Ghostwriting

A lot of avid readers (including myself) believe that there is a dearth of good writers in recent times. Many still prefer to fall into an Austen novel, a Shakespearean play, or one of the classic fantasy works by J R R Tolkien. But while the debate of whether or not we have writers as good as these today still rages on, a new type of writing has crept into the scene – Ghostwriting – one that has caused a considerable amount of debate in the writing world.

The Ethics of Ghostwriter Jobs and What the Future Holds for Ghostwriting

But what is ghostwriting?

A ghostwriter is different from other writers in many ways. For one, ghostwriters do not get credit for their work. They trade it for cash. Yes, many of them willingly so. In a nutshell, ghostwriters are those who do complete research for a piece of writing on their own, pour their hearts into it, and finally sell it to the person who has employed them. This employer will then post or resell the piece in his/her own name without giving any credit to the ghostwriter. 

Tragic, isn’t it? Well, that depends on your vantage point I guess.

Why ghostwriter jobs are so popular

Ghostwriting services is a relatively new concept. It initially burst into the scene when the online world started to boom globally and there was a sudden need for content on the web. Overtime, as the demand for cheap content services increased, so did the number of ghostwriter jobs.

There are two major reasons why ghostwriter jobs have become so popular in recent times –

1. Most people don’t have the time to write the required content themselves.

OR

2. They simply don’t have the skills to churn out quality content.

The trouble ghostwriters face

The first thing anyone looking for ghostwriters for hire will notice is that they come quite cheap. With the dearth of genuine content writing jobs that pay well, many ghostwriters are willing to work for a lot less than their efforts deserve. This has made it difficult for other writers, those unwilling to bend, to expect a fair amount for their work.

Another major hurdle many ghostwriters face is that they are unable to prove that a piece of writing is theirs as they aren’t given credit for any of their works. This can cause considerable strain (and embarrassment) when they look for full time content writing jobs which require them to submit a portfolio of their work.

By far, the biggest downside to ghostwriting is that more often than not, writers don’t own the copyrights of their content. This means that once a piece of writing is sold, ghostwriters have nothing to do with it anymore. Meanwhile, the person buying their content can sell and resell it as many times as they want to and at a rate of their liking.

How it benefits the employers

A lot of people offer cheap ghostwriter jobs on a contract basis. This is more economical for them than hiring someone full time. But there is a flipside to this – most good writers wouldn’t jump at such opportunities. That being said, there are many famous ghostwriters as well and most of them have had to do such writing just because they needed the money.

But while those who use ghostwriting services may not always get quality content, they are satisfied even if the writing is just about passable. In fact, many of them look for ghostwriting services that offer to merely stuff a piece of content with SEO keywords (even if the writing doesn’t make any sense) just so that their website ranks on major search engines.

What the possible future could be for ghostwriting

If we were to be brutally honest, nothing would really change for ghostwriters unless they wanted it to. As long as they keep responding to cheap “Ghostwriters Wanted” adverts, employers will keep taking advantage of them. They will continue to be cheap labor and never get credit for their work.

Only those writers bold enough to shift away from ghostwriting services – whatever the risks – can expect some kind of positive change in their writing career. But this can be challenging as success doesn’t come overnight. Well, not always at least.

So, from one writer to another, give ghostwriting a chance only if you absolutely need the money. Else, take that risk and try to establish yourself as a legit, published and genuine writer. There is no greater satisfaction for a writer than to be acknowledged and credited for their exceptional writing skills.