June 10, 2024
Ghostwriters. Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Her name is Priscilla.
She hangs out in the spare bedroom at the top of the stairs on the second floor. Other times she’s off somewhere, gossiping with the house goddess, Penelope. When she settles in come evening time, the rays of the setting sun caused create a glow around her silver-white hair, styled in a loose bun. She helped me pick out the new color for the front stairs, a deep purple. She also picked out some of the artwork I hung on the walls.
So far, she hasn’t revealed when she moved into this 100-year-old house, or any of the stories she has to tell. But I’m not in a hurry. I figure we have a decade or more to spend together. I can wait.
Oh, not that kind of ghost writer. Sorry, Priscilla, making you the star of a post will have to wait. Have another cup of tea. Peach, this time?
Now on to ghostwriters of the living kind. Let’s start with the bad (and ugly.)
I hate picking up a book by a favorite author to discover that the writing style is nothing like previous stories by that writer. Sometimes the ‘partner’ author is listed, other times not. I don’t mind as much when the joint venture is listed up front. When it’s not disclosed, I feel cheated.
Then there’s the concept of a ghostwriter for a celebrity’s book. It’s well-known they aren’t spending the time to type out their stories and perfecting them to make them readable. The publisher is using the celebrity’s name as the selling point. It has nothing to do with the quality of the writing. The person who is doing the actual writing earns little to no recognition, and is normally paid a contracted amount, without regard to how many books are sold.
But there is a good side.
“Normal’ people may want to leave the legacy of their life story to their family, but don’t have the skills to document it. Their view of the war they served in. Or how they earned and lost a fortune selling drugs. They may be your neighbor or the nurse at the hospital. They have no desire to sell the book commercially, but want to make sure their tales are not lost to the winds of time, at least not immediately. Hiring a ghostwriter is their shot at making that dream happen. As an added bonus, the writer receives extra income that may support their creative endeavors.
Now, I’ve never given ghostwriting a shot, because I’m busy enough trying to write my own stories. But some of the authors on this hop may have. Will they tell us about it? Find out by following the links below.
Anyway, until next time, please stay safe.
What’s that, Priscilla? Penelope is out of Earl Grey? (Sigh) I’ll add it to my grocery list.
June 10, 2024
Ghost Writers. Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly.
