Ghostwriting

[noahidelaws]

Someone wants me to ghostwrite something for them. Was wondering: Is it perhaps ossur to put your name on something someone else actually wrote? And where do you draw the line--if you lightly edited it, is it then able to be considered your work, or only if it was heavily edited? Does anyone know of sources on this kind of thing?

[Kookoo Kabalist]

I think ghostwriting is a relatively new concept. But then there's the issue of plagiary, rampant amongst mechabrey seforim...

[Coffee9]

Or, what about writing something with the intention of attributing it to another?

[Torah613]

Originally Posted by noahidelaws

Someone wants me to ghostwrite something for them. Was wondering: Is it perhaps ossur to put your name on something someone else actually wrote? And where do you draw the line--if you lightly edited it, is it then able to be considered your work, or only if it was heavily edited? Does anyone know of sources on this kind of thing?

Whose ideas are they - yours or his?

[FlyingAxe]

What is the issur? Lying?

[Kookoo Kabalist]

What? Is lying asur?

[Torah613]

Originally Posted by FlyingAxe

What is the issur? Lying?

I can see an isse of gneivas da'as, perhaps. That is why I asked about whose ideas they are.

[noahidelaws]

Whose ideas are they - yours or his?

In this case it involves translation.

[FlyingAxe]

Didn't the Rebbe say that if saying something said in his name would result in the audience rejecting the message, one should not say where it came from? (Or maybe even to say that those were one's own thoughts? I don't remember.)

[noahidelaws]

I don't think that's comparable.

[Torah613]

Originally Posted by noahidelaws

In this case it involves translation.

You are translating something he wrote? I don't think that is "ghostwriting". Is all that is missing is saying that you translated it? If you don't mind that, why would it be a problem, since it is his ideas and writings in translation?

[noahidelaws]

No, translating seforim.

[Torah613]

Why would it be a problem?

[danzinger]

Is he publishing the English translation as if he wrote it himself or does he intend to write that he did the translation?

[noahidelaws]

He's publishing it as if he wrote it, but he'll give me credit for helping. In reality, I will have written it, and he will have simply looked it over.

[danzinger]

That's not called ghostwriting...
כל האומר דבר בשם אומרו מביא גאולה לעולם
Sounds to me that that is hepech hageulah....

[Torah613]

Originally Posted by noahidelaws

He's publishing it as if he wrote it,

You meant to write "as if he translated it", correct?

but he'll give me credit for helping. In reality, I will have written it, and he will have simply looked it over.

Meaning he will claim to have translated the original book?
I don't see the terrible problem since who careswho translates something?), but why can he not be honest about it?
And - I don't think that translating qualifies as ghostwriting - even when using a different name.
[Possibly danziger is saying the same].

[danzinger]

Originally Posted by Torah613

You meant to write "as if he translated it", correct?Meaning he will claim to have translated the original book?
I don't see the terrible problem since wo cares who translates something?), but why can he not be honest about it?
And - I don't think that translating qualifies as ghostwriting - even when using a different name.
[Possibly danzinger is saying the same].

Danzinger understood something else, but your version is possibly more correct...
if "write" = "translate" then it is does not seem quite as serious. If the other guy is a more experienced and skilled translator, then taking credit (and responsibility) for your work after thorough editing could be acceptable and if he is a recognized translator of seforim and you are not then there may even be preference to having his name on the book (esp. for sales purposes). Same if he is a more noted T'Ch than you...

[mosheh5769]

I am not sure of the exact definition of ghoswriting, but could we say that Rabbi Chaim Vital ghoswrote the Ariza'l, and that Reb Nosson ghostwrote Rebbe Nachman of Breslov?

[Torah613]

No, because it is known to everyone who reads the seforim (and obvious in the seforim themselves), that Kisvei Ari was not written by the Ariza'l, merely them transcribing what they heard from the Ari.
"Ghostwriting" usually means a book actually authored by A printed as if authored by B - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwriter

[mosheh5769]

Originally Posted by Torah613

No, because it is known to everyone who reads the seforim (and obvious in the seforim themselves), that Kisvei Ari was not written by the Ariza'l, merely them transcribing what they heard from the Ari.
"Ghostwriting" usually means a book actually authored by A printed as if authored by B - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwriter

Thank you for the clarification.

[Majorthinker]

Huh. I do a lot of ghostwriting, and never thought it might be a problem halachically.

Was there a maskemet or am I supposed to ask a rav?