Blog Writing - Ghostwriting Dos and Don'ts
Enzo F. Cesario
Article Title:
Blog Writing - Ghostwriting Dos and Don'ts
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Article Description:
There are still some misconceptions about ghostwriting that
pop up from time to time. To that end, it can be helpful to
clarify the nature of ghostwriting and how it relates to
creating a high-quality blog, particularly through examples
of some of the best and worst practices that can pop up when
employing a ghostwriter.
Additional Article Information:
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879 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Distribution Date and Time: 2011-09-06 10:00:00
Written By: Enzo F. Cesario
Copyright: 2011
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Blog Writing - Ghostwriting Dos and Don'ts
Copyright (c) 2011 Enzo F. Cesario
BrandSplat
http://www.Brandsplat.com/
Much of the content on the web is produced by ghostwriters. This
isn't immediately obvious, but it really has become a standard
practice across the web as a whole, mainly because it's an
efficient and reasonable compromise. Sometimes the creator of a
product or website just doesn't have the written communication
skills necessary to actively promote their brand via blog.
Similarly, a talented writer might lack the name credibility to
break into writing about something on his or her own reputation.
These two talents join their resources and produce a blog in the
name of the creator, but with the talents of the writer, and
everyone goes home in a limousine; the writer gains valuable
experience and hopefully a good recommendation when they
eventually move on to other projects, and the content promotes
the brand.
That said, there are still some misconceptions about ghostwriting
that pop up from time to time. To that end, it can be helpful to
clarify the nature of ghostwriting and how it relates to creating
a high-quality blog, particularly through examples of some of the
best and worst practices that can pop up when employing a
ghostwriter.
Do be involved
Hiring a ghostwriter is not quite the same thing as hiring a more
traditional writer. Normally a writer is employed to write
something in his own name, from his own ideas and for his own
purposes. Even a writer hired to convey a brand message is
allowed his own identity to a certain extent. But a ghostwriter
is writing on behalf of and to an extent as the name of the brand
or creator of the brand.
This means that the "idea man" behind the brand needs to work
very closely with the ghostwriter to discuss topics, posts and
commentary. Yes, notice that commentary is included: Any good
blog includes a very active comments section from which good
ideas can be brought to light, and the replies of the ghostwriter
to these comments must reflect the same persona he adopts as the
author of the blog. This requires bouncing ideas and the nature
of replies off the idea man and keeping things in theme, as it
were.
Don't Micromanage
This may seem to contradict the prior point, but the two actually
compliment each other. Yes, a ghostwriter must work very closely
with the "name" they are writing under to make sure that the
content produced is in line with the authorial vision of the
brand. However, there is a reason that a brand hires a
ghostwriter, and that reason is his expertise. The writer knows
the way he is comfortable writing and knows how to communicate in
that medium. This means that any brand that hires a ghostwriter
must be comfortable bowing to his experience in the field he has
chosen and listen to his advice.
The reason for this is to create consistency. Part of maintaining
a good ghostwriting image is projecting a consistent voice and
style of writing from issue to issue. If there is a lot of call
behind the scenes to change the tone or content of a blog, the
message eventually will become schizophrenic and fail to keep
readers' attention because it can't stay on message.
Do consider outing your writer
This is a risky decision, but it can be a vital one. Sometimes a
relationship with a ghostwriter can develop so thoroughly that it
becomes obvious they need to be taken on full time. Ghostwriting
is, by its nature, a tenuous and temporary relationship, but it
can also serve as a sort of internship leading to long-term
agreements. Perhaps the blog is incredibly successful and the
writer justifiably would like a bit more recognition for his
work.
This kind of announcement should be handled carefully but
honestly, explaining the good work that the ghostwriter has done
and the nature of the decision to bring him out in public. It
will definitely have consequences; some readers are fickle and
might feel upset they weren't reading the "real" thing, but in
general most people will stay for the good content they have
grown accustomed to.
Don't settle too fast
As mentioned, ghostwriting is a good choice for people who want a
more temporary relationship. Some blogs are by nature very
short-term projects, such as a blog intended to serve as
advertising leading up to a particular product's launch and the
immediate period after the launch. Then the blog closes down
after serving its purpose, remaining online only as an archive
for interested parties, if at all.
In these cases, it's important to understand the nature of
ghostwriting and not force a blog past its lifespan. Let the
project go as long as it needs, and then move on to another,
possibly with another writer. No writer is perfect for every
project, and recognizing when new talent is necessary for a
project is a vital skill in getting good ghostwriters. However,
this requires being up-front and fair with the writer from the
beginning, and letting him or her know the temporary nature of a
project. Writers often get used to working from project to
project, but when they don't know that a project is going to be
temporary, it can lead to them scrambling to fill the gap in
their schedule.
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Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist
and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content
agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos
and social media in the "voice" of our client's
brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more
recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to
http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at
http://www.iBrandCasting.com/
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