Quote:
Originally Posted by igorsk
"Ghostwriter" is by definition anonymous. These examples are not ghostwriters. "Guest writers" maybe?
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You're right igorsk, "guest writer" is probably the more appropiate term, but it still seems like a sleazy practice.
I wonder who initiates it, the writer or the publisher?
Scenario #1: The Writer
The writer goes to the publisher and says, “I’ve made you a ton of money over the years, but I’m kind of burned out on writing this shlock for you. I want to continue to live in the style to which I am accustomed, however. So I’ve decided to become a registered trademark. I will now be known as Joe Blowhard® . I want you to license my name to talented but unknown writers who can mimic my style and continue to produce books under the Joe Blowhard® brand. Pay them a flat fee and give them a credit in small type on the cover as co-authors. I’ll take a percentage of the sales along with the licensing fee. Of course, my name will appear in very large type over the book title. I can’t disappoint my loyal fans.”
Scenario #2: The Publisher
The publisher goes to the writer and says, “You’ve made us a ton of money over the years, but we could be making much more if you could produce more books for us. We would like you to trademark your name. As Joe Blowhard®, we can license your name to talented but unknown writers who can mimic your style and continue to produce books under the Joe Blowhard® brand. We’ll pay them a flat fee and give them a credit in small type on the cover as co-authors. You’ll get a percentage of the sales along with the licensing fee. Of course, your name will appear in very large type over the book title. Your loyal fans will never know the difference. You can continue to write your own books under your previous contract terms.”