In easily the least shocking story this week, YouTube star and published author, Zoella (real name Zoe Sugg), used a ghostwriter to help her pen her best-selling novel. The outrage that has greeted this would seem appropriate if the vlogger had posted a video of herself shooting a panda, but all she did was employ a device, used by hundreds of stars before her, when faced with a request for 80,000 words - she called in back-up.
What’s strange is that we seem to have take Sugg’s use of a ghostwriter as proof that she’s untalented. In a short time this 24-year-old has racked up a level of fame that rivals the highest-earning Hollywood celebrities, she’s tapped into the psyche of a generation of young girls (and some boys) and created a video channel whose audience contends with mainstream TV. She’s clearly a hugely talented presenter, marketer and scriptwriter; expecting her to also be able to knock out a novel – and then pillorying her when she needed some help – feels catty.
Rather than mock Zoella, we should learn from her. There’s almost certainly one person in your office who’s pulled a Zoella recently. You know the one who grabbed the opportunity to run that big project, instantly delegated all the actual work and then turned up again just in time to claim the praise. But rather than envying them or resenting their success, we should study them; they’ve achieved work nirvana – less effort for more reward. While we might think praise should be based on merit, it simply isn’t. It’s based on power, persuasion and brand.
Women, in particular, are taught from day one that they should keep their heads down, work hard and get ahead through sheer graft. It’s unsurprising then that we become frustrated when our (arguably less) talented, much louder colleagues, get ahead on the back of someone else’s work. But I’m sick of the moaning about this. Being able to put your head above the parapet and be responsible for the success or failure of a project takes guts. It takes time, effort and dedication to turn yourself from just another employee into someone whose name is known and respected. Yes, doing this means taking time out from the day to day admin that takes up so much of our working lives, but nobody got ahead by being really good at filling in a spreadsheet.
We see a desire for fame and recognition as a bad thing but we forget that hardly anyone gets to the top alone. By striking out and building something for themselves these people are also creating employment for others. And while they might take the lion’s share of the reward, they also take all the risk should their project fail. The angry response to her admission that she’d had some help writing the book has seen Sugg take some time away from the internet, her source of income. Meanwhile her ghostwriter happily took the commission, banked the cheque and moved onto the next job. Yes, the Zoella brand stood to gain the most from her novel but it’s also taken the most flack.
So let’s admit what’s really going on here. We’re not angry with Sugg for being less than entirely candid about her literary prowess. We’re jealous because she’s smarter, richer and more famous than us. Well internet, here are your options. Get out there, take a risk and maybe make yourself into a YouTube star, or wait for someone else to do it and then support them when they have. They could be your next employer.
