Behind the Pen: The Psychological Challenges of Ghostwriting
November 25, 2024
Ghostwriting is an unusual art. It requires a writer to step into someone else’s shoes, speak in their voice, and yet leave no trace of their own presence. For many, the allure of ghostwriting is the promise of a steady income and the satisfaction of exercising their writing skills, but the trade-off is significant: someone else takes the credit.
Ghostwriters must give up their individuality to do their work, but at what cost? In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the struggles of being a ghostwriter, as well as how many of them navigate these unique challenges.
Self-Expression versus Pragmatism
Ghostwriting for a client differs vastly from writing under one’s own name. Kay-Leigh de Sousa, a seasoned freelance copywriter, describes writing in her voice as akin to creating a personal piece of art, while ghostwriting resembles taking stock photos for an ad campaign.
For de Sousa, ghostwriting is less about self-expression and more about pragmatism; it’s a job with specific demands that allows her to earn a living. “It’s like flipping burgers,” she says—it might not always be especially creative, but it’s a job just like any other.
Charene Labuschagne, another experienced writer, affirms that “the job itself calls for leaning into the voices and desires of a client, putting their needs as a priority above credit and a byline, because that’s what pays the bills.”
Ghostwriters online echoed similar sentiments. According to contributors to a thread on r/freelanceWriters on Reddit, as long as the money is good, there’s little resentment about the lack of credit. Some writers view it as a straightforward transaction: they have a skillset others lack, so they get paid to fill that gap.
“The really difficult thing about [anonymous work] is building a portfolio when nothing has your name on it,” de Sousa notes. To that end, several writers advised keeping personal projects on the side in order to continue building a body of work under your own name, which can then be used in your portfolio and to build clout.
The Impact on Identity: Does It Matter?
The nature of ghostwriting means having to write in the voice of someone else. If this kind of project forms the majority of a writer’s work, do they run the risk of losing touch with their own identity?
Labuschagne believes that ghostwriters are resilient enough to handle these shifts without losing themselves. “My own sense of identity isn’t compromised by ghostwriting. We have to differentiate between the job and ourselves,” she explains.
However, maintaining your voice becomes more challenging the longer you immerse yourself in another’s perspective. As Labuschagne says, “A writer can definitely lose touch with our own unique voice when having to write in a client’s voice too often.”
Yet, she sees this adaptability as a skill—a form of “becoming a chameleon.” The ability to shift between voices without losing yourself, she argues, requires both discipline and self-care.
Ghostwriting’s Effects on Personal Creativity
The dichotomy of being a professional writer and preserving creative energy is a struggle shared by many in the industry. De Sousa acknowledges this balancing act, saying, “The true challenge is going home and squeezing a few last drops of creative juices out on my own writing.” Nonetheless, she stressed the importance of writing for yourself, as this is an “antidote” to exclusively writing for clients.
Labuschagne agrees with this approach. She’s found that while ghostwriting can be rewarding, the key to balancing creativity with work is to carve out time for personal projects, however small. “The biggest challenge is to prioritize writing for the reasons you started,” she notes.
For her, personal projects are necessary to maintain a healthy sense of identity. She finds solace in her practice of writing pages of stream-of-consciousness every morning to reconnect with her creative side.
“Physically writing on paper for my own creative stimulation helps to differentiate that from client ghostwriting that’s done digitally,” she shared, a small but meaningful practice that allows her to keep her creative spark alive.
Unfortunately, for some writers, the line between their professional work and personal creativity can become blurred, making it difficult to reconnect with their own voice after hours spent writing for clients. As de Sousa notes, “My biggest challenge is that writing is my bread and butter, AND it is my deepest, most vulnerable art.” The constant need to “flip the burger” has, at times, she says, drained her energy for personal projects.
The Role of Financial Compensation
Money plays a significant role in how ghostwriters perceive their work, with one Reddit user commenting that while working anonymously isn’t ideal, good pay helps to soften the blow.
De Sousa agrees, adding, “We all have to eat. Sometimes, you have to choose between a byline that buys reputation and an anonymous piece that buys bread.”
For many writers, high compensation often makes up for the lack of credit.
Low compensation, on the other hand, fails to justify the effort of pouring creativity into a project that yields no personal credit.
Even then, the financial payoff can still fall short. When clients fail to appreciate a writer’s hard work, it can lead to frustration and resentment, especially as there might not be any other form of validation.
For ghostwriters, then, higher pay can be a necessary form of acknowledgment in an industry where credit often goes to someone else.
Balancing Professional and Personal Growth
One positive aspect of ghostwriting that both de Sousa and Labuschagne agree on is the opportunity to hone their writing skills across a range of topics and industries.
For de Sousa, each new project feeds her “eternal itch for knowledge,” providing a chance to dive deeply into new subjects and broaden her skill set.
Similarly, ghostwriting has allowed Labuschagne to develop a versatility that wouldn’t be possible if she only wrote under her own name.
As she explains, “It’s a unique skill to be able to write in different voices, something that takes practice, just the same as it takes practice to keep your own voice as a writer.”
Interestingly, several ghostwriters highlighted that working under someone else’s name doesn’t necessarily limit your reach.
As one Redditor explained, their ghostwritten pieces often gain exposure through their clients’ networks and reputations, reaching audiences they might not have access to otherwise.
In this sense, ghostwriting can act as a conduit for ideas, even if the original creator remains hidden.
Final Thoughts: Embrace the Duality
Ultimately, ghostwriting requires a delicate balance of professionalism, adaptability, and a commitment to nurturing personal creativity.
For many, the job is an exercise in embracing the dual nature of the craft, where personal expression must sometimes take a backseat to meet a client’s needs.
As de Sousa wisely concludes, “I think each writer, acknowledged or not, leaves something of themselves on the page. And we are changed by each story we write.”
Ghostwriting may demand a degree of anonymity, but it doesn’t have to erase a sense of self.
By making room for personal work and setting boundaries, writers can navigate the world of ghostwriting without losing sight of who they are.
