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5 Tips to Remain Ethical as a Freelance Ghostwriter

  • February 16 2015
  • Comments Off on 5 Tips to Remain Ethical as a Freelance Ghostwriter
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Navigating through the shaky ground of ghostwriting may be a tricky issue for freelance writers, however there are a few ways you can ensure that you remain on ethical ground when pursuing a ghostwriting job. Ghostwriting can be a great opportunity for writers, especially when just starting off in the field of freelancing, and so knowing how to do so ethically is important. Here are several guidelines to follow to ensure that you remain ethical while ghostwriting.

 

Know What Ghostwriting is All About

Ghostwriting is becoming an increasingly popular practice within the publishing industry. If you’ve ever read a bestselling book from an athlete, politician or actor then there’s a high chance that it was an un-credited author who actually penned the words of that person. Additionally, ghostwriting has become a common practice throughout the business world. There are many freelance writers who blog for companies in order to promote press releases for various clients. Unfortunately, the practice of ghostwriting can raise some ethical issues for many writers out there, especially those who feel uncomfortable with the notion of someone writing content for an organization or person without getting credit for it.

 

Ensure That You Create Original Content

It can be all too tempting to save some time by taking various ideas and words from sources you find on the Internet, especially when your name isn’t put on the piece of writing that you are completing. However, it is best to avoid this completely in order to stay on high ground. Keep in mind that plagiarism is very easy to detect. Any client that hires you will not be very pleased if they find out that you stole your work from another writer, especially if there are any legal repercussions. Keep in mind that it is one thing to do research by reading various articles on the same topic, but it is another to use the ideas and words found within these articles.

 

Do Proper Research 

Even if you are writing content that doesn’t require any quotes or doesn’t require that you conduct interviews with subject experts, doing some research in whatever subject you’re writing on can prove fruitful. Keep in mind that any unused material can be used to create other blogs and articles for different clients, and so it wont necessarily be a waste to “over-research”. However, be aware that it may not be possible to re-use material if you signed a non-compete or non-disclosure agreement with your previous client. Either way, by taking a “bigger picture” approach you can find information that is more relevant and accurate to the writing project that you are completing with your current client.

 

Consult With Your Clients

It is crucial that you remain on the same page as your clients throughout both the writing and the editing process. It’s a good idea to sit down and brainstorm with them in order to get a feel for what they’re expecting out of the writing project. This will aid you in getting a better idea of what their looking for in an article or blog post, and will help you spark your creative juices. Additionally, by encouraging input from your clients, you can take away any misgivings that you may be feeling about not putting your name on your writing pieces.

 

Use an Anti-Plagiarism Software

Even if you take every measure necessary in order to create original and fresh content, sometimes you can’t help but use similar phrases or words as material that was already published on the topic. Using anti-plagiarism software like Copyscape will ensure that your content is original, and doesn’t match with any material out there on the Internet.

 

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Cameron Mackey

Cameron is the Content Manager for the Vorongo Blog. He has spent three years in various content marketing roles. When he is not working with Vorongo he enjoys photography and hiking.

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