Molly McPhersonCrisis and Reputation Strategist | Creator of Mollyfi | Host of The PR Breakdown

Her own advice was to choose the people around you carefully.

11 Aug 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

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In this YouTube monologue, Molly McPherson argues that ghostwriting is a commonplace and non‑scandalous aspect of publishing, especially when disclosed. She reflects on her own 2020 book, which she wrote herself during a chaotic period, noting that the resulting text bears the marks of that turmoil. McPherson emphasizes that the real issue lies not in ghostwriting itself but in the inconsistency that arises when a publisher’s statements conflict with the author’s expressed expertise, creating credibility problems for the author.

Chapters

Ghostwriting is not a scandal. There are plenty of people who hire ghostwriters. I wrote a book a number of years ago, 2020, during a somewhat chaotic time in my life. I should have hired a ghostwriter, honestly, but I wrote it myself. And I think when you read it, you can tell like, okay, there's stuff here, but this is written by someone who's going through a very chaotic point in their life. The ghostwriting itself is not a scandal. It's normal, particularly when it's disclosed. It's a normal part of publishing. And most business books, honestly, or a lot of books out there that, that you've read have had help. That's just how it works. Nobody is necessarily harmed by that. But what creates the problem is when the publisher says one thing and the author who you're following for their expertise says another. So that's not a ghostwriting story. That's a consistency story.