Legitimate, professional ghostwriters operate under a code of conduct. The rules are not written down, but are widely understood and accepted in the industry. They are, for the most part, there to protect the client.
These extend beyond the standard operating guidelines that govern most professions. Basics like don’t lie, don’t break the law in the course of your work, and don’t undermine others to get ahead.
Those are certainly solid guardrails for a decent and ethical workplace. Ghostwriting rules are somewhat more rigid and specific. Any client needs to understand the rules before he or she begins a relationship with a ghostwriter. It’s key to establishing the necessary trust and comfort that ultimately leads to a rewarding collaboration and the best content.
The Unstated Laws
Most ghostwriters accept these as pro forma. The rules are also often enshrined in collaboration agreements, thus gaining the weight of legal authority. That adds a layer of security for any client.
• Confidentiality. This is paramount. There are several reasons why a client might want the relationship to remain hidden. It may simply be a matter of vanity. In other cases, the author’s literary mystique is an intentional part of a book’s promotion. Consider the example of a porn star authoring a memoir. Potential readers have a bias and preconceived notions. Their interest might well be piqued at the idea of the subject having the expertise and ability to write his or her own story. Same goes for athletes or celebrities. That point can be leveraged in press to great effect. The ghostwriter willingly remains a true “ghost.” Not seen, not heard. (Worth noting that cover credit is a thing of great value to most ghostwriters. We usually charge extra to be truly invisible.)
A client also inevitably reveals certain secrets or closely held truths to the ghostwriter. Those may be too sensitive to even include in the book. They must be kept private. This is especially true of public officials, or anyone who lives their life primarily in the public eye. I’ve deleted entire folders full of recordings, interview files, drafts, and revision comments post-publication, as part of a collaboration agreement. That’s not unusual.
• Honesty above all. Ethical ghostwriters do not intentionally lie. That includes in service of their clients. Memoirs are classified as non-fiction for a reason. I have, at different times, maintained subscriptions to the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system and a dozen newspaper archives. I fact check the historical record. I double and triple check what my clients tell me and what I put in their books. After all, my reputation is on line, too. I’ve had to push back on clients who wanted to reinvent the past out of whole cloth.
Sometimes, though, clients find ways to lie. The worst client I ever had went around my back directly to the editor. Unbeknownst to me, she demanded vast eleventh-hour changes and whitewashed a book that was already written, edited, and on its way to the printer. The editor initially thought I was on board with the changes. Fortunately, we had a quick call that clarified the situation. Still, the client got her changes. The printed book was a lie-fest. I’ll never work with that client again. No coincidence that her agent eventually fired her.
• Limit liability. Collaboration agreements contain mutual indemnification clauses for a reason. I cannot include libelous details in a book. That’s true whether I write them myself or are told them by the client. I also can’t plagiarize copy. Nor can a client give me a quote that he knows is from another source, without attributing that source. These are essential safeguards against courtroom drama.
However, there’s a new frontier in editorial liability. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has opened the door to using text with no provenance. We can’t know where it came from. Publishers now often include “no AI” clauses in publishing contracts. That’s why no legitimate ghostwriter turns to ChatGPT to write passages for a book. (When SkyNet becomes self-aware, ChatGPT can write the memoir its own damn self.)
Ghostwriting ethics are basic commonsense. The rules prevent embarrassment for clients and litigation for all parties. They’re also a matter of simple decency. Clients will head off many headaches, lots of stress, and loads of frustration by starting any potential collaboration with a frank discussion about ethics.