All About Ghost Writing
The Pros, Cons and Facts About Writing for Others
Jan 22, 2009 Dulcinea Norton-Smith
To some it may seem deceitful but in reality it is more of a joint effort than “cheating”. There will need to be a great deal of interaction between the Ghost Writer and the client and often the client will provide the majority of the research or information needed leaving the Ghost Writer to craft the information into a polished book, article, report, speech or similar.
Why Hire a Ghost Writer?
There are many people who may hire a Ghost Writer but the reasons for hiring one will usually fall into one of a two categories:
- Lack of time. A client who is particularly busy in their everyday life or business life may want to write something and may even have the research materials ready and the writing abilities to do it however it takes a lot of time to write anything and the client may not have the luxury of time.
- Lack of ability. Writing is a skill and not everyone is in possession of it. What are the chances that the owner of 42 content based websites is also an accomplished web writer. What are the chances that a famous pop star also has the technical ability to pen an engaging autobiography. Not everyone is in possession of perfect grammar, spelling and story telling abilities and even those who do may not be able to write a best seller.
Most Ghost Writers are hired to do what the client wishes they could do if they had the time and ability. Then again some are hired as a service for people wishing to make a profit from the written word but who have absolutely no interest in writing.
Who Hires a Ghost Writer?
The people who may hire a Ghost Writer include;
- Politicians or public speakers who are good at delivering a speech but cannot write one
- A celebrity who wants to publish their autobiography or a fictional book
- A non celebrity who wants to write their memoirs
- A training or consultancy firm who want all of the products they use/ sell to be “written” by the members of the company
- A doctor or similar who has done all of the research and work necessary for a report but needs it written in an organised and compelling style
- A website owner who wants content which they can claim credit for
- A book publisher who want to release a book or sequel to a book under a known author’s name (with their permission)
- An ebook publisher who wants to sell or give away ebooks (the website and website owners are seen as more credible if they have “written” a full book on the subject
Pros and Cons of Ghost Writing
There are several pros and cons of Ghost Writing.
The main pros are that the writer does not need to think about what to write and will often have to do only minimal research. They can take on a number of projects in a number of different subject areas and styles so it is perfect for writers who get bored easily. As the writer will usually be paid a one off fee it is also a good way to make quick money which can be preferable to waiting months or years for royalty cheques to begin to roll in.
The main cons are that the writer will not be credited for penning the work. On occasion they may be listed as a co-author or credited in the acknowledgments however more often than not the Ghost Writer will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement and will get no credit anywhere from having been involved in the project. The other main drawback is that if the Ghost Writer pens a successful book or articles that earn a website hundreds of thousands of dollars they will have no royalties and no other share in the profits. In fact where a non-disclosure agreement has been signed they may not even be able to list it on their writer’s resume. Imagine the upset of a Ghost Writer if J.K Rowling had hired one and the Ghost Writer had only been able to put on their resume “wrote a book about a wizard” (and for a one off payment of $10,000)!
Ghost Writing is not for everyone. For those who write purely to express their own thoughts, stories and opinions it is not the best outlet. Neither is it ideal for anyone who dreams of doing book signings or waving their New York Times recommended debut novel in their ex-boyfriend’s face. Ghost Writing can be very enjoyable however and to anyone wanting to make a regular income from writing it can be an invaluable way of practicing the art yet making enough money to pay the bills.
Ghost Writers aren't Spooky
|
What do you think about this article?
Comments
More in Writing & Publishing
Latest Articles