A few months ago one of my blogging friends challenged me to answer some questions about my ethics as a ghostwriter. The questions were:

1. Would you completely write a book, play, or other creative work and allow someone else to have the credit

2. Would you write a blog and allow someone else to claim it as their own?

3. Would you use a pen name or pseudonym?

4. Would you write a nonfiction piece and allow someone (or something as in the case of a company) to have the credit?

5. Would you write someone’s term paper for them?

The questions made me think about where I draw the line as a ghostwriter. Here are my answers.

1. Would you completely write a book, play, or other creative work and allow someone else to have the credit?

This is a tough one. As a ghostwriter, I might be asked to do this and I suppose it’s part of my job, so if I agreed to do it I would. However, if I could write a successful fiction piece I would be tempted to write it myself and take the credit.

2. Would you write a blog and allow someone else to claim it as their own?

Yes, I do that all the time. I ghost blog for several people and that’s part of what pays my bills. However, I have several blogs under my own name (or recognisable pseudonyms) so I don’t feel cheated. I think sometimes people need help with writing and that’s what they get from me.

3. Would you use a pen name or pseudonym?

Yes, I would, but I haven’t chosen one yet. I do have a couple of internet identities, though.

4. Would you write a nonfiction piece and allow someone (or something as in the case of a company) to have the credit?

That’s another ghostwriting one. It’s my job, so that’s what I do. If I could give the same dedication to my own writing, I would already have finished a couple of novels.

5. Would you write someone’s term paper for them?

Absolutely not! As a former lecturer this makes my blood boil and I won’t be a party to anything that smacks of  plagiarism.

How would you answer these questions? Where do you draw the line?