RE: Ghost Writing/Publication Credit

Subject: RE: Ghost Writing/Publication Credit
From: "RUBOTTOM, AL" <ARUBOTTOM -at- SENSORMATIC -dot- COM>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 15:55:22 -0800

Exactly wrong point taken.
I've ghosted numerous marcom or technology backgrounders, white papers, case
histories, expert opinion columns, etc., all of which were published or
distributed with someone else's name or a corporate credit. However, I wrote
the pieces for hire. I have an invoice showing I was paid for each one. I
can and do show it in my sample kit with a note stating exactly for whom or
what purpose it was written, and how it appeared or was used. It is still,
by any measure, my work that I'm showing, regardless of how credit or byline
was assigned in its public distribution. This is not only understood but
assumed to be the case whenever I've shown such work to other employers or
agencies in orer to illustrate the range of clients or projects I've worked
for.

I've also ghosted manuscripts for books or similar projects where the
titular "author" was paid for the work and his/her contract assigned him/her
author or co-author credit. I cannot and do not claim to be the published
"author" in that case, but I can still show the MS or published work and
demonstrate any work I did for hire. This too is common practice in the
world of book writing, especially nonfiction.

Ghostwriting can mean many things, but it does not mean you are obliged NOT
to show your work, UNLESS you sign a stipulation that you agree never to
show the "work for hire" you performed under that contract. I can't imagine
why anyone would sign such an agreement... except in Hollywood.

Al

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marilynne Smith [SMTP:marilyns -at- qualcomm -dot- com]
> Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2000 11:43 AM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Cc: TECHWR-L
> Subject: RE: Ghost Writing/Publication Credit
>
> I always thought that the very fact that something was "ghostwritten"
> implied
> that the ghost writer would not get credit for the work. When you ghost
> something, you agree to "help" someone write and agree that their name
> gets put
> on it.
>
> Why then would you later want to take credit? It seems to me to be a
> breach of
> faith.




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