Don’t Be Afraid of a Ghost(writer) Part 2: Who Owns the Work?

In our first look at the misconceptions surrounding ghostwriters, we discussed voice. If someone else writes your work, will it sound like your voice? Short answer: yes.

So now that we know the work sounds like you, we need to know, does it actually belong to you?

No matter what you hire a ghostwriter to write for you, anything from a photo caption to an entire book, once you have paid for it, the work belongs to you. You are considered the author. These are your ideas, insights, and experiences expressed in your voice.

Legally, ghostwriters do not own the content they create. When I work for you as a ghostwriter, I go into the relationship with the understanding that I cannot claim credit for your work.

And that’s okay. That’s the whole point of working with a ghostwriter. I’m here to free up the ideas in your head and get them onto paper. Perhaps writing isn’t your “thing” or maybe you simply don’t have the time. All you need is a little help with the technical aspects of the writing. The ideas are all yours, and they remain so throughout the entire process.

So don’t worry about someone else taking ownership of your ideas: they are yours, and a ghostwriter cannot take them away from you.

Ready to learn more? Let’s talk. Reach out to me at sue@suetoth.com for your free 30-minute book consultation.

Coming next: The ethics of ghostwriting.