Who you gonna call?
Nov. 20th, 2008 06:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penfield"It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit."
- Robert Yates
Ghostwriting is a basic part of my job. Often I will be called upon to write essays, columns and op-eds detailing the vagaries of public policy, then sign someone else's name to them.
When I first told J. about this particular job duty, she was offended on my behalf. "They're taking credit for your work!" she said. "Doesn't that make you angry?"
Once in a while, when I'm particularly proud of something, signing it away feels like giving up my baby for adoption. But it generally doesn't bother me, for a number of reasons.
Practically, I consider it just another crummy work task. Unless you are self-employed, every task involves some measure of indignity, because you're doing something that someone else ought to be able to do themselves if they'd just try -- whether it's giving you stitches, or scanning your groceries, or growing your corn.
Honestly, I think I'm a better writer than most of the people I write for, anyway. So, rather than letting them draft something and having to edit it, or worse, letting them draft something without me looking at it first, is just bad for the company. It sounds paradoxical, but this system actually makes me feel like I'm in control.
Realistically, no one reads these stupid articles anyway, unless they're truly desperate for reading material that will negate their consciousness.
And actually, I get quite enough attention these days from relentless reporters, who keep asking if they can quote me on this or that, practically begging me to screw up and say something halfway interesting. I am quite content to stay in the background and let my words do all the work. There's a reason my name isn't on this journal anywhere.
- Robert Yates
Ghostwriting is a basic part of my job. Often I will be called upon to write essays, columns and op-eds detailing the vagaries of public policy, then sign someone else's name to them.
When I first told J. about this particular job duty, she was offended on my behalf. "They're taking credit for your work!" she said. "Doesn't that make you angry?"
Once in a while, when I'm particularly proud of something, signing it away feels like giving up my baby for adoption. But it generally doesn't bother me, for a number of reasons.
Practically, I consider it just another crummy work task. Unless you are self-employed, every task involves some measure of indignity, because you're doing something that someone else ought to be able to do themselves if they'd just try -- whether it's giving you stitches, or scanning your groceries, or growing your corn.
Honestly, I think I'm a better writer than most of the people I write for, anyway. So, rather than letting them draft something and having to edit it, or worse, letting them draft something without me looking at it first, is just bad for the company. It sounds paradoxical, but this system actually makes me feel like I'm in control.
Realistically, no one reads these stupid articles anyway, unless they're truly desperate for reading material that will negate their consciousness.
And actually, I get quite enough attention these days from relentless reporters, who keep asking if they can quote me on this or that, practically begging me to screw up and say something halfway interesting. I am quite content to stay in the background and let my words do all the work. There's a reason my name isn't on this journal anywhere.
