Weekend Discussion: Why I Don’t Ghostwrite
Why I Don’t Ghostwrite
By Devon Ellington
As a freelancer, I spend at least a couple of hours a day scanning job boards, in addition to the usual rounds of researching and querying. There are plenty of jobs with a particular word in the headline that I skip over. That word is “ghostwriter”.
Why? Three of my most admired and trusted colleagues specialize in ghostwriting. Their point of view is that they are helping the client communicate his vision to his audience clearly and effectively. I’m glad they’re so generous. I certainly don’t believe a writer shouldn’t ghost (it’s hard enough to make a living in this profession). And I hope they are well paid for it each time they do such a job, at six figures or more. But even the name sets my teeth on edge.
If I purchase a book and it’s got an author’s name on it, I want it written by that person. I don’t care whether or not it’s a pseudonym. I publish under a half a dozen noms de plum myself. But whether it appears as Devon or Ava or Cerridwen or Christiane: A) the editor who hired me knows my real name and knows that the byline is a pen name; and B) I’m the one who actually does the writing.
What gets on my last nerve is when some celebrity makes the rounds of the talk shows about the book he or she “wrote.”
Yeah, right.
The celebrity may have talked the book, and there’s nothing wrong with that. “Talk” the book and work with a writer who writes the book – and give the person the appropriate credit. Bylines which read “with” or “as told to” don’t bother me. But someone parading around as an “author” when they’re not infuriates me. Being a writer requires a combination of art, craft, and dedication, and it’s insulting to the profession to have people swanning around talking about the book they “wrote” while the real writer is kept quiet with not enough cash and a confidentiality agreement.
It grates when I read the ads of someone who landed a gig writing articles or blog entries and is outsourcing them (usually for a small amount of money), so the person who landed the gig doesn’t actually have to do the work.
I also work as an editor. When I contract someone to write something for me, no matter what name is on the byline, I expect the person I contracted to do the work. After all, the person managed to convince me via the query and subsequent discussions that he or she was the best person for the job. Or was that excellent query letter ghosted as well? If it was, I’d rather hire the ghost directly. I don’t believe that a celebrity name is the only way to sell a book. Monica Lewinsky’s book was remaindered the day after its release; whereas The Historian landed one of the highest advances in publishing, and who knew Elizabeth Kostova’s name before that, her first novel?
There’s a valid argument against my opinion, stating, “Who cares as long as the check clears?” If that’s your position, and you’re getting big bucks, more power to you. We are not competing for the same assignments. But I’m curious – apart from the money – why do you do it? I’m interested in hearing various points of view.
This weekend’s guest blogger, Devon Ellington, publishes under a half a dozen names in both fiction and non-fiction. She writes the column “The Literary Athlete” for The Scruffy Dog Review. Her blog on the writing life is Ink in My Coffee and business writing site is Fearless Ink.
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Friday, April 6th, 2007 at 4:46 am under
I’ve never been offered a ghostwriting gig, but I can’t imagine working as hard as I do on a piece and then not having my name on it.
Co-authoring is one thing, but if there’s no trace of my name, forget it. Just not for me, but if it works for someone else, great.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:47 amI’m confused. Isn’t writing with a pseudonym the same as ghostwriting. After all, you’re not really getting credit for your work if everyone reads an article with someone else’s name on it.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:48 am“Isn’t writing with a pseudonym the same as ghostwriting?”
Nope. Take Robin Paige. Look in the introduction of a book by “Robin Paige” and you will see that it is a a pseudonym used by Bill & Susan Albert. Or Mark Twain — that is Samuel Clements. When Harlan Ellison feels a collaboration in which he has participated is mangled beyond repair, he uses the name Cordwainer Byrd.
My favorite example is Kenneth Bulmer. He wrote pulp fiction. All sorts of pulp fiction — and used about fifty different names, for different gendres — Bulmer for his SF, Adam Hardy for stories dealing with the Royal Navy, Bruno Krauss for German U-Boat stories, Arthur Frazier and Neil Langholm for Viking stories, and God alone knows how many other names.
Why use a pseudonym? To brand your stories for different markets, because your real name will cause professional embarrassment (aerospace engineer Neville S. Norway wrote his novels using his middle name “Shute” — Neville Shute” for that reason), or just because you want to have fun.
I think it would be a rip to write a book on pseudoscience using one name, write a second book debunking the first one under another name — and then write a third book under my own name revealing what I did with the first two.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:48 amAs someone who writes with a pen name (long story short: my husband’s book was published 3 weeks after mine - our names are Darrin and Darien. I write women’s fiction, he writes nonfiction golf. It’s confusing enough as it is), I don’t see it as the same as ghostwriting at all.
Ghostwriting involves two real people, one of whom is doing the work for another and the other is taking credit.
Writing under a pen name involves one person. All the work is theirs. In the publishing industry, it’s hard to cross genres without people being critical, so many authors (trust me, even your favorites) write in diferent genres under a pen name (look at Nora Roberts/JD Robb, but there are many, many more. Stephen King had a couple of pen names, too).
People write under pen names for a bunch of different reasons, but I don’t think it’s to deceive the public. I personally could never ghostwrite because I’m a bit too attached to my writing.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:48 amI’m not interested in ghostwriting books for a variety of reasons (mainly the amount of work they take), but I don’t have an ethical or personal problem with ghostwriting (or writing without a byline) under certain circumstances:
(1) I’m happy to work with professionals to ghostwrite articles for trade mags and the like, provided it’s not against the rules of the publication. Where content is more important than style and the professional is providing the content, I’m being paid for making it accessible and clear. I’m not providing the expert opinion. I don’t feel that this is deceptive.
(2) I don’t expect a byline for many types of web content. If I write the content for, say, a small business’s site, I fully expect them to alter and update it without asking me. I don’t expect them to say “This website by….” I just save a copy of what I did to use as a portfolio example for future jobs.
Ghostwritten books I am less comfortable with, although I can’t quite put my finger on why.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:49 amI have no problem ghost writing books/reports/articles. I write because I love it. However, I don’t believe that I could win the next big name prize. I’m happy to be home with my daughter whom I homeschool. The only way that I can do that though as a single mom is to be comfortable with ghost writing. I think the thing is that we all write for different reasons and we need to be comfortable with those reasons and happy with what we’re doing, regardless as to whether it’s ghost writing or not.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:49 amI think ghostwritten web content is a completely different beast from the sort of ghostwriting the author is talking about in this post. Although I’d be curious to hear her opinion on the topic - does a website owner taking credit for our articles seem as shady as Pamela Anderson claiming to have written a book?
June 28th, 2007 at 4:49 amCount me as one firmly in favor of the ghostwriting experience. I have ghostwritten two books that are bestsellers in the business field. I thoroughly enjoy, and get great satisfaction in, the fact that I know I wrote the books, and that’s enough for me. More significantly, the books enjoyed the success they did without me having to promote them or go to endless signings or do interviews or all of those things that aren’t what I want to be doing. I didn’t have to track down a publisher or design a cover or worry about the little details. I just write. I’m working on another book project right now, I have another one awaiting my attention, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:50 amI think it is much different ghost writing articles and web content than ghost writing a book. I will write anything for people - articles, SEO, whatever, knowing full well my name won’t be on it - because I make enough money to live on doing that. And because it doesn’t bother me if someone else takes credit for “Great New Hair Products” or “Tips for Backyard Landscaping”. Selling articles that I know will be used somewhere else or that another name might be put on means I can feel comfortable taking any assignment and writing on any topic.
HOWEVER - completely different thing when it comes to fiction. The article writing, content, etc, that’s a job, that’s a living. Writing fiction for me is creating art, and even if I use a pen name, it is still my pen name, and no one in the world can get credit for my art.
That is where the line is for me, personally. When it is work, it is work and I’ll do my job and it doesn’t matter who ends up with the articles or the web content, as long as I have been paid for it properly. When it is art,the money isn’t the issue, the art is. I wouldn’t want someone else to take credit for my art.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:50 amThat’s it — our personal lines/boundaries. Both Mark and Mia explained very clearly why people use pseudonyms, which is different from ghostwriting.
And I think it’s great that there are people who do enjoy it — all kinds of writing for all kinds of people.
Melissa brought up an interesting point, which was clearer than what I discussed — whether or not it’s allowed by the publication. A growing trend that disturbs me — which I spoke about as both writer and editor above — is that there are people landing regular article gigs and then subcontracting them out to ghostwriters. I suspect that often the publication has no idea, and most editors I know and have worked with expect the person they contracted to be the one who wrote the article.
In fact, several guidelines now speak specifically to that topic, which indicates to me that it has become enough of a trend/problem to warrant inclusion in guidelines.
Frank mentions enjoying the fact that he didn’t have to look for a publisher or do any of the promo on the book — good for him! However, I know several ghostwriters who are contracted not only to write a book not yet sold for publication, but then expected to do the agenting and marketing as well — no, thanks.
My biggest problem is when the person whose name is on the book does the PR rounds and pretends to know what he or she is talking about when questioned about the process, and I think it often does a disservice to the pros who actually do the work. The non-writer, pretending to be the writer, makes it sound so easy and effortless that potential clients wonder why in the heck they’re expected to pay top dollar, and it hurts all our rates.
Thanks so much to everyone, with the various opinions, who’s responded. Great ideas from you!
June 28th, 2007 at 4:51 amI’m with Frank on this one - no surprise since I ghostwrite… blogged about this article at: http://www.thegoldenpencil.com/2007/04/09/is-ghostwriting-legit/
A
June 28th, 2007 at 4:51 amwww.thegoldenpencil.com
Interesting take! I actually don’t see a lot of difference between ghostwriting and writing under a pseudonym. Yeah, I know there are legal differences, but the effect is the same–nobody knows you wrote it unless you tell them. I have no objections to either, btw, I just think it’s interesting that someone who uses pseudonyms doesn’t want to do ghostwriting.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:51 amAs a publisher I’ve run in to the same ghostwriting problem many times. Hiring someone to do a long term writing job that they then outsource.
Seems like Ghostwriters do it time and time again. They work well at the beginning then when you give them more work at a steady rate they attempt to subcontract it out.
The giveaway is the obvious drop off in quality which raises the red flag. It eventually destroys the level of trust that has been created and results in the termination of the writer.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:52 amThe post and comments are very interesting. I’ve referred to this article in a post on my own blog about the ethics of ghostwriting.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:52 amI’m a ghostwriter. So far, I’ve ghostwritten two books, an online course and numerous articles. I don’t see anything wrong with helping someone who has great ideas get those ideas on paper. When I ghostwrite, I make sure the “author” is involved in every step of the process. Clients approve the outline (which is based on their notes and conversations). They then approve each chapter written, suggesting changes, etc. These are not my ideas - they belong to someone else. I’m offering my skills so they can tell their stories.
I wonder where we draw the line as writers/editors. We have no trouble hiring an editor to clean up our writing and help us present ourselves in a more professional manner. Is that any less hidden from employers than a ghostwritten book or article? Are we not presenting ourselves as better writers thanks to someone else’s talents instead of learning our craft better ourselves?
For me, I see no problem with being the creative behind someone else’s concept.
For the publisher, I agree. I’m wholly against a writer taking on a project on a regular basis, then farming it out. If there’s no time for the commitment, one shouldn’t make it. When faced with an overabundance of work, I’ve simply turned down the work or referred a writer friend. It’s much more professional.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:52 amHi Devon
You’ve certainly opened up an interesting topic.
I’ve linked to your post at my blog, where I wrote a post on ghostwriting, in response to a challenge by Laura at Writing Thoughts.
Thanks again.
Yvonne
June 28th, 2007 at 4:53 amGrow Your Writing Business
I think everyone has brought up some interesting points. I am not against ghosting when everyone involved is aware that the “author” of the book is the one with the ideas and I am the one doing the writing. Now, if an editor hires someone to write a magazine article, then I would expect that person to do the writing and NOT subcontract the work out to a ghostwriter.
There are many brilliant people out there (scientists, politicians, etc.) who lack the writing skills needed to communicate effectively. Then there are people who can’t write for a general audience because they’re in such a specialized profession and are so used to using jargon. Can you imagine a book written for a general audience by someone who is a nuclear physicist?
August 15th, 2007 at 10:01 am