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Published on Jan 16, 2025
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Prasanta R

The Ethical Side of Ghostwriting: The Art of Being Transparent

Ghostwriting is a kind of service almost every other business is making the most of. Be it entrepreneurs, celebrities, famous public figures, politicians, or authors, all of them rely on these services to bring their life into ideas. However, the ethical aspect sparks a debate, especially when working with the public and famous figures.

If you look at the nature of ghostwriting, it speaks for others, where a person behind the words feels for others, who without any acknowledgment put their heart into the words. Sometimes the question arises on their integrity and authenticity.

In this article, we are all about uncovering the brighter side of ghostwriting services- the ethical side. The focus will be on transparency and trust- how they shape this industry. Read till the end so that you can learn how to set some standards between the author and the ghostwriter.

Behind-The-Scenes Ghostwriting- What Actually Is This?

At its core, ghostwriting involves a group of professional, amazingly talented writers crafting content at the behest of another person. This person can be anyone—lay or professional. The services are not limited to just one field or industry; instead, they are offered to anyone who finds writing a horrendous task.

Moreover, ghostwriting can be found in various forms, such as;

Book writing (fiction and nonfiction)

Blog and article writing

Social media content

Speech writing

White paper and case studies

Press releases

Copywriting

Editing and proofreading

Personal branding

Marketing content

E-book writing

Coaching and consultation

Audiobook

Book illustrations

Graphic designing

This isn’t the full list just to be clear, a lot more is offered by ghostwriting services. These skills have been offered since decades but have gained much traction over the past few years. You can give credit to technology and digital marketing if so. However, the ethical dilemmas surround the practice.

Transparency: The Bedrock of Ethical Ghostwriting

To be transparent or not to be transparent, this is the question. Ghostwriters have always been a shadow figure in this industry. They are there in every line and sentence but off the curtain call playing a paradoxical role. The constant struggle to deceive or not to deceive hangs like a sword on the head.

Typically, the masterminds behind the top-selling are always anonymous. So, the transparency orbits around constantly. What do you think? Should the reader be aware if the book or article is ghostwritten? See, a big question. But, do you agree on the fact that it is deceptive to keep the identity hidden?

Well, this is the most questionable part when ghostwriters pen down a memoir or autobiography, write personal stories and so much more. Imagine reading a memoir or an autobiography of someone you love the most and getting that feeling as if they are talking to you. You close the book, and suddenly the thought appears, is this book really written by the one I fandom the most?

However, not all the supporters of ghostwriting agree on it. For most of them, it is not inherently dishonest. Ghostwriting can be viewed as a collaborative effort, where the author provides the ideas, experiences, and vision, while the ghostwriter brings those elements to life through professional writing. In this view, ghostwriting is less about deception and more about leveraging expertise to produce a polished final product.

Ø Transparency Meeting Professional Integrity

While the discussion is on transparency, it is important to discuss the difference between public acknowledgment and behind-the-scenes credit. Many high-profile individuals, particularly the ones in the literary world, openly acknowledge their ghostwriters, which helps build transparency.

One of the most famous authors, James Patterson has been seen giving credit to their ghostwriters.

In contrast, many ghostwriters remain anonymous and the whole world claps for the author. This is seen as ethical as long as the client and ghostwriter are clear about their roles. However, if these ethical ghostwriting practices aren’t discussed from the start, it leads to a breach of trust when discovered later.

Trust: The CornerStone of The Ghostwriting

Trust is a vital component in the relationship between a ghostwriter and an author. It allows room for productivity and lifelong collaboration where both parties feel appreciated, respected, and understood. They trust each other’s abilities and build a connection where ideas pour in and a possibility of unlimited future ghostwriting collaborations takes place.

So, in ghostwriting, trust and authenticity go hand in hand, just like credit and acknowledgment.

Ø Ghostwriters as custodians of Author Voice

One of the most challenging aspects of ghostwriting is ensuring that the final product faithfully represents the author’s voice. The ghost writer must adapt their writing style to match the tone, language, and personality of the person they are writing for, all while maintaining their own professionalism. This can be difficult, particularly when the subject matter is deeply personal or the author’s voice is very distinctive.

Ghostwriting and Ethics in the Age of Self-Publishing

Having developed an understanding of the opportunities that self-publishing has to offer; many writers are now able to easily access ghostwriters. This means that now more than ever, an author may hire a ghostwriter for practically anything, be it a blog, an eBook, or a self-help book.

Nonetheless, the two communicate practically every day, both parties are required to act ethically when collaborating, and in a much greater sense than before.

Ø Is Self-Publishing Changing the Ethics of Ghostwriting?

Readers are now able to consume works for which authors have hired ghostwriters in an effort to make a name for themselves. While this democratizes the publishing process, it can also obscure the distinction between original content and content that has been ghostwritten. This has however resulted in the problem of many self-published authors who have ghostwriters writing for them, not being able to fulfill their promise of being truthful about the book.

With respect to the measure of including a ghostwriter, the integrity and ethics of the story could be improved.

Similarly, this can limit the writer's control over the ethical aspects of a self-published author's work such as the proportion to be accorded to the ghostwriter. Depending on the degree of openness and collaboration, such a scenario can promote or hinder the relationship between the writer and the author.

Setting Ethical Standards: Guidelines for Ghostwriters and Client

The only way to ensure the whole ghostwriting remains ethical, both writers and clients should come up with a clear guideline and expectations at the outset of their collaboration.

1. Clear communication is the key

Communication is the key to everything, so make sure both parties clear everything before starting the project. Open and honest discussions about the roles, expectations, and end goals should avoid any misunderstanding.

So, setting clear expectations always ensures that everyone involved is on the same page. As a result, the project moves forward smoothly. For instance, if a ghostwriter assumes that they’ll have complete creative freedom but the author prefers to be more hands-on with the writing, it could lead to conflict.

2. Decide the anonymity of the work

Authors and ghostwriters should decide upfront whether the work will be kept anonymous or publicly attributed to the ghostwriter. Either way, deciding this priorly will save future hassle and misjudgments. At times, the writer himself wants to stay anon, so that makes it easier for both of them- for authors, it’s a win-win.

Also, in some cases, the authors might want the ghostwriter to be credited as a co-author, which is common for projects like memoirs and business books.

3. Sign agreements

Both parties should sign agreements to protect the author’s ideas and private information. This ensures no data is leaked in the future and in case the client’s data is leaked, the company shall be responsible and take full responsibility.

This demonstrates professionalism and respect from both parties ensuring a lifelong work opportunity without disrespecting boundaries.

4. No room for plagiarism

Plagiarism—taking someone else's work and presenting it as your own—is a serious violation of professional ethics and can ruin an author’s reputation. Ghostwriters must go above and beyond to ensure the content they create is fresh, authentic, and unique to the author they’re working with.

This means no shortcuts, no recycling of material from other sources without credit, and certainly no copying or paraphrasing someone else’s work.

5. Respect the author’s voice

Every author has a unique voice- the style of writing tone, and perspective that makes their words set apart in the crowd. As a ghostwriter, it is necessary to respect and capture the essence and write in that voice. A ghostwriter’s job is not to impose their personal ways and style and mirror the author’s voice.

It is to be ensured that the final product feels like something the author would naturally write themselves. This is where the art of ghostwriting becomes more nuanced.

Wrapping the thought

So, that was all, hopefully, this read was insightful and helped you keep things within the boundaries while respecting your work as a ghostwriter.

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