Palin's Book = Going Bogus?

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What Is Ghostwriting?

Ghostwriting (sometimes written as ghost writing) is when a freelance writer is hired to write a book (or another project) for someone else and upon completion that other person gets credit as the author. Part of the copyright services in ghostwriting is that the copyright transfers to the buyer. While this sounds like cheating, it really isn’t because the ghost writer often (but not always) works with the author and uses the author’s own ideas and story.

Most of the time, for a large project such as a book, the freelance ghostwriter will conduct a series of interviews with the author, which are recorded and transcribed. Depending on the type and size of the book to be written, these interviews may take place over the course of a few hours, a few days or a few weeks. The freelance ghostwriter then uses this information to write the book, conferring periodically throughout the writing process. Once the book or article is complete it becomes the property of the author and they own the copyright on the work....
Understanding copyright issues is pretty easy when it comes to ghostwriting. Put simply, the ghostwriter agrees that the author owns the copyright (sometimes misspelled as copywright or copywrite) to the finished work, regardless of whether or not the ghost writer is acknowledged in the publication. The buyer is paying for these copyright services....
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Freelance Ghostwriter & Copyright Services - Writers, Ghostwriters, copywriters
 
There are a number of legal and business issues that all parties must face when negotiating a ghostwriter agreement. Since the term “ghostwriter” is used loosely to apply to agreements in which the writer receives and does not receive credit, let me continue this vernacular here...

2. Credit: as indicated above, the ghostwriter may or may not be given credit for the writing and this is a topic of negotiation. The range can be from either no credit at all, making it thus appear as though the “name” party is actually the writer, all the way to something like an “as told to” credit. As with all deals, the terms are determined on the basis of the relative bargaining power of the parties. A ghostwriter who has successfully written as a “ghost” before (with or without credit) is in a bargaining position to obtain contract provisions that a newer writer might not. Further, the relative marketability of the “name” is a factor. If this is a project involving a major and prominent person, whether movie star, politician or otherwise, then that marketing clout is a factor not only in terms of credit but all the other provisions as well.
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The Ghostwriter Agreement
 
:ty:

there you go, people. This isn't a memoir book after all. Rather shameless! worst part.... Palin's publisher "lied".

Palin's publisher says the answer is simple: hard work. "When she resigned as governor, she had a lot more time and was able to really devote herself full-time to writing the book," says Tina Andreadis, a spokeswoman for HarperCollins. "That's really all that there is."
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Cowpuppy said:
Which all brings us back to a previous post. Did Ted Kennedy write his own book?
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Here's one viewpoint:
A ghostwriter’s involvement can range from writing the whole book using interviews of the “author” to a more authentic collaboration. Sen. Ted Kennedy’s posthumously released memoir, “True Compass,” benefitted from something more akin to the latter arrangement. In an interview with NPR, the book’s publisher Jonathan Karp said "all the important material" was Kennedy's, while his collaborator, Ron Powers, was working with "rich material, and it really is Senator Kennedy's work."
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Palin's book, others feature a ghostwriter's touch - Yahoo! News
 
Presidential material should be ableto write thier own book. And also not have someone lie to cover for them. Or the ghostwriter forced to hide self in order to make the 'author' appear intelligent. Or half intelligent.
It's a bit confusing or actually telling...that Palin would choose to talk about her life rather than political carreer. Perhaps she thinks we care.
 
Ghost writers aren't forced to hide themselves--it's a business agreement.
 
Reba said:
Ghost writers aren't forced to hide themselves--it's a business agreement.
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Wouldn't you rather be credited than to have someone take your credit? Also, if someone reads your book and says, "Wow, you're so intelligent based on the way you write!" How would you feel knowing that you aren't the one that wrote it?
 
netrox said:
Wouldn't you rather be credited than to have someone take your credit? Also, if someone reads your book and says, "Wow, you're so intelligent based on the way you write!" How would you feel knowing that you aren't the one that wrote it?
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some people don't care for glory. There are some people who loves to do things they're good at.... and earn money for it. The anonymous type.
 
I get dibs on writing Palin's diary. :P
 
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Might want to ask that very same question about "Dreams from my father."
Fair is fair.
 
Jiro said:
some people don't care for glory. There are some people who loves to do things they're good at.... and earn money for it. The anonymous type.
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No no, it's about you pretending to be the author when you didn't write it. The ghostwriter obviously has no issues of "ghosting."
 
That question applies equally well to other books written for politicians. Obama isn't exempted from that question.
 
netrox said:
No no, it's about you pretending to be the author when you didn't write it. The ghostwriter obviously has no issues of "ghosting."
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woops!!!! my bad. I just re-read your post. Yes you're right. If the person is smiling & bragging that he wrote a fantastic book (when he actually didn't).... my... an intellectual dishonesty indeed!
 
kokonut said:
That question applies equally well to other books written for politicians. Obama isn't exempted from that question.
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depending on how much work was involved by the person. Obama did most of it himself. Palin didn't.
 
And Obama never had any help piecing it together either? none of the editing? the rearrangement? Additional inclusions or exclusions of words, paragraphs, chapters? Based on his history on honesty, I cast my doubts. But if he had help, most likely anyway, then that's fine. Did it all by himself? I still reserve my doubts.
 
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