How to be a Ghost ?? The Complicated Invisibility of a Ghostwriter

How to be a Ghost

The Complicated Invisibility of a Ghostwriter

Before we take any drastic measures and try and live our lives as Beetlejuice intended, I just want to clarify exactly what I meant here.

There is something rather magnetic about the idea of being elusive, both as a person and as an artist. It feels like you can be creative, playful and experimental without that experimentation tarnishing your signature style or brand in any way.

Taking this ghost analogy one step further, look at it this way.

As a ghostwriter, you have that signature white sheet draped neatly over you, as you go about your business throwing ink at a page and seeing what sticks, you might find yourself writing with new colours. Although it may create something amazing, sometimes things can get a little messy and your white sheet can soon be covered in coloured ink you'd never choose to use in your own work.

No bother! When the project is done you can simply yank off that sheet and put it to the side.

But... that doesn't mean you don't take what you've learnt with you. Like every signature ghost, you have to have those little holes for your eyes, a space for splatters of that multi-coloured ink to sneak in and stay with you. The work you do as a ghost is sure to inspire your future as a writer - it's how you hone your craft and find your personal voice along the way.

Additionally, that white sheet allows you to create space between yourself and the work you are creating for others. Something to work closely enough on to see a project be fruitful, but not enough that it warrants absorbing your own life the same way that personal endeavours and passion projects can.

But being a ghost doesn't come without its own set of unique challenges - it is not all fun, games, and white bed linen- the way Hollywood makes out.?

With the privilege of being elusive, too comes the burden of being invisible.

The Weird Dichotomy of Ghostwriting

Many writers I know take great pride in every word they write. So - you can see why this fairs them well when it comes to providing an amazing, valuable and results-driven service to a client.

But once you put that metaphorical pen down and the results begin rolling in, it's understandable that a kind of emptiness might begin to emerge.

Heck, you might even call it resentment for lack of a better name.

You've achieved exactly what you set out to, yet it can feel like you have nothing to show for it. It's the modern-day, professional way of someone copying your homework. Except they've paid for the privilege and they're less likely to get a detention for plagiarism.

It's normal that a writer might want to be recognised for their writing, especially when it comes to acquiring new clients and building a portfolio, but sometimes being a ghost can make the line between your work and the results you've gotten for others quite a blurry one.

It can also be discouraging when something you write for someone else sees more success than something you put out under your own name. I think it's important to remember that that doesn't necessarily mean anything in regard to the quality of either piece.

The desired outcome and KPIs of one project might be vastly different to your own.

Unlike real life, being a ghost doesn't damn you to haunt abandoned buildings for the rest of eternity. Some writers may start as ghosts, but by no means do they have to stay that way. If you ask me, you can definitely be both, simultaneously.

History's Most Famous Ghostwriter

Some of the world's most successful writers started off as ghosts, usually through no fault or real desire of their own.

Take Mary Shelley, for instance, she published Frankenstein (arguably one of the most famous works of literature ever written) completely anonymously. This was presumably to avoid the ridicule and judgement that would come from revealing the author of such a twisted tale to be [shock horror] female.

For a while, many speculated that her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley was the anonymous author.

Could this be considered the earliest example of ghostwriting?

Questions to Ponder

(and answer because I'm pretty clueless myself)

Ghostwriting has become the hottest commodity and trendiest business asset, especially here on LinkedIn. But as more and more writers take a shot at being a ghost, is it inevitable that ego will eventually get in the way on one level or another?

I'm interested to hear other people's views on this - and whilst you're at it, what's your take on these ghostwriting FAQs?

1. If you Ghostwrote it, was it ever yours?
2. What does success as a Ghostwriter look like?
3. Is it wrong to need recognition for your work?
4. When do honesty and transparency come into it?
5. Could I claim to have ghostwritten The Great Gatsby, Wuthering Heights or the 'New Testament'??

Although I could go on and write a book about the nuances of this topic, I think that's probably enough for one day.

But who knows? Maybe I'll revisit the topic in the future, or perhaps even interview a ghostwriter. Let me know if that's something you'd be interested in.

P.S. Thanks to my ghostwriter, who ghostwrote this newsletter about ghostwriting. No one will ever know who you are, but that doesn't mean you don't matter to me.

Now get back to work, stat!