Charlotte Brook
My frustration at the ghost-written celebrity novel has been renewed with the recent release of Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown’s debut work of fiction, Nineteen Steps.
It’s not because I have anything against Brown herself. I feel the same when any celebrity’s name is on the front cover of a novel they haven’t written themselves.
Ghost-written work is for memoirs, not fiction
The first thing to address is that ghost-written memoirs are different from novels. There is an understanding from readers that celebrities have not worked for hours to write their life story themselves. In fact, it would probably be more surprising to hear that influencer Molly-Mae Hague or Prince Harry had written their own memoirs.
There is also an implicit knowledge that the book wouldn’t exist without them. It’s unique to their story, and their experiences, and was likely written from countless interviews. J.R. Moehringer, the ghost-writer of Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, worked closely with Harry for almost two years and was even invited to stay at his family home in California.
But ghost-written fiction? As readers, we wonder: how involved was the celebrity for their name to be branded on the cover? Ultimately, it feels inauthentic and like we’re being lied to. For me, such novels suggest that the unwritten contract between reader and author has been severed by greed for money and fame.
The ethics of celebrity ghost-written fiction
I cannot speak for ghost-writers on how they view the transaction of selling their skills. They are, of course, aware of the role and compensated for it. In many ways, it’s like any other business transaction. As a reader, however, there’s something that doesn’t sit right with me, especially when it comes to equal involvement and giving credit.
“Business transaction or not, it’s unethical for a celebrity to take credit…”
In the case of Brown’s novel, Nineteen Steps, the ghost-writer Kathleen McGurl shared a blog post stating that the story is inspired by Brown’s grandmother’s experience of the 1943 Bethnal Green tube disaster in World War II. McGurl shares that she was sent “a lot of research” and “plenty of ideas.” She also had a “couple of Zoom calls” with Brown before writing the first draft.
Absence of recognition
Brown shared an Instagram post with McGurl captioned “a HUGE thank you to my collaborator… I couldn’t have done it without you!” While this is more than celebrities past have done for ghostwriters, there’s still a refusal to be upfront. McGurl’s name is also absent from the book cover alongside Brown’s and mention of her involvement has been glaringly missing from any promotion of the book. This includes Brown’s appearances on BBC’s The One Show and Lorraine.
I’m not alone in my frustration at this absence of fairly crediting the author. Just go to the comments section of Brown’s post. One reads, “I thought the writer’s name is supposed to be on the front cover.” Another user comments, “The term ‘collaborator’ is a total misrepresentation of the reality! The arrogance of these celebrities who deceive the public!”.
Business transaction or not, it’s unethical for a celebrity to take credit and market a book as their own when a writer who has honed their talent for years also plays a pivotal role.
Ultimately, it’s the reader that loses
The business of ghost-writing has a clear hierarchy in which the celebrity and publisher sit at the top. The celebrity takes the credit, soars to the top of bestseller lists, and adds ‘author’ to their career bio. The publisher earns the profits.
“The message then was as clear as it is now: let’s start acknowledging ghost-written fiction for what it is.”
The ghost-writer, while paid for their skills, goes mostly unrecognised for their talent. McGurl has published 15 of her own books. It seems unfair that the most successful, chart-topping novel she has written doesn’t even include her name on the cover. I understand why publishers work with celebrities and influencers; the sales and publicity are guaranteed. However, that doesn’t mean the author should be diminished to a footnote in their own work.
The authentic, loyal relationship that is forged when a reader loves an author’s work is also sacrificed. Ultimately, readers feel cheated.
This has long been the case. Remember when Zoella released her debut novel, Girl Online, in 2014? It was an immediate bestseller. Yet, when the truth was revealed that the novel had been ghost-written, she received huge backlash and lost the trust of her readership. Zoella has since published several more novels, with her co-writer’s name on the cover. This demonstrates that recognising the work of a ghost writer can be as simple as that.
The message then was as clear as it is now: let’s start acknowledging ghost-written fiction for what it is. It is both the publishers’ and the celebrity’s responsibility to ensure that the author is fairly credited. The process of co-written novels can be both successful and ethical, rather than tainted with secrecy and disregard for both reader and author.
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Featured image courtesy of Christin Hume on Unsplash. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.
