Is Ghostwriting Cheating?
Is Ghostwriting the same as cheating? Well, if my daughter came home from school and told me she had accepted a fistful of dollars for doing another person’s work, or that she herself had parted with her hard won allowance to have the same done for her, my ire would most certainly be riled.
Yet this is precisely what I do for a living 90% of the time with a smile spread across my face. What’s the difference?
A ghostwriter by trade completes the work of another, then accepts a fair fee in lieu of credit. A ghostwriter’s clients claim authorship of content they didn’t create in exchange for money they would likely consider supremely well spent. Both sides are happy, instilled in a system that’s been in style ever since the days of Cyrano.
How is this different from my daughter doing the same thing in school? Do a few decades really delete the parallel?
A good ghostwriter must be able to easily claim either side of an argument. So please indulge me, I’m about to rationalize.
A ghostwriter has a well defined relationship with his clients, deeply rooted in mutual benefit. One person provides a service while the other benefits from their craftsmanship – not too different from a caterer, tailor or architect.
Of course, one could argue people rarely hire caterers and inherit the accolades for their cuisine, but on the other hand ghostwriters are rarely writing from nothing. They are most often starting from the thoughts, notes, drafts, or bullet points provided by their clientele.
Bottom line: there is a strong difference between the world of a child’s classroom and that of a writer’s desk.
Ghostwriting is a routine practice, globally acknowledged and regularly engaged in by politicians, celebrities and leaders of every shape and size. There is no stigma against the practice, as those people who hire ghostwriters are often simply employing a writer far more quipped than they to help synthesize the success they’ve had so that they may move it from one venue to another.
Yes, if my daughter did this I would most certainly see it as cheating. School isn’t just about rote memorization, it is about discovering who we are and how we learn. The last thing that any reasonable parent would want is for their child to learn early in life is that cheating is a rapid route to get from A to B.
Let’s face it, those for whom cheating is instilled as an early habit, might never develop the resources that would lead them to ever need a ghostwriter in the first place.
Peruse my portfolio or contact me today to discuss your copywriting project.
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SeanMichaelPlatt@gmail.com
(562) 972-6842.
6 Responses to “Is Ghostwriting Cheating?”
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Adults, hopefully have come to learn what their strengths are. If someone chooses to have their ‘content’ and essence expressed in your voice because you write so well, it means they’ve recognised that, for them, sharing some form of content is worth more than personally expressing their own style through their writing. They’ve recognised that they have limitations but trust that you can capture and express their style well. If they were getting you to ghost write a book of poetry, that would be different; style is what we attribute to a poet.
Personally, if someone has the sense to hire you, Sean, hats off to them. It’s not cheating – it’s good sense!
I think a ghostwriter also helps if you are stuck and don’t know how to move forward (which often happens with “big” projects). Having something to work with first, instead of starting from scratch, can be a HUGE help.
Just stopped by to do the Snoopy Dance with you. I could cry. :)
Yeah for Ghostwriter Dad! And, my desk often looks like it belongs to a child (cat on the keyboard, cookies in the corner, colored pens strewn everywhere). Does that mean I get my writer’s card revoked? ;)
Janice: Smiles… yup, good sense. That’s exactly what it is!
Hayden: I never even thought of that, but you’re totally right. A ghostwriter can help get the ball rolling, which is sometimes all we need.
Jamie: I’m thrilled as well. It’s gonna be a fun climb from here on out. And no, your writer’s license is still in excellent standing.
Excellent comparison of what could seen as essentially – the same thing. It’s interesting to note that when ghostwriting, I often learn more about all kinds of different topics than I ever did in school ;)