Often, new writers excitedly tell me that they’ve taken on a low-paying blogging job, but it’s great because the client is going to “give” them a byline. There are, of course, some good reasons for valuing bylines: they can help build your reputation in the larger world and can make it easier to show samples to prospective clients, for instance.
Also, if you’re fairly new to the game, it’s a lot of fun to see your name in print–even when the print is digital.
Unfortunately, not all bylines are good bylines. And, not all novice freelancers recognize the difference.
Bylines You Don’t Want
The key to making good decisions about bylines is recognizing that not all bylines are equal. Your goal in securing that byline is to build your professional credibility, so you have to assess each possible byline to determine whether it’s going to help your credibility or hurt.
Look at the other content on the site. If it’s not well-written, that should send up at least two red flags: the possibility that the site will reflect negatively on you, and the possibility that an unqualified editor is going to decrease the quality of your work and then slap your byline on the resulting word salad.
Similarly, if the content on the site is not well-researched, makes leaps in logic, or relies on questionable data, the site itself may have a credibility problem–one that may spill over onto you when prospective clients see where your content was published.
Depending on your niche, you may also want to consider the positions taken on the site. For example, if you’re writing in the traditional medical field, you’ll probably want to steer clear of attaching your name to a site that’s loudly and proudly anti-vaccine, or advocates skipping chemotherapy in place of favor of meditation. On the other hand, if your niche is in alternative medicine and holistic remedies, then that type of site might be right in line with the brand you’re building.
These are just two of the most common examples of reasons you might not want a byline in a particular publication or on a particular site. Every freelancer’s goals and priorities are a bit different, so the analysis is a bit different for everyone. The important thing is to keep in mind that a byline isn’t always a plus, and decide on a case by case basis whether you want your name on an article or a piece.
Bylines Inconsistent with Your Brand
I touched on this briefly with the example of traditional and alternative medicine above, but a piece doesn’t have to go against the philosophy of your market or contradict your other work to go against brand. You want to be sure that every bylined piece out there is representative of the brand you’re building. For a generalist writer, this may be less important than for a niche writer, but even generalists (at least, successful ones) have brand identity to think about.
Throughout my career I’ve written about everything from parenting and relationship advice to pop music to the use of moisture meters in construction. But, I shifted away from generalist writing long ago and now focus in the legal and legal technology fields. If an old editor pops up and asks me to write a piece about music or homeschooling and I have time on my hands, I might do it–but I won’t attach a byline to it on the Internet. You may have noticed that I don’t even attach my byline to this site. When my legal industry clients (and their clients) Google my name, I want everything they turn up to be relevant and support my branding as a legal / law practice management and technology writer.
It’s not that there’s any negative association with writing about freelancing, or parenting, or teaching, or even moisture meters–it’s just not what I’m selling, so it’s not what I’m advertising.
A Byline Should Rarely be Considered Compensation
I often hear freelancers–even seasoned ones–say they charge more for ghostwriting because they aren’t getting the credit. In some cases, that makes sense: if you’re writing a whole book and have control of the quality, or you’re writing a reputation-building piece for an industry journal, it’s reasonable to attach a price tag to giving up the value of attaching your own name to that work. But, that analysis doesn’t always play out the same in reverse.
If you’re knocking out quick blog posts for a content mill or a marketing agency or a series of small businesses, the value of having your name on each and every one of those posts is far less. You may not want the byline. You may not care one way or the other. You may sort of want the byline, but only because you like to see your name on your content.
But clients, as you undoubtedly know by now, think “exposure” is payment. So, some hold out the promise of a byline as a reason to accept lower rates. Others don’t make that connection directly, but offer low rates and make a point of mentioning that you’ll get a byline.
In that situation, explicitly ask yourself, “Is this byline worth money?”
What Makes a Byline Worth Money?
A byline is worth money when it achieves something you’d be willing to pay for. For example, if you write in the fitness industry and have the opportunity to write bylined blog posts for Nike or Anytime Fitness, the value is obvious: attaching your work to a well-established national brand may open doors and allow you to increase your rates. Similarly, if you’re writing a bylined piece in an industry newsletter that’s going out to hundreds or thousands of people in your specific target market, that has advertising value.
The important thing is to know exactly what you’re getting, and what it’s worth to you. Vague answers like “exposure,” “getting my name out there,” and “having samples online to show” are likely to lead you down the wrong path. Make your analysis concrete.
When You Should Get Paid for Your Byline
It’s natural for freelance writers to think about the value of a byline to the writer, but you should also be thinking about its value to the client. If you’re an established expert in an arena, then your byline can boost the client’s or publication’s credibility.
Virtually every client who talks about bylines in the negotiation offers it as if it’s a benefit to you, and it may be. But, if you have a name or strong credentials, it’s a benefit to the client, too. Your bio at the bottom of that piece bolsters the authority of the piece and, by extension, the site or publication.
This analysis, too, is case-by-case and depends to a great degree on how well-established you are, how respected the publication is, and your own priorities. But, bear in mind that sometimes your byline and credentials are an important part of what the client is buying, and that impacts the value of the piece.
Removing Bylines
Too frequently, freelancers come to forums asking what to do after an editor has made a mess of their bylined work. The options depend on the specific contract, of course, but it’s pretty rare for a freelancer–particularly in the beginning stages of his or her career–to have final approval on a piece. That means it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get the publication or site to overrule its editor and restore your original content.
If you’re uncomfortable with having your name attached to the content as edited, you’ll likely have better luck asking to have your byline removed, or telling the client that you’ve decided to use a pen name for this type of work and requesting that the byline be changed to the pen name.
Of course, it’s always best to avoid this type of issue altogether, rather than trying to fix it later. The best way to protect your byline is to make a thorough analysis before or during negotiations.