Recently there was a lot of buzz about plagiarism in the romance world, which stirred up a lot of the familiar debates regarding the liability of self-publishing. While I in no way want to downplay how harmful plagiarism is (and I'll lump its cousin, pirating, in there, too), I am always surprised at how surprised the writing community is when it happens.

Y'all, there's a reason college professors pay for fancy tools that check their students' work for plagiarism. Plagiarism happens. We live in a broken world full of broken people who make really sucky decisions that hurt other people. Add in greed, and there shouldn't be any surprise when work gets published.

There were, however, two interesting things that popped up in the recent conversation that I wanted to touch on: the liability of self-publishing and the ethics of using a ghostwriter.

Publishing is a risk. Traditional, hybrid, indie... it doesn't matter which route you take, you are risking yourself and your work by putting it into the world for consumption. Well, #toughlove time: if you don't like that risk, don't get published. And yes, indie publishing carries a higher liability when it comes to things like plagiarism and piracy, but it's like being a free-range chicken. If you aren't in the pen, you may be free, but you may also get eaten. Terrible metaphor, I know, but it's something to think about when considering your publishing options.

More interesting, in my opinion, was the topic of ghostwriting that was brought up amidst the most recent P-word scandal. Questions such as, "Is using a ghostwriter cheating?" and, "Who is responsible for plagiarism?" cropped up, drawing out a thousand and one opinions across the internet ranging from snobby to blasé.

I may be late to the party, but why not throw my own opinions on this matter down?

First and foremost, I am pro-ghostwriting. It's not cheating; it's a mutually beneficial transaction between two writers. Having attended a talk by a man who has ghostwritten for the James Patterson, I can tell you that when ghostwriting is done right, the author still is almost as involved as if they were writing the book themselves.

The best ghostwriting happens when the author has molded the hired writer's manuscript like a master potter teaches his apprentice to mold clay. The work will always be a reflection of the master's talent and style, not the apprentice's. That said, the apprentice will be gaining confidence in their craft within the safety net of a functional learning environment. Even more importantly, hiring a ghostwriter can free an author up to work on another project that needs more of their attention and time.

Phew. That was a mini rant. #sorrynotsorry Now that I've made it clear that I believe ghostwriting is not only ethical, but beneficial to both the author and the ghostwriter, let's move on to the big, scary question at the root of all this: If an author hires a ghostwriter and publishes a book that is found to have plagiarized other works, who is responsible? The ghostwriter, or the author?

Whose name is on the book?

Ghostwriting is a service just like professional beta reading, editing, cover design or getting your hair done. Quality service is not a guarantee, and that is why it is your responsibility as the author to make sure you do your due diligence. You aren't just an author anymore, you are a business owner. So act like a business owner. Get a contract, understand the terms, and double check the work done by your service providers.

Wow, it must be a rant-y day for me. Hooey does this topic make me a little heated. Anywho, that's my ten cents on the P-word. I'd love to hear your thoughts about plagiarism, piracy and ghostwriting in the comments! Do you agree with me, disagree? Lay it on me!