👻 Ghostwriting – it’s not about writing spooky stories!
🤔 So what is ghostwriting and should you do it as a medical writer?
Ghostwriting is when you produce a piece of writing that gets published without your name on it, or without credit to you.
As a medical writer, you put a lot of time and effort into researching, writing, editing and working with other people to create your work.
Virginia and Hassan have done their fair share of ghostwriting!
💡 Here’s what we think you should consider before you agree to ghostwrite:
1. If you’re asked to ghostwrite or contribute to a piece of research that will be published in a journal article you should NOT agree to ghostwrite. Get the credit you deserve for your work, or walk away.
2. If you’re creating social media posts, these are hard work! At least be able to say “I produced content for their social media channel” or have the ability to share what you created.
3. If you’re ghostwriting blogs or online content, ask who will be the named author – and insist that your name is acknowledged on the work.
So… we think ghostwriting belongs in the graveyard, and you should avoid it as much as possible. You want to be able to put your work in a medical writing portfolio that you can show other people and be proud of what you’ve written.
🗣 What do you think about ghostwriting? Have you done any ghostwriting?