If you are looking to carve a niche as a writer or commentator, it actually helps if you produce your own content and not outsource it to someone else.
Many people who climb the ranks in politics and media want so desperately to be noticed by bookers, they will go to great lengths to hire someone to pen articles on their behalves to land coveted TV spots.
I understand well-known communicators collaborating with ghostwriters for books, but up-and-comers hiring ghostwriters for op-ed’s? That’s a total cop-out and an insult to the writing profession. I never thought I’d ever hear of this, but it recently came to my attention that some people in my industry are doing this. Nothing surprises me these days. In fact, some women are making a career out of ghostwriting for influencers. Good golly.
However, many communications experts are speaking out against those who fake it:
For some circumstances, the concept of ghostwriting is fully expected, as in the writing of presidential speeches. “Ghostwriter” has even progressed to a commonly accepted job and function with no embarrassment attached (although even those who proudly proclaim the title will generally consider it in bad form to identify whom their clients may be.)
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However, Ghostwriting, when it means the creation of material without the participation of the represented author, or without disclosing having utilized a ghostwriter, is a terrible idea, and in my opinion, an ethical breach, especially when non-transparent ghostwriting is used to promote a leader’s or public figure’s image or brand.
One thing that invites ghostwriting murkiness is that many people who believe they need a ghostwriter are in actuality looking for a skilled collaborator to help them create copy that does the most justice to their ideas and words. This of course is not a problem. The ethical breach is asking an imposter to create material and then pretending that it was written by the person who hired the ghostwriter.
Here’s why I hope aspiring communicators, especially writers, forgo hiring a ghostwriter to build up their writing portfolio:
Writing an Article Isn’t Rocket Science
The mystique of article writing isn’t a hard nut to crack. Anyone is capable of writing short-form or long-term content if they are passionate, inspired, and knowledgeable about the subject they seek to opine on. It also helps if you know basic grammar, syntax, and can make a compelling argument.
It’s a lot easier to be printed or published than one would believe. It’s as simple as following editorial guidelines, word counts, tone, and other instructions. Read and study op-eds or letters-to-the-editors that get printed. (Just don’t plagiarize them!) Pay attention to format, sentence structure, and publishing requirements. Ask yourself, can I model my articles like this? If the answer is “yes” go for it!
If at first you’re not published, try again. I got my start submitting letters-to-the-editors in the OC Register in 10th grade class when my Advanced English II teacher assigned extra credit assignments to incorporate a vocabulary word in submissions. When the challenge was presented, I got very creative. Some of my submissions weren’t accepted, especially without explanation. Other submissions were accepted.
The same has happened when I submitted articles to Townhall.com, The Hill, Washington Times, and Richmond Times-Dispatch. Much of the content I submitted was accepted, but it wasn’t unless I conferred with the editors about making my articles more palatable to their audiences.
Don’t feel intimidated and go for it!
It’s Not Worth Shelling Out Dough For Op-ed’s
If you’re starting out your media career, why go to great lengths to throw money at people for articles? Perhaps it’s counterintuitive for this capitalist-minded media strategist to say this, but I’m not a grifter or media shark eager to swindle prospective clients. You’ll need that money to apply to other things—like pitching services, video/audio gear, and other essentials— to jump start your communications operations. That’s such a waste of hard-earned money.
Instead of wasting hundreds or thousands of dollars to hire a ghostwriter to pen your articles, why not spend the equivalent time improving your writing skills? Last September, I penned this blog post on the three best books to read to hone your writing skills. The total costs of purchasing these books are a fracture of the costs compared to hiring a ghostwriter.
You can save a lot of money AND get printed if you hustle, read more books, and study your newspaper’s op-ed sections.
You’ll Get Caught in the Act
With more transparency on social media, aspiring fake communicators will not go unnoticed. If you’re conning people into believing you’re a good writer yet it turns out you’ve outsourced your work, you’ll be revealed and exposed. It’s only expected in this day and age. I won’t do the unmasking as it’s not my place. However, be prepared for backlash if your published articles are revealed to not actually be yours.
Moreover, many communications professionals consider this a form of plagiarism, and they aren’t wrong.
If I ever collaborate with someone on an op-ed that’s been written or crafted, which is rare, I do a complete or major rewrite so my authentic voice is reflected. I will never add my name to a piece I played no part in crafting. That’s a major sin in my book. I similarly tell my clients to avoid this path as well. It’s FAR better to communicate your authentic voice and not get published rather than misrepresent your voice and get published.
As a media consultant, I’ll happily take on copywriting and editing work. You’ll never see me, however, accepting a ghostwriting gig. It doesn’t matter how enticing or good the pay is. On principle, I don’t ever want to elevate individuals who engage in fraudulent communication practices. Being a subject matter expert helps if you actually are capable of writing about a topic without someone writing it for you.
Becoming an effective communicator, especially an op-ed or magazine writer, requires years of subjecting your work to constructive criticism, rejection, and ghosting by editors. It will make you question your writing abilities and force you to improve your writing skills or reform them altogether. It will require you to develop meaningful relationships with newspaper editors—which doesn’t hurt.
What’s the takeaway from this? Hiring a ghostwriter to write articles on your behalf is not cost-effective, honorable, or wise if you’re an aspiring communicator. You’ve got to earn your stripes like everyone else before you did. No shortcut can compensate you if you are a mediocre writer.
If you’re interested in getting YOUR article(s) placed in newspapers or online magazines, hire me for copyediting and pitching services. You must be willing to write your op-eds and subject it to my editorial oversight. Otherwise, I’d love to help you succeed in getting placed in national, regional, and local publications as I’ve done with many of my past clients.
Keep calm and write on.
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