Is Ghostwriting Immoral?

Ghost writers are hired to help individuals that do not have the time or skills required to complete a book. Once the book hits the shelves, a ghost writer cannot take the credit for writing a book. Is this immoral?

I don’t think so, because ghost writers are paid lots of money to write for celebrities, politicians, business industry, film industry, or a TV series. It’s what they do. Just as the term indicates “ghost” writer… the invisible writer.

 “As a ’90s kid, I would rush to do my homework on the bus, highly anticipating 3:30 p.m. just so I could tune into PBS’s Ghostwriter. The series caught my full attention because it was about a bunch of kids in Brooklyn, NY who solved community mysteries with the help of a ghost that manipulated texts.

It is safe to say that there is nothing paranormal about ghostwriters; in fact, they are actually quite normal. The debate on whether ghostwriting is ethical or not has been by far one of the most challenging topics to date amongst PR pros. Ghostwriting, if you enjoy being behind the scenes, is where you create written published work for a client. Sadly, you get no spotlight shine. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with ghostwriting as long as the voice and personality you wish to portray is loud, clear, and definitive.

Nowadays, freelance writers and contributing writers are bringing everything in the dark to new light — that is, by taking a paid position as a ghostwriter. Ghostwriters get to do some really cool things:

1. Write books
2. Write articles
3. Write reports
4. Boost SEO by crafting tweets and Facebook statuses

Ever wonder who is really behind your favorite celebrity’s tweets? Think again. This is not to say that all celebrities have ghostwriters, but some do. To illustrate, take Aliza Licht, SVP Global Communications, for DKNY. She tweeted under the Twitter handle @dknyprgirl before revealing her true identity via YouTube.

There was a time when many of us thought ghostwriters were just speechwriters. You know, those people that create those enticing speeches for the President and other politicians. Surprise or not, a lot of PR pros in-house at many agencies and corporations are being sought out to ghostwrite, too. C-level executives such as Presidents, VPs, and COOs do not have time to look over a tweet. This is where you come in. I mean, if you consider yourself to be a great professional writer, why not earn some extra cash with ghostwriting as your side hustle? Hands down, multitasking is one of the many duties of a PR pro anyway; it would not hurt to add another task to the to-do list. Would it?

In a blog post by professional writer Kim Pearson, she shares 10 reasons why she loves her career as a ghostwriter.

All in all, I hope you discovered that ghostwriters are not always those people with lanyard pens hanging from their necks.” 

Ghostwriting is big business, and the ghost writer will always be in business, as long as they don’t mind someone else taking the credit. MLM Publishing Company also works with ghost writers and is ready to work with you. CLICK HERE