Is Ghostwriting Selling Out?

by Kim Niemi

When we started our discussion, weeks ago, on the various types of ghostwriting jobs out there, we were working our way up to the Holy Grail of ghosting, the novel. You want a nice big payday all at once? Then the job you want to land is ghosting a celebrity memoir, or writing the next installment in a famous author’s bestselling series, etc. But is that selling yourself short as a writer? Is it, in fact, selling out?

Ghostwriting: Use your creative talent in a marketable way.

The short answer is yes. And no.

Huh?

Creative people are constantly asked to weigh their artistic integrity against their need for an income. But what if using your creative talent in a marketable way – i.e., “selling out” – actually opens doors for you to accomplish personal artistic goals as well?

Let’s take a look at some ghostwriting-specific pros and cons:

Ghostwriting Pros:

• It’s paid writing work
• It increases your portfolio (just be sure you know the parameters of what you’re allowed to share)
• It gets your name out there – not with the public, of course, but with people in a position to offer you additional work and even get you published under your own name down the road

Ghostwriting Cons:

• You can’t brag about your accomplishments – even if it’s the best thing you’ve ever written
• Getting additional work can be tricky when the person you’re writing for doesn’t want anyone to know they’re using a ghostwriter
• It’s difficult to see someone else’s name on your work – you need a thick skin and the ability to keep your ego in check

The pros definitely outweigh the cons here, and because your ghostwriting work will all be hush-hush, you can keep putting yourself out there as a writer without there being any obvious conflict of interest that might confuse your fans: You can blog silently for a law firm and still be the edgy sci-fi writer your followers are rooting for publicly. It’s the best of both worlds.

Do you agree? Disagree? Tell us below how you balance ghostwriting with other projects. 
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