Maybe I missed something in ghostwriting class, but I always thought the ghostwriter’s job was to remain as ghostly as
possible. The book, I thought, should be the author’s — his or her life, thoughts, ideas, and, as far as possible, actual words. Hell, in the 30 or so books I have edited/ghosted, I’ve asked to keep my name even out of “acknowledgements” section. I figured if I want attention, I can write my own books, which I do.
The temptation is always there for a ghost to steal a little glory. I get that. But as the two cases under review suggest, the “author” always loses when the ghost insists on being seen. Prince Harry loses face from his dwindling supply of the same. Barack Obama loses sleep.
Married to a woman who talks way too much, the last thing Prince Harry needed was a ghostwriter who did the same, but he got one nonetheless. To be fair, J. R. Moehringer writes very well, but he gabs more than any ghostwriter ever should, way more.