Ghostwriting may be an attractive avenue for the budding freelance writer who has yet to establish an identity and loyal following in the popular literature. Nevertheless, there are reasons why ghostwriting runs contrary to the best interests of not only individuals but also of the health professions. Although a few such jobs involved writing for other qualified professionals who had simply over-extended themselves, most opportunities involved writing for individuals who simply were not academically prepared to address the content required of the article. Admittedly, I was baited by certain bodybuilding magazine publishers and editors to help out other contributors who were struggling with producing clear and accurate articles. In hindsight, this was not a wise professional maneuver on my part.
Ghost writing is a threat to professions, particularly exercise physiology.
In other words, this scenario detracts from the effort and preparation involved in writing such an article because it falsely conveys that writing scientific articles on exercise is something that virtually anyone can do. Yet another way professions such as exercise physiology are negatively affected by ghostwriting is that each time an article appears under another s name, it is a missed opportunity for professional exposure. Popular writing provides visibility for a profession when authors credentials are displayed or, better yet, are explained in a brief biography accompanying the article. Ghostwriting obviously short-changes the anonymous writer by decreasing the author s exposure. The importance of getting one s name out cannot be underestimated.