Beautiful: Why I Don’t Ghost Write

When I first started out as a writer, I wrote two pieces for The Well Daily as a ghost writer. While I love The Well Daily, I couldn’t stomach being a ghost writer. I couldn’t do the hard work of developing content and have someone else slap her name on it. It irked me right down to my bones, so I decided then and there, even though I was a very new professional writer, that I would never do it again.

Yesterday, I made the hard decision to walk away from a client project I was very excited about because when I inquired about a byline, they came clean about the fact that all of their blog content is ghost written under the CEO’s name. My heart sank.

I understand that this is a common practice. I understand that a lot of writers make very good money as ghost writers. Let me be clear: I would never in a million years tell anyone else how to run their writing career. We all have values and we all make judgements that are right for us based on those values. If you’re a ghost writer, and you love being one, then by all means continue.

I’ve been offered very good money (though not in this particular instance with this client) to be a ghost writer. For a moment, and I mean just one single moment, I thought about going to this client and asking for more money to be a ghost writer for the CEO. And the next moment I decided against it because no amount of money would ever be enough. I just personally can’t do it, and here’s why:

The reasons why I don’t ghost write
1.) I am building a brand and a company that relies on my voice and expertise. Tossing away a byline in my areas of expertise (which is the only kind of writing I create) would mean ceding the future value of my content, and no amount of money in the world is worth that to me.

2.) I am me. I can’t write in someone else’s voice because it’s not mine. I can’t embody someone else’s point-of-view over an extended period of time in an authentic way because I haven’t lived his or her life. I have lived mine, and all of my experiences contribute to each piece of writing that I do. If the content is so important to someone who wants to put his or her name on my content, then why can’t he or she make time to write it themselves? It begs the question, “Does this content really matter to you?”

3.) Writing is difficult work, and for me a byline is the biggest benefit for all of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into my content development.

4.) I want to help. Most of my writing tends toward the inspirational side of life. I write to be of service to others. If no one knows I wrote a piece, then a reader of that piece can’t connect with me. They can’t ask me questions. I can’t build a relationship with readers if they don’t know I’m the writer. I’ve developed incredible friendships based upon this blog and other writing I’ve done. Those relationships are invaluable to me. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

5.) My name is not for sale, and neither are my thoughts. They are priceless.

6.) Credit is not a scarce resource. What’s wrong with giving credit to everyone for all of the work they put into a piece of writing? A byline feels like an awfully small ask when good content is on the line.

Some words of advice if you choose to ghost write
1.) Know why you’re doing it. Maybe you’re just getting started as a writer. Maybe it’s a very lucrative way to enable you to do other things that matter to you. Maybe you want the freedom to write anonymously because you are worried about what people in your life might think if you really shared how you felt. Maybe you want to build a new area of knowledge on someone else’s dime. Perhaps it’s a way for you to work with someone whom you truly respect, and writing is just the avenue to learn from that person and be a part of his or her team and mission. The exact reason is unimportant, but having a clear reason that’s of extreme value to you is critical so that you don’t end up resenting the work.

2.) Don’t let the client take advantage of you, nor treat you like hired help. You can avoid this by getting permission to put the posts into your portfolio, having them write you an open recommendation letter that describes your responsibilities, directly asking them for referrals, and / or having them agree to be a reference for your other potential clients. And make sure you are well compensated financially and / or are afforded flexibility that makes your other personal and professional objectives possible.

3.) If your goal is to eventually be a writer in your own name, continue to do other work in your name. Don’t let that goal fall by the wayside for the sake of your ghost writing unless that goal is no longer a priority for you. Work on your other writing projects, the ones that do have your name on them, with as much gusto as the ghost writing.

I found this article on ghost writing to be particularly interesting:
Demian Farnworth – The Brutally Honest Truth about Ghostwriting

Do you ghost write? Why or why not? What advice do you have for others considering it?