Ethics of Ghostwriting
Ghostwriters are a silent, unseen, unsung army of writers who lay no claim to their published works and enjoy no glory for their literary endeavors. Though their works line the shelves of bookstores across the country and are broadcast to nations in politicians' speeches and corporate announcements, the credit for the message behind the words is always given to someone else.
Other People Are Reading
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History of Ghostwriting
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Ghostwriting is nothing new. Back in the 1920s and 30s the baseball hero Babe Ruth published syndicated columns around the country while Hollywood stars like Bette Davis and Errol Flynn took their turns publishing books. All of the works were written by ghostwriters. The writing process takes time and effort and sportsmen and actors have more pressing things to do. Further back in history, Plato is credited with writing for Socrates. More recently, celebrities such as Eric Clapton and Victoria Beckham have turned to ghostwriters to write their books.
Ghostwriting Responsibilities
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The ethics of ghostwriting revolve mostly around two different aspects of the craft. There is first the need in ghostwriting to accurately capture the voice of the person whose name will appear with the work, and secondly there is the consideration that the act of ghostwriting is somehow cheating an unsuspecting public.
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Ghostwriting Ethics and Social Media
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Ghostwriting ethics in online social media situations is an area of debate. Dave Fleet maintains that without full disclosure, a blog or social media content is ghostwritten and such writing deceives the public. The other side of the ethics argument is that having full disclosure, even in online social media, would defeat the purpose of ghostwriting.
Ghostwriting Disadvantages
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Ghostwriters must be prepared to let go of any ego associated with the finished product and be willing to sign strict nondisclosure contracts. The world of the ghostwriter is often perceived to be deceptive, underhanded, or as Bruce Dessau once wrote in The Sunday Times, publishing's "dirty little secret."
Ghostwriting Process
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Ghostwriters spend hours with their subjects, asking questions and recording interviews. They may speak to the subject’s friends and family to gather background information. From the interview tapes and written notes the ghostwriter forms a publishable story and writes a first draft, which has to be approved by the subject. Occasionally changes will need to be made if either the content or the tone meets with disapproval.
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References
- Photo Credit woman hands typing on laptop keyboard image by .shock from Fotolia.com
