There is a discussion going around the writing blogosphere about whether or not ghostwriting is legitimate.
Updated 8/1/2014: This is one of the earlier posts on WritingThoughts. As a result, many of the links to the ghostwriting discussions on other sites no longer work and have been removed.
Finally, I ran across the topic again on Lillie Amman’s site. Lillie also references a number of posts and articles on ghostwriting. After commenting on Lillie’s site, I decided to bring the topic to WritingThoughts, but with a different twist.
The twist is this: please share with us (either in the comments here, or on your own blog referencing this post) where you would draw the ethical and moral line concerning ghostwriting. In order to keep from tainting the results, I’m going to hold off on publishing my own opinion for a few days (that will be the Part 2 of this article).
If you’ve never thought about it here are a few questions (in no particular order) to get you started:
- Would you completely write a book, play, or other creative work and allow someone else to have the credit?
- Would you write a blog and allow someone else to claim it as their own?
- Would you use a pen name or pseudonym?
- Would you write a nonfiction piece and allow someone (or something as in the case of a company) to have the credit?
- Would you write someone’s term paper for them?
This is not an official meme, per se, but I would sure like to at least hear from the following writers (one way or the other):
- You. That’s right, if you’re reading this and want to share your opinion then I want to hear it.
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
22 responses so far ↓
1 Mihaela Lica // Apr 12, 2007 at
To come clean: I do. That’s my job. Writing is creative, no matter what you write about. I write web content and I do not take credit. I also “ghost write”. I have a pen name… or maybe not? My real name is “Mihaela Ernst” and I still use my maiden name Mihaela Lica. But: a capital NO for nr. 5. Creative writing and ghost writing are one thing, but writing someone’s term paper is maybe not cheating, but being an accomplice… I am sure you know what I mean.
2 Laura // Apr 12, 2007 at
Thanks Pamil for starting the discussion. Now if some of the others would only chime in.
3 Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with "sketch") // Apr 12, 2007 at
A lot of the current discussion is not so much about whether ghostwriting is ethical (after all, it’s a long-established practice in the book publishing world, and there are equally established subtle methods for indicating that you’ve used a ghostwriter), but whether hiring a ghostwriter for your blog is ethical. You can find my latest musings on that subject in an audio file on the Podcast Asylum website (second half of recording) and also in this post on my Author-izer Articles blog.
4 Laura // Apr 12, 2007 at
Welcome Sallie! Thanks for joining the conversation. I’ll definitely check into your links.
5 Denise // Apr 12, 2007 at
I signed a contract this week to ghostwrite poetry, and I look at it this way. I need to money, I haven’t been misled, and I get to do what I love.
I will check out the links in your post, Laura, and blog about it this weekend. Thanks for including me in the conversation.
6 Laura // Apr 12, 2007 at
Thanks for coming by Denise!
7 Lillie Ammann // Apr 12, 2007 at
Thanks for continuing this discussion, Laura. I’ve spelled out my thoughts in the post you referenced and in the continuing discussion in the comments.
I just read Sallie’s excellent article – she’s describing a collaboration between the “author” who receives the credit and the ghostwriter. If I had seen the article earlier, I would have referenced it in my original post. This type of collaboration is different in my mind than a romance cover model who claims to be a romance writer when he’s never even read the books that carry his name as author.
I’m eager to read other writers’ thoughts.
8 Laura // Apr 12, 2007 at
Thanks for coming by Lillie. I enjoyed your original post and I hope others continue the discussion.
9 Mihaela Lica // Apr 13, 2007 at
Well, it depends what a blog is all about. I do ghostwriting for business blogs unrelated to my line of business (for example LED blogs – obviously I cannot give you the links). But I wouldn’t ghostwrite poetry or a novel, although I see nothing wrong with that – it would feel to me (and that’s just me!) like selling my soul. I think I am wrong to feel this way. After all… I do sell my paintings. But the difference is that my signature is on them… I don’t know Laura. This is really hard! But to question ethics… that’s too much! First we should all agree upon a definition of ethics or something similar. And I think we should try not to judge people for their choices.
10 Laura // Apr 13, 2007 at
Hi Yvonne, I look forward to seeing your response.
Mihaela, I am sorry you are feeling judged. The discussion is not at all meant to judge people. Obviously many writers do ghostwriting. Others do not. By the nature of the discussion, some people will feel one way about it, and others another. It is a question of ethics for some–but that’s not necessarily judging. The question I’m asking here is–where do you, as a writer, think that the ethical line lies? (Or, I guess, if there even is one.)
11 Mihaela Lica // Apr 13, 2007 at
It was not about me, Laura. I was not feeling judged. I said we shouldn’t judge. It was a general statement. The “ethics” term bothers me. Ethics is about moral values, right and wrong… When we set borders and bring such a strong term into a discussion we run on a slippery path. There is nothing wrong with ghostwriting. It’s a job. The moment we define ghostwriting as unethical, even from a personal point of view, we condemn those who simply work honestly for their living to live with the thought that what they do might be seen as dishonorable and disreputable. And that’s wrong.
A ghostwriter will not put his/her name on a piece of writing, but this doesn’t necessarily diminish the value of the work. Unethical would be to hide your name on purpose when you write negative or offending articles aimed against others. Unethical would be to hide yourself under a pen name because you are ashamed of what you do. But ghostwriting as a “profession” is certainly not unethical.
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14 Merry // Apr 13, 2007 at
Interesting discussion you’ve got going on here – I posted my reply to your five questions on my blog, titled ‘Ethics in Ghostwriting’.
I’d agree that ghostwriting is not, in itself, unethical… there are fine line areas that I find unethical, but that happens with every profession or walk of life and it’s up to the person to decide what they think is right and fair…
As for writing a student’s thesis or term paper – I don’t think that should even be discussed in the same place with ghostwriting. That’s not writing and in no circumstance is it remotely ethical.
15 Laura // Apr 13, 2007 at
Hi Mihaela!
Wow, Denise, Walter, and Merry already have responses up! (If you haven’t checked them out, they’re really thought-provoking.)
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19 Susan // Oct 25, 2007 at
Let’s be honest. Most online ghostwriters aren’t producing high art. We’re producing a commodity that’s going to be used and discarded when it’s no longer useful. Why can’t you give 100% to a project until it’s over and then just let it go?
Do you really think a furniture maker goes around visiting everyone who ever bought a chair or a sofa to make sure his furniture isn’t being used, for example, in a brothel? Of course not. So why would you care how a piece you wrote but didn’t put your name on is used?
20 Laura // Oct 25, 2007 at
Welcome Susan!
Good points. Actually, I do care how my work is used. However, so far I’ve usually known going into it what the client intends. (These things can usually be discussed and negotiated up front.)
Of course, when it comes to the online world you never know where your work might end up. I have several of my posts “scraped” without my permission and placed on blogs that I have no affiliation with and received no payment for.
I hope you read the second part of the discussion too.
21 Laura // Oct 25, 2007 at
Here’s the link to the second part of the series: https://www.writingthoughts.com/?p=86
(I didn’t realize that they weren’t connected in this post.)
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