Is Using A Ghostwriter Unethical? What You Need to Know

Ghostwriting is the act of one person (or more) writing for another, usually in the other person’s voice.

The practice has been going on since the invention of the sports memoir, if not the printing press.

While most people think of memoirs by celebrities and speeches by political figures when they think of ghostwriters, these scribes actually perform a number of tasks. Thanks in part to the digital world, ghostwriting has expanded to include much more than helping household names get on the bestseller list.

Prominent individuals and companies often hire ghostwriters to help with social media and blog posts. To be seen as thought leaders, CEOs are increasingly turning to ghostwriters to craft op-eds and articles about trends and news in their industry.

Why ghostwriting has become more popular

Does anyone really want to read a Prince Harry memoir that hasn’t been crafted by someone who knows their way around a sentence? While once upon a time, ghostwriting may have been rare, today ghostwriting has reached a critical mass.

Politicians, business leaders, celebrities, even brand-name authors all use ghostwriters. The practice has been normalized as people recognize the need for help. Rarely does the reading public any longer think, whatever the credit on the cover reads, that a celebrity or CEO wrote a book by themselves. And, although it’s still relatively rare, some celebrities acknowledge their silent helpers, or at least are upfront about it when asked.

Simply out of necessity, more CEOs and companies have come to understand the necessity and benefits of outsourcing at least some of their writing needs. Social media has become a necessary part of every executive communications strategy. But all those posts aren’t going to write themselves. Whereas a CEO likely won’t have the time to post weekly, never mind daily, updates, a dedicated ghostwriter can not only write engaging, authentic, and on-brand social media and blog posts but also articles, op-eds, and other materials.

Many of these ghostwriters are former journalists themselves. The long, slow,  death of traditional news media has seen an exodus into the realm of ghostwriting. These professionals  bring a skillset—researching, writing, interviewing, editing, deadline-meeting—that is invaluable to anyone wishing to make an impression in today’s overloaded information environment. For example, JR Moehringer, Prince Harry’s ghost on the royal memoir Spare, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.

Former journalists, like those played by Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Gal Friday but less photogenic, are often employed as ghostwriters in today’s hurly-burly media landscape.

Why ethics in ghostwriting matter

With the increase in prominence of ghostwriters, ethical considerations around their use have become of greater concern.

In a social media climate where authenticity is prized, the idea that someone might be posting content under someone else’s name can be seen as dishonest or deceptive.

In truth, though, ghostwriting has moved into the spotlight because more people are seeing its utility. The fact is, neither the internet nor the memoir industry could function without these shadowy keyboard warriors.

While the debate rages on, albeit in micro-corners of the web, about the ethics of ghostwriting, its front advances, especially in business and marketing. Because, more often than not, ghostwriting is an ethical way for time-strapped executives, leaders, and founders to communicate their goals, objectives, and values to the public.

Situations where ghostwriting is unethical

While ghostwriting is now seen as a legitimate form of communication and messaging, there are some ethical considerations to take into account. For example:

• Deception or misrepresentation: When pressed, most people and companies will say that they have worked with a ghostwriter. Some make a ghostwriter’s involvement explicit. However, if the audience expects a piece of content to be authored by a specific individual, using a ghostwriter without disclosing their involvement might be seen as a breaking of trust. Monsanto, for instance, has been accused of ghostwriting scientific research papers to sway the public opinion of the safety of one of its herbicides. Not cool, Monsanto.
• Representing the client in untrue ways: Sometimes a leader or celebrity might hire a ghostwriter to not only tell their truth but to expand or even falsify it in some way. This is the kind of thing that gives both ghostwriters and their clients a bad name. A ghostwriter should replicate their subject accurately, and not imbue them with qualities, such as wit or eloquence, that they don’t have. A classic cautionary tale on misrepresentation by a ghostwriter is the memoir Art of the Deal, which was revealed to have had almost no input from Donald Trump.
• Breaking an agreement: If either the ghostwriter or client breaks an agreed-upon condition of anonymity, this too could be seen as an ethical breach.

Situations where ghostwriting is ethical

In most instances ghostwriting is not only ethical but necessary, especially in the business and CEO thought leadership sphere. For time-management, for consistency, for clarity, and for quality, ghostwriting is an essential tool in today’s exec comms kit.

As entrepreneur/communications expert Cheryl Conner writes in Forbes, “Collaboration with a professional writer is a wonderful concept and a tremendously effective means of getting the great thinking of a great leader into the words and format that will be interesting to readers and will make the material memorable and compelling to share. In the world of communication, it’s an extremely valuable service, whether for a book, an article or a speech.”

Common platforms for ghostwriting today include:

• Social media: We’re seeing more and more businesses and CEOs turn to ghostwriters for their social media channels. It’s just not possible for most CEOs and startup founders to put in the time and effort required for a consistent and engaging social media presence. Most online users are savvy and experienced enough to realize this.
• Op-eds and articles: CEOs are experts and ideas people—they’re not writers. Using a seasoned wordsmith to help them articulate their thoughts, opinions, and concepts is a perfectly acceptable and even necessary—for clarity, for concision, for readability—part of an exec comms strategy.
• Speeches: An even older and more accepted ghostwriterly practice than sports bios, speeches are often the work of an anonymous staffer working in the background to make sure the chief’s words hit their target.
• Blog posts, website content, and other company branding materials: Startup founders especially might feel it necessary to be the voice of their company’s website. However, through close collaboration, a ghostwriter can often do as good a job if not better, with the added bonus of being able to turn newsworthy  items into press releases that may bring some earned media to the business.

Ensuring that ghostwriting is ethical

To help ensure that a ghostwriting partnership is ethical, it helps to follow some basic steps.

First, agree on terms. Make sure that both you and the ghostwriter understand what his or her role is, what the boundaries are, and what is expected of them. For example, if it’s important that the ghostwriter remain anonymous and not reveal their work for you, make this known.

Then, find the right way to collaborate. A ghostwriter isn’t just filling up space with words. He or she is collaborating with the CEO or the CEO’s team to capture their voice, thoughts, and ideas for authentic communication. Ensure that the ghostwriter’s work aligns with the company or CEO’s values and goals. Doing this can often nip potential problems in the bud by establishing a set of principles to guide the ghostwriter.

Being transparent is also important. In many cases, it’s understood that something may not be written word-for-word by the executive. But if there is any doubt, or something about the post or piece—say, its personal subject matter or where it’s placed—depends on authenticity then it’s advisable to be transparent about the use of a ghostwriter.

Finally, it’s important to vet the ghostwriter’s work before publication. The person who is being ghosted for should review everything that is being posted and/or written in his or her name. Thus, the client takes full responsibility for the accuracy and messaging of the content being composed on their behalf.

As ghostwriting becomes more common, people are less concerned about the integrity of the practice as much as they are about whether they are receiving authentic communication from a source that they trust. In other words, by ensuring that the use of a professional writer is transparent and not deceptive, and is part of a collaborative process with the person being represented, hiring a ghostwriter is a perfectly valid and ethical way to communicate with your audience.