Nov
Ghost Written
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Lynn Vincent wrote this week’s best selling book on Amazon.com. Just thought she should get credit for her biography of Sarah Palin.
Fellow writers, any thoughts on the ethics of this? Lots of famous people author books with “ghost writers” doing the grunt work behind the scenes while they take full credit. Will the publishing world become a game similar to reality television? Will book deals go to the most famous/scandalous bidder? Does it matter how well a book is written if the subject is trendy enough?
Screw Iowa wants to know your thoughts.
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3 Responses to “Ghost Written”
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“..Will book deals go to the most famous/scandalous bidder? Does it matter how well a book is written if the subject is trendy enough?…”</i
"most Famous and Scandalous"…as opposed to, say, "Wealthiest and Most Influential"? In the world of commercial publishing, that'll probably be a yay. Does it matter how well a book is written? Sometimes nay.
As for 'ghost writing'…I view it as a matter between writer and subject, really…is it hurting anyone? I didn't know Lynn Vincent, and I don't know her now – because I'm not interested in what Sarah Palin has to say, or what someone else says about her. Ms. Vincent may or may not be happily on her way to the bank by now. I can't know that.
Consider the Publisher an Individual. Some are @ssholes to work with, others will go down with your ship if they see the hint of a sail. Everybody pretty much only wants their dollar. I'll have to admit that I don't know how "ghost writers" are compensated…but I have witnessed firsthand the "sluice pile" of incoming texts from potential authors…when you say "bad", how bad are we talking? *haha!* For instance, 'Sammy the Snot Who Lives in Your Nose!' did not make our kids catalog that year!
* ; )
Another rogue Editor gave me some sage words when I consulted her many moons ago about going to publishing school: "In this business, it's who ya know and who ya blow. If I'd known that when I started out, I would've gotten some knee-pads."
We can all only be responsible for our own ethics. We can only aspire to set a good example. I've read a few books by 'anonymous' in my day. *heh* Memoirs of a Geisha! I fell for that one, too! Totally written by a Y -chromie. Now that's messed up.
But.
A zillion dollars later, that man and his publisher are just happy it didn't matter after all and that everyone had already bought the book (and the movie rights!) either never noticed or didn't care.
Of course, that was fiction.
I hate the fact that books like this get so much attention!
Why can’t the ‘ghost’ get the credit he/she deserves? Something like “by Cary Grant with Julie Jones” which everyone would know means that Julie Jones did the grunt work with Cary dictating bon mots and ideas? Most readers know celebs/politico’s/actors/ don’t have the TIME it takes to write a GOOD book if they’re busy celebing, politicking or acting!