Comments on: To ghost or not to ghost?

By: Gilbert J. Avila

Gilbert J. Avila — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:13:03 +0000

Where would the Richard Castle novels “Chained Heat” and Heat Wave” fit in? The book jackets have pics of Nathan Fillion, who plays Rick Castle on the TV series “Castle.” Even the copyrights page doesn’t have the real author’s name, which is often the case.

By: Jenni Wiltz

Jenni Wiltz — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:08:41 +0000

It bothers me that the publishing industry sees these types of books as a valid investment. It bothers me that they would rather publish a book “written” by Snooki instead of taking a chance on someone new who might not be a safe bet.

As an unpublished writer, it’s difficult enough to break into the industry when I have to compete against top sellers like Janet Evanovich as well as literary successes like Jennifer Egan. Now they’re telling me I have to compete against books “written” by Snooki, Hillary, Kim, etc.? It’s like discovering there are snapping alligators in the moat surrounding the castle with 10-foot-thick walls.

By: Slippery when wet

Slippery when wet — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:22:04 +0000

I don’t see anything wrong in a celeb having a ghost write a memoir without credit. It is the celeb’s story and even though never having put pen to paper, the celeb is the author. However if a celeb claims to have authored a fiction novel, which is in reality the work of a ghost, then when that book hit’s the stores, the celeb, the true author and the publisher are all trying to obtain money under false pretences. In short this is fraud.
Wouldn’t it be fun to take a celeb to court for this! Think of the publicity that could be achieved for yourself in doing it.

By: Bethany Neal

Bethany Neal — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:22:02 +0000

Oh my god, Jane, I do this scoff-laugh thing every time a celebrity says they’re writing a book. With the exception of someone like Steve Martin, none of them are “writing” anything but checks to their trainers/assistants. (That was mean spirited, wasn’t it? Sorry.)

The only one of them I’ve ever heard admit to getting “help writing” was Hilary Duff during an interview on Lopez Tonight. It was totally a slip up though. She tried to cover her tracks, but ultimately admitted to working on the concept of her YA novel Elixir, not necessarily the actually writing of it. At least she was honest! I knew there was a reason I watched Lizzie Mcguire back in the day.

By: Dave Sosnowski

Dave Sosnowski — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:31:04 +0000

I used to do a kind of ghost writing — gags for greeting cards and a few cartoonists, one famous (Bob Thaves of “Frank and Earnest”) and another, less so. I needed the money and wasn’t too concerned about getting credit for the gags until a few of the cartoons I wrote for the lesser known cartoonist got picked up by Harper’s and Psychology Today. That’s when it started to hurt.

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:42:07 +0000

I always roll my eyes when some celebrity who clearly didn’t write his or her memoir (or novel) goes on the interview circuit and never mentions the ghost writer. Maybe it’s partially because we’re supposed to just know that the celebrity didn’t actually write the book, but it all strikes me as so ridiculous. And a little insulting, honestly.

By: Sara

Sara — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:30:37 +0000

It doesn’t bother me to read a ghost written book, as long as I KNOW it is ghost written, or at least have a serious inclination about it. I don’t want to be tricked.

The only scenario I can imagine agreeing to write one would be much further in my career when I’d already published some FULFILLING works, and the ghost piece was something I wouldn’t care to have associated with me anyhow. And of course if the $$$ was great

By: Sophie Li

Sophie Li — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:12:20 +0000

Ghost Writers are actually my main reason refusing to purchase celebrity memoirs/biographies.

As an aspiring author I know how difficult it is to actually write a book. The hours of editing, fine-tuning, and more editing. It’s not as easy as people think.

So for these celebs to just magically pop out a book from thin air seems a little insulting to the craft in labeling them as ‘published authors.’

I think Ghost Writers should definitely be given the credit where credit is due. It doesn’t make any sense for public figures to use ghost writers and then try to conceal it because let’s be honest, no one really believes that ‘so-and-so’ actually wrote a book.

By: Julie Nilson

Julie Nilson — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:59:11 +0000

If it’s a situation where the author is being touted as an expert on the topic, then I think that the “ghost” should be listed as a co-author, or get an “as told to” credit of some kind.

As for those celebrity books that you mention, it’s probably just a paycheck for those ghosts–I mean, who *really* wants to be known as the person who wrote the Kim Kardashian book? I think they’re better off not carrying that stigma–just getting paid and hopefully making valuable contacts that will allow them to get work published under their own names later.