Seeking Advice Concerning a New Client

[sanders_tabitha]

Hello, 

I am seeking some advice from fellow freelancers concerning a client I recently took on for a writing project. 

I started working with this client a couple of months ago, and she is great to work with--consistent work, good pay, great communication, etc. But I just discovered that all of the work I have written is being directly attributed to another person on that website. I have been freelance writing for about 4 years now, and have never had this happen. I've done plenty of 'ghostwriting,' but have never had my work attributed to someone else like this. I put a lot of time, effort, and passion into my writing, so it does upset me that I wasn't informed upfront about how my writing for this client would be treated. 

I guess I have a couple of questions concerning the situation:

1. Is it a normal practice in this field for one's writing work to be attributed to someone else? Am I just being vain about this?

2. If this is not normal, what would be the best way to talk with my client about the situation? This is a long-term project and I let the client know I would be staying on for a long while, so I don't want to go back on that and risk a negative review. 

I would greatly appreciate any advice, feedback, etc. on the situation. 

Thank you! 

[prestonhunter]

re: "But I just discovered that all of the work I have written is being directly attributed to another person on that website."

So what? The writing doesn't belong to you.

[prestonhunter]

re: "Is it a normal practice in this field for one's writing work to be attributed to someone else? Am I just being vain about this?"

Yes.

It is common for one's writing to be attributed to someone else.

I could write an entire book about writing that has been written by one person and attributed to someone else.

In fact, I MAY HAVE WRITTEN a book about this topic, but you wouldn't know it if someone else's name is on it.

[kinector · Accepted solution]

Tabitha, I think it might help if you thought this through from a purely business perspective.

What do you sell? What does your client buy? Are you telling me you do not sell the copyrights as part of your deals? If so, you might want to read the ToS again.

It's the same thing with everyone here.

As a software guy, whatever I make for my client, belongs to my client. All of it. The code that I write is copyrighted not to me but to my client. Obviously. Once the deal is completed and the project closed, I cannot go back and ask "hey I made this, I want to make money out of this on my own too" and thus compete with my ex-client!

Think it through in terms of ownership. It is transferred the moment money changes hands. It's called trade. A fair trade if you freelance right. 😉

When you trade your time to produce something your client can make money out of, they love you and are likely to repeat their purchase. Right?

[sanders_tabitha]

Thank you for your explanation, Mikko. That is a clearer way of looking at the situation that I hadn't thought through completely. I'll keep this in mind going forward! 

[deborah-ponzio]

Tabitha, I am in the opposite understanding as yours: to me, ghostwriting always meant that someone else would publicly be known as author and originator of someone else's creativity, ideas and writing skills. This conflicts with my ethic, especially in case of books and public articles, and I do not personally like, nor choose, tasks containing that word. But I see that your experience and understanding is different and would wish to learn more on this topic, I may have missed something.  

[sanders_tabitha]

Thanks for your reply! In my personal experience, my ghostwriting has always been attributed to a general entity (a website, a company, a business, a group of people, etc.) and not a single person. I suppose you're right, though, that ghostwriting by nature means it can be attributed to anyone - I just have never had this happen before, so I was surprised. 

[tlbp]

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Tabitha S wrote:

Thanks for your reply! In my personal experience, my ghostwriting has always been attributed to a general entity (a website, a company, a business, a group of people, etc.) and not a single person. I suppose you're right, though, that ghostwriting by nature means it can be attributed to anyone - I just have never had this happen before, so I was surprised. 

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Whichever employee or owner is currently in a role (founder, marketing manager, etc.) will usually be named as the author. No one wants the world at large to find out that all the content they are consuming is written by people who have no affiliation with the company and aren't experts. 😉

[gilbert-phyllis]

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Tonya P wrote:

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No one wants the world at large to find out that all the content they are consuming is written by people who have no affiliation with the company and aren't experts. 😉

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Or that the content they are consuming is written by outside experts who provide the knowledge and insights that the company principals lack. 😉

[sanders_tabitha]

Both are good points  

[kfarnell]

It's perfectly possible to sell the copyright and still be bylined. That's how magazines and newspapers (generally) work - on and offline.   Selling all the rights doesn't necessarily equate to ghostwriting.

And there's a whole load of variables with ghostwriting. Personally, I actually enjoy the mental stretching with what feels to me like 'real' ghostwriting when you need to adopt someone's voice and tone.  

[usmediapro2]

The equation here is really quite simple, and, as others here bang the drum, I will too: read the ToS. UW has your back--but you have to follow the rules! And the rules really are quite simple.

They, the clients, have the money. You, the freelancer, have the talent to do what they cannot. They pay you; you do your magic. Working on this site is never going to be about your authorship, that is just not what UW, or most freelancing, is about. Your highest goal here is to figure out what package you can put  yourself into that reaps you the highest return with the least friction and in the most efficient way in terms of your time invested. It is truly all about efficiency. I use UW to fill in holes in my other work, on other platforms more skewed purely to writing and editing.

I have developed a few rules over the years. Never apply for a job where the client uses the words/phrases "easy," "shouldn't take much time," "will help newbies," or anything like that. Never apply for a job where the poster talks about how poor they are, whatever terrible circumstance has beset them. Never apply for a job where your compensation is going to be owning a piece of anything. Never apply for article writing. Period. Never provide a free sample or "just do a simple exercise" or "write this short essay." Always report this to UW. 

I have also found that posters in some geographical locations are just not a good bet in terms of realistic expectations and adequate compensation, largely because of cultural differences. Remember that, if you do end up in a dispute, you are often at the mercy of serendipitous winds that may not always blow in your direction. I stick with the markets I know, the US, Canada, England, and Western Europe.

Specialize, and as quickly as possible. Rack up five stellar reviews for your work in a single area, and you will be on your way to a steady stream of invitations. Cultivate your own statistics. Even as an anonymous blog writer, you can track how a blog's appeal grows with your contributions. 

A final word, and this is truly my personal opinion. Price yourself at the very top end of your market. You will avoid the lowballers and the scammers and the cadgers and all of the problems and issues that entails. Respect yourself. You are worth it. Dare to have some attitude--it defines you and sets you apart from the drones and the shops and the word factories out there.

[kinector]

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michael s wrote:

The equation here is really quite simple, and, as others here bang the drum, I will too: read the ToS. UW has your back--but you have to follow the rules! And the rules really are quite simple.

They, the clients, have the money. You, the freelancer, have the talent to do what they cannot. They pay you; you do your magic. Working on this site is never going to be about your authorship, that is just not what UW, or most freelancing, is about. Your highest goal here is to figure out what package you can put  yourself into that reaps you the highest return with the least friction and in the most efficient way in terms of your time invested. It is truly all about efficiency. I use UW to fill in holes in my other work, on other platforms more skewed purely to writing and editing.

I have developed a few rules over the years. Never apply for a job where the client uses the words/phrases "easy," "shouldn't take much time," "will help newbies," or anything like that. Never apply for a job where the poster talks about how poor they are, whatever terrible circumstance has beset them. Never apply for a job where your compensation is going to be owning a piece of anything. Never apply for article writing. Period. Never provide a free sample or "just do a simple exercise" or "write this short essay." Always report this to UW. 

I have also found that posters in some geographical locations are just not a good bet in terms of realistic expectations and adequate compensation, largely because of cultural differences. Remember that, if you do end up in a dispute, you are often at the mercy of serendipitous winds that may not always blow in your direction. I stick with the markets I know, the US, Canada, England, and Western Europe.

Specialize, and as quickly as possible. Rack up five stellar reviews for your work in a single area, and you will be on your way to a steady stream of invitations. Cultivate your own statistics. Even as an anonymous blog writer, you can track how a blog's appeal grows with your contributions. 

A final word, and this is truly my personal opinion. Price yourself at the very top end of your market. You will avoid the lowballers and the scammers and the cadgers and all of the problems and issues that entails. Respect yourself. You are worth it. Dare to have some attitude--it defines you and sets you apart from the drones and the shops and the word factories out there.

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Exactly my thinking! Could not put it in any better way. That's why you're the writer! 😄