Obviously we all know it happens, and why, but sometimes the audacity of a celeb using a ghostwriter - for FICTION - still amazes me. Imagine saying 'yeah I want to write a book, but I don't fancy doing the bit where I sit down, think of words, and write them out until the book is finished.' - ThreadSky

watsoncomedian.bsky.social • 89 days ago

Obviously we all know it happens, and why, but sometimes the audacity of a celeb using a ghostwriter - for FICTION - still amazes me. Imagine saying 'yeah I want to write a book, but I don't fancy doing the bit where I sit down, think of words, and write them out until the book is finished.'

Reposted from Abie Longstaff

The @societyofauthors.bsky.social is calling for celebrities, publishers and agents to acknowledge the writers behind celebrity books, particularly for children
societyofauthors.org/2024/12/09/c...

Comments

chrissyd-comedy.bsky.social•89 days ago

They could save some money by just scrawling their name on a copy of Middlemarch and yelling I WROTE THIS at anyone who approaches it.

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

(It's slightly different if you have a great life story, are not a writer yourself, and so want to hire someone to help you tell it. But those are not the books we're talking about, here.)

matryer.bsky.social•89 days ago

I’d have one. ‘Then, Bilbo sneaks into the mountain because Gandalf made him. Then, there’s a little skinny twat in there who’s got some magic hat or some bollocks that makes him invisible. Then, he falls over and Bilbo finds it, puts it on and is like “oh fuck am I invisible I can’t tell.” Then…”

funkadeefunk.bsky.social•89 days ago

That suggested split of advance/royalties is never gonna fly.

talcy73.bsky.social•89 days ago

It always seems to be a "natural" step for many celebs to do this especially kids books. like it's their agent's responsibility to put the idea in their head.

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

Yes, this is where it starts. The idea that someone's famous enough they 'might as well do a book next'.

talcy73.bsky.social•89 days ago

Except the actual "doing" bit.

hauntedjukebox.bsky.social•89 days ago

What’s your position on books written by actual ghosts? Personally, I think the lazy fuckers should’ve just got round to writing it when they were alive, but I suppose mass literacy is a very recent phenomenon, historically speaking.

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

Yes, plus the mechanics of book-writing were much more exhausting in the past. If I were a ghost from Victorian times, for example, I’d be itching for a go on a modern MacBook.

hauntedjukebox.bsky.social•89 days ago

‘Wait, wait, wait. You’re saying the ink NEVER runs out? No nibs or anything?’

tmece.bsky.social•89 days ago

I didn't know this was a thing. 😬 Can't they just co-write it with someone more experienced and have two credited authors in that case?

cbavington.bsky.social•89 days ago

Was recently clearing out my 'Celebs' list on X as part of leaving process. So clicked on their profiles to remove from lists/unfollow. I'd estimate 2/3 currently promoting a book (pinned tweet), and half of them are for kids (a few for YA)

tommyds.bsky.social•89 days ago

The celebs do have some input. The Lightning Girl books were so awful that, when I had to read them with my daughter, I actually bothered writing a negative review on Good Reads to warn other parents off

pairedfluorescent.bsky.social•89 days ago

I've wondered if maybe it feels different to people who aren't writers? I've ghostwritten short films and wondered how they can live with themselves. But maybe, if that's not what you actually do, you have less of your self-worth attached. It's just like employing someone to do any other job

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

I'm sure it's that, yes. Publishing a book is no different, through certain eyes, to endorsing a fragrance or any number of other commercial activities. It's just, without wanting to be a wanker about it, obviously some of us are kind of resistant to that idea.

pairedfluorescent.bsky.social•89 days ago

I am just as resistant. I don't particularly want to live in a world where wealthy famous people can just take someone else's creative work and say it's theirs. I've just bleakly acknowledged that writers, in particular, seem expendable.

emmabmusic.bsky.social•89 days ago

Not to say that ghost composing isn't a thing (cos it is, and that's a problem too) but it's not really random celebrities doing it.

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

Who IS ghost-composing? And for whom? That’s interesting.

emmabmusic.bsky.social•89 days ago

Big name media composers will sometimes farm out their work to uncredited composers... https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/the-ugly-truth-of-how-movie-scores-are-made?srsltid=AfmBOopimbiQq9hEMZuJF2ZpF7DyA7hg3OVhPnTAkjY_NEtm0EAkqikJ

emmabmusic.bsky.social•89 days ago

It seems particularly hard on writers to me (as a musician rather than a writer) as I think there's this general idea that 'anyone' can write, so therefore it's not completely unbelievable that a random celebrity might write a book, rather than, say compose a string quartet.

pairedfluorescent.bsky.social•89 days ago

I agree with this. It also often feels like that view cheapens writers. I've been asked to write feature films for £20 - more than once by different people. If it's not really a skill or talent, why value it? Designers maybe have it worse - they work on literally everything and never get any credit.

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

You do see this mentality all the way through film. Writers are rarely talked about the way actors and directors are. It’s often implied that the on-screen stars basically created the characters themselves. And of course good actors do hugely enrich the writing, but still….

emmabmusic.bsky.social•89 days ago

Twenty pounds? TWENTY POUNDS?? Dear god.

johnmichaelw.bsky.social•89 days ago

Though to be honest if JK Rowling said to me "I love your book John, if we stick my name on the cover you can have half the royalties" I'd say yes very, very quickly.

harecomedy.bsky.social•89 days ago

I have had to clarify that you actually wrote your own books to some of my more cynical relatives.

dalesmithonline.com•89 days ago

I don't think that's the transaction. Visibility in publishing is so awful that I think they're acting as a resale agent for an audience: "I have an audience who will purchase a book that says it was written by me but no desire to write it" meets "I want to make money from my words but no audience".

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

That's a good summary, yes. I just struggle with the first of those sentences: the notion that you were keen to sell something to an audience but didn't have any wish to actually make it. It's nothing new really, though, I suppose.

dalesmithonline.com•89 days ago

Yeah it's marketing bollocks and the real loser is the customer, who does see it as being the celeb's work. Stopping it is great, but just means fewer books with celeb names on, not than a better outcome for the actual writers. I say, as someone who can mostly only sell work linked to the BBC's IP 😀

tommyds.bsky.social•89 days ago

It's just Elvis getting a co-writing credit all over again. You can have a co-write on a million-seller, or you have sole credit on something no one buys.
It is bullshit, but it's not a new idea

dalesmithonline.com•89 days ago

In the current system, the ability to provide a paying audience does sadly have a transactional value (unlike Elvis' songwriting credits, which were just a straight out grift) and the public do judge Known Celeb and Unknown Writer credits as lesser than Known Celeb on their own. I just don't know.

dalesmithonline.com•89 days ago

I'd bet the majority of celebs see it as product endorsement. I don't think Mike Jordan walked about saying "Hey, like these trainers I made?" and they wouldn't see it as "I wrote this book" - more "I extended my brand and brought in more income from it".

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

Again, you're not wrong; again, it all feels a little bit chilling.

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

(It would have been very impressive if he HAD made all those trainers himself.)

usget.bsky.social•89 days ago

Somehow it feels like books should be different. I think you’re right in practice, I just wish you weren’t.

dalesmithonline.com•89 days ago

Absolutely with you :) Feels like it's a work around for the really hard problem of getting people to take a risk on an author they've never heard of though, like 3for2 or 99p Kindle offers, not a unique problem of its own. I don't know what the answer is.

davebailey.bsky.social•89 days ago

I’ve always assumed it was more “excuse me random celeb, do fancy some cash for pretending to write a book that we can’t be arsed to market properly?”

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

Well that's how most of them start definitely, but it's still funny to me that you'd put yourself in that situation. Still, money's money.

davebailey.bsky.social•89 days ago

I do feel for the real writer in that scenario, basically being told they can write well enough to be published, but someone gets all the credit

ruthjordan.bsky.social•89 days ago

I always wanted to play for Aston Villa. Luckily, I’ve managed to persuade Ollie Watkins to be my ghostscorer, so I’m doing pretty well

steve-n.bsky.social•89 days ago

If he’s doing that for you as well he’s two timing us

watsoncomedian.bsky.social•89 days ago

And yet it’s still his name going on the scoresheet, not either of yours. He’s scamming you.

ruthjordan.bsky.social•89 days ago

Hang on a minute - he gets all the money and the adulation as well. Me and Steve have been done up like an absolute pair of kippers here! Fuming

steve-n.bsky.social•89 days ago

He’s been outed now so let’s hear what his people say. I expect nothing less than a full EPL enquiry and I’ll be clear-I am open to a financial settlement

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply