Responsibilities of a Ghostwriter

The primary responsibilities of ghostwriters are simple and clear. We are to produce the manuscripts our clients want under the terms of our contracts.

But there are times when the process can get a little blurry and we need to go beyond just writing.

President Joe Biden’s ghostwriter is currently taking a lot of heat and may eventually face prosecution related to the classified documents issue and that he reportedly deleted recordings of Biden telling him classified information. I doubt that he was expecting this when he was hired as Biden’s ghostwriter.

Did the writer and Biden discuss how classified information would be handled before they began work on the book? Did they agree on what should be done with interview recordings? We don’t know, and my purpose here is not to speculate or get political, it’s to talk about the responsibilities of ghostwriters.

Of course, very few ghostwriters will have the opportunity to work on books with current or former presidents or other high-ranking officials. Very few ghostwriters have to be concerned with having access to government secrets.

But most ghostwriters are likely to have to deal with at least some potentially sensitive issues related to the client/ghostwriter relationship, and that should be discussed prior to the project’s commencement.

As a ghostwriter, my contractual obligation is to write the book (or other material) my client wants under the terms of our agreement. It’s my belief and practice that I’m also obligated to protect my client to the best of my ability. That may sound odd considering that my clients are typically business leaders with far more money and power than I, but even they need people who look out for them.

When my clients share confidential information about themselves or their companies, I keep it confidential. It’s included in our contracts—even though I’d do that even if I wasn’t required to. But I go further. When they get off track, I guide them back to where we need to be. When they want to include things in their books that I don’t think they should, I tell them. They don’t always follow my advice, but I give it to them.

The relationship between a client and ghostwriter is intimate and must be built on mutual trust and respect. I know things about my clients that many of their close friends don’t know. I see their vulnerable side that few others see. And because of that, I’m able to deliver the high quality manuscripts they need.

If you’re hiring a ghostwriter or you are a ghostwriter, it’s a good idea to have a discussion about these tangential issues before you finalize your agreement. The responsibilities of a ghostwriter extend far beyond mere wordsmithing.