Comments on: Ghostwriting White Papers - Good or Bad Idea?

By: Thesis

Thesis — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:42:32 +0000

Great. This topic is a great debate for the freelance writers and their clients.

I think the client could demand to the writer to put his name on the write-up.
But it is on the writer’s discretion if he will agree on that. Of course, it is his work. He have the right if he will going to agree on it. Another option can be using of the brand or company name rather than placing the client’s name on it.

By: Nancy McCord

Nancy McCord — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:43:16 +0000

Interesting thread. My opinion is different than those above. I provide writing services online and have six writers who work for me as independent contractors. They all sign an agreement to “work for hire” for me, but for the finished articles, I require the client to use this byline: Editorial services provided by McCord Web Services.

I have always branded my websites, e-newsletters and any graphic elements that I have been paid to do and have it in my client contract. I feel that for Internet “link bait” articles my firm should be given credit for the article in some way. We do not provide a link to our firm but do want our name listed. It will bring our writers more business.

For print publications, unless it is a big one, where we will want our writer AND firm to get credit, we typically let the client take the full credit as they have found the publication to print the article on their own.

By: Thesis Writing Services

Thesis Writing Services — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:47:25 +0000

Great info, i appreciate your way of knowledge sharing

By: Dimson Hastings

Dimson Hastings — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:05:36 +0000

I agree with Maria, just see things as outsourcing and you will be fine. I did it a few times as just needed the money…

By: Michael Stelzner

Michael Stelzner — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:27:05 +0000

Thanks for the great discussion everyone!

By: Closets Los Angeles

Closets Los Angeles — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:55:41 +0000

Work for hire is work for hire. Unless your a highprofile screenwriter or epic novelist then your taking the pay over the credit. Its not a ethical standoff. If you would like to take credit for a portfolio then yes, save the documentation and make sure you do not sign your write to catalog it.

Tommy

By: Casey Hibbard

Casey Hibbard — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:43:36 +0000

In 10 years of freelance marketing writing, I’ve rarely had my name go on anything. And not once has a prospect questioned whether a work sample I provided was actually authored by me. You can always have prospects call references if they’re skeptical.

If you have a journalism background, you do miss the byline at first. But the better pay helps you get over it quickly!

By: Mel

Mel — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:45:30 +0000

Work-for-hire means you lose all rights to the material itself. However, unless you have signed an incredibly strict contract, you should be able to claim “Ghostwrote white papers for X Company” without getting into any trouble.

By: Pam

Pam — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:06:59 +0000

One clue to whether you should or shouldn’t is in your own question, “my first assignment as a freelance writer.” You do what you have to do to get your business started. If you want to be able to use the piece in your portfolio to get other jobs, just save the documentation that says they are paying you for that piece and keep it with the copy. As long as you don’t sign anything that says you’ll never use the article or represent that you wrote it, it should be okay.

And I agree with the other posts that this type of thing happens all the time. I have written whole procedural manuals that my boss has passed off as his. That — unfortunately — is life.

But a big congratulations on your first assignment! Way to go!

By: Maria

Maria — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:11:20 +0000

Get over it… This is called outsourcing.
They have the ideas in their heads, they are hiring you because you have the writing expertise to put it down on paper.