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Ghost writing
by Tash Hughes
of Word Constructions (www.wordconstructions.com.au)
Witches
and ghosts, monsters and elves - legitimate characters
and themes to write about, but they have nothing to do
with ghost writing!
As a
business owner, you may well have heard of someone
getting a ghost writer or even had someone suggest you
get a ghost writer. It is a real option for you, and can
be an excellent choice in many situations.
What is a
ghost writer?
Very
simply, a ghost writer puts the words together for you
but you get to put your name to the work. A common
example of this is where a good writer writes the story
of a celebrity as if it was an autobiography.
Ghost
writers don't just work in fiction, though. Many
business owners hire a ghost writer to write articles
they put into magazines or onto websites as a
promotional tool.
Why use a
ghost writer?
There are
a number of reasons a business would use a ghost writer
instead of writing the work themselves.
-
It
saves time - you can be doing something else while
the writing is being done. An even bigger time saver
for people who finding writing a slow process or
need many drafts
-
It
saves stress - it is one less thing you have to do,
and saves you the stress of writing if you don't
like writing
-
It is
well written - if you are not sure of your writing
ability or worry about your spelling and grammar,
this is the easy way to get a well written document
to use
-
A more
objective result - sometimes, you will get caught up
in your topic and want to include too much
information or forget to explain the basics. Someone
outside of your business will have a clearer
perspective, especially if you are writing for a
novice audience
How does
the process work?
Ghost
writers will operate in different ways depending on
their personal preferences and the projects they
undertake. However, in the business context, a ghost
writer will usually function in one of two ways:
-
You
provide the ghost writer with an outline of what you
want written, including the main points and
technical details. In other words, they will put
your ideas and facts into good sentences and
paragraphs. This is generally quicker and cheaper,
and particularly useful if the writing is somewhat
technical.
-
the
ghost writer uses their own knowledge or does some
research and then writes the document for you. this
obviously saves you the most time and allows the
writer to add their perspective on good topics to
cover, but it will take longer and cost you more.
Of course,
you can read the documents and request changes whichever
way the ghost writer works.
What legal
issues are involved?
As the
ghost writer actually created the document, they own the
copyright and moral rights of the work.
Generally,
as part of the writing fee, the writer will assign the
copyright to you. however, they may only assign limited
copyright to you which means you can only use the work
in certain ways. For example, you can use the article
with your bio box online but not include it in a book or
receive payment for it in a newspaper.
Note that
the moral rights remain with the writer forever, which
basically means you can't change the work and attach the
writer's name to it.
Once the
writer is paid and you own the full copyright, the
writer can't use the work themselves in any other way -
even in their portfolio, it should only be included with
your permission.
Remember
that you are paying for the copyright as well as the
writer's time and skills, but be sure that it is clear
who owns what copyright before the writing starts.
Clear communication is critical to
the success of any business, but it is often left to
care for itself in many businesses. Tash Hughes is a
professional and skilled writer who makes technical and
otherwise boring information accessible for everyone a
business needs to communicate with. Next time you need
webcopy, articles, newsletters, reports or any other
business document, visit
www.wordconstructions.com.au to
see how Tash and her team can help your business
succeed. |
