal (technically) because they are writing based on knowledge you (the client) do not actually possess.
Think of it this way: the client supplies the ideas. They provide the anecdotes, research, personal experiences, and the message they are trying to get across, Then the client hands it off to the ghostwriter, who then completes all the heavy duty work (a.k.a the writing) for the client.
There are writers who make entire careers out of ghostwriting. And why wouldn’t they? If you’re a seasoned writer with a few books and awards under your belt, ghostwriting could be a rewarding and lucrative career path.
Quite frankly, the world needs ghostwriters. It’s no surprise that many prevalent business leaders, celebrities, and professional athletes can be very poor communicators. Their poor verbal communication seeps into their written communication as well. So when one of these public figures is presented with a writing or speaking opportunity, who do they turn to? Ghostwriters.
The President of the United States typically does not write his own speeches.
Celebrities who write and publish a book typically do not write it themselves.
The key is collaboration. Ghostwriting should not consist of a writer working behind the scenes to craft a piece of work attributed to someone who contributed nothing to the creative process. It should be a joint effort between the client (in this case, the politician, the celebrity, etc.) and the professional writer sharing ideas, facts, and anything else necessary to tell the story.
Ever wondered how busy, high-profile people find the time to craft an impeccable autobiographical novel or a moving speech for a charity event? Well, ghostwriting may be your answer. And, hopefully, these individuals understand that they have to be hands-on in the writing process.
With all that being said, I hope I’ve debunked what you’ve previously believed about ghostwriting and any misconceptions you may have.
If you’re in journalism or PR (or a similar field), ghostwriting is not illegal if it’s done correctly.
If you’re in academia, avoid ghostwriting like the plague unless you want to land in hot water.
And if you’re a writer, perhaps I’ve given you a new career ambition.
Thanks for tuning in. Have a great Halloween!
-M
