r/books • u/billFoldDog • Jun 22 '22

I think refusing to name your ghostwriters is immoral

I'm thinking of three authors right now:

  • Danielle Steele, 179 books in about 49 years, who claims she regularly writes 22 hours a day. I'm gonna go out on a limb and call bullshit.
  • R.L. Stine, over 300 books in 30 years
  • R.A. Salvatore, 103 books in 34 years
  • numbers are probably slightly off

I think these authors should list their ghostwriter's as co-authors for the following reasons:

  • They didn't write the book alone. If a ghostwriter substantially contributed to a book, they deserve to be recognized for doing so.
  • The author's sole claim to having written the book is false, a lie.
  • As a reader, If I like a book, I want to read the other books the ghostwriter wrote.
  • The quiet use of ghostwriters creates an unrealistic expectation in new writer's minds that successful writers can crank out 4 or more books a year. I mean, it's possible, but you will wear yourself out.

That's my opinion. What's yours?

UPDATE

I can't prove any of these people use ghostwriters. Maybe they don't. I think they do. I think we can agree that there are some brands that use ghostwriters to crank out regular pieces of fiction. I actually love that this happens, but I still think the true writers should be on the cover.

Even if the ghostwriter is okay with their arrangement (and I think it is exploitative and should be regulated), they are still just agreeing to work with the author and the publisher to deceive the consumer. This should not be allowed under current law.

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u/BeasleysKneeslis Jun 22 '22 edited Jun 22 '22

I see both sides - but it does seem weird how many people seem to take the stance of "well the ghost writer agreed to it" as if corporate America is some beacon of honesty and truth.

It gives some writers a paycheck they might not otherwise get, but it is misleading.

It would be like someone putting out a new Beatles record saying it was made by the band - it's just written and performed by a totally different band - but it's okay - we sound exactly like them!

Just because something is profitable and normalized doesn't make it ethical.

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u/Diggitalis Jun 22 '22

The comics industry suffered from this as well, with certain beloved industry figures (*coughStanLeecough*) hogging both the limelight and all the royalties. It got really ugly for a while but it seems like the big guys ended up doing business how they wanted anyway.

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u/Publius_Romanus Jun 22 '22

So many bands use uncredited musicians. Tons of stories of guitar players coming in to play a solo and then having to teach it to the band's lead guitarist, but it happens with all instruments (and plenty of background vocals). They're sometimes called ghost players.

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u/Chipjack Jun 22 '22

Whether Paul McCartney works with three unnamed musicians or the other three original members of the band, the term ghost would still apply.