Ghostwriting for executives: who is accountable for the byline
Disclosure, approval and the contract clause we insist on.
Studio sample: editorial guidance and illustrative examples. A qualified reviewer must approve firm-specific communications.
Agree the responsibility
The executive must recognize the argument as their own and be able to defend it. Interviews establish their views; the writer organizes the material. Approval should cover the substance, not just the tone.
Keep the interview trail
Retain notes and source documents under the agreed confidentiality policy. Mark passages that need confirmation. Never place a polished opinion in someone’s mouth simply because it would make the article more memorable.
Follow the publication’s disclosure rules
Check the destination’s author and contributor requirements before pitching. Agree how writing assistance will be disclosed when required, and document the executive’s final approval.
Plan for corrections
Identify who can authorize a change after publication. The byline does not remove the editor’s responsibility to investigate a factual error and document the correction.
If a sentence cannot be sourced, it does not run.
Editorial Standards
The editorial sequence
A process illustration; bars represent steps, not measured results.
This is a studio sample. Read the Corrections Policy or report an error to support@hawthorneedit.com.