Writer's Digest Questions and Quandaries - Ethics

Can You Use Your Spouse as a Source?

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:59:31 GMT

Q: I have a feature idea that includes interviewing an interesting, successful TV/film art director for an architecture or home design magazine. My problem is, he’s my husband. Ethically, does this prevent me from writing and submitting this story?—Corrie A.

A: While this feels Dear Abby-esque, it’s legitimate to question your ethics when writing a story about a family member or close friend (or long-time enemy, for that matter). Ethics deal with your own values, so whether this breaks your own ethical code is up to you. But here are a few things to consider before making your decision.

Biases can come into play when writing about a loved one, which can compromise the credibility of the article. If you were writing a story about your husband for Redbook, you can be more emotional because that fits the magazine’s writing style. But if you’re interviewing him for an article in a home design magazine, treat him like anyone else you’d interview for that magazine. Get all the facts—don’t misinform folks.

Also, be honest with editors when submitting your query letter. When you tell them about the article, make it clear that the interview subject is your husband. Then, explain why he’s an important fit to the article. When in doubt, let the editor make the decision.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Getting Out of Book Blurbs

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:21:13 GMT

Q: How do I get out of writing a blurb for a friend's not-so-good self-published book?—Anonymous

A: Friends are always asking for favors—May I borrow your leaf blower? Will you watch my dog? Do you mind if I tell the police that we were together last Thursday just past midnight?

As a writer, you're susceptible to getting asked writerly favors from writerly friends, and often it puts you in an awkward predicament, just like when a friend asks you to write a blurb for his boring, poorly edited self-published book. You can't just flat-out say no—after all, it's a friend. But you obviously can't offer an endorsement to a book that isn't up to par, either.

What's a writer to do?

Thankfully, I've come up with a foolproof, 100% guaranteed-to-work "Guide to Getting Out of Book Blurbs" which provides five excellent options:

1. Fake an away message. Every time your friend e-mails the request, quickly send a response that says something like, "Thanks for your e-mail. I will be out of the country for an extended period of time and, unfortunately, they don't have the Internet in Zimbabwe."

2. Explain that you don't believe in book blurbs, but you're willing to take a picture of your hand giving the thumbs up.

3. Ask for outrageous favors in return. "Funny you should call looking for a book blurb, as I'm in a bit of a pickle myself. I need someone to act as a tackling dummy to help train my pet tiger. He keeps gnawing off arms. You free Friday?"

4. Offer to write it, but only under your pseudonym: Don Rita Thisbook.

5. Break your hand. (Just seeing how far you will go to get out of this—and if it's come down to option #5, that book must be bad.)

Of course, I hope you know I am kidding.

In all seriousness, the best way to politely turn down a friend's request for a book blurb on a not-so-good book is to be honest. Tell them you appreciate the thought, but you're uncomfortable being put in that situation. If they persist, explain your reservations about the book as nicely as you can. They shouldn't get mad. After all, if you had a friend who was an accountant and you asked him to sign off on your self-prepared tax return, he wouldn't do so unless he was comfortable with the numbers. You're a professional, too. Be sure to be treated like one.

But I suggest getting your leaf blower back first.

(Happy April Fools' Day!)

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Conflict of Interest

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:20:09 GMT

Q: I volunteer for several organizations that have newsworthy projects. I’d like to write news articles (not press releases) about them for our town’s independent newspaper. Can I sell an article that has to do with a group I’m involved in, even if the organization isn’t paying me?—Lisa Angle

A: Conflict of interest is scary to any media outlet. It can ruin credibility—the key element to the media’s survival. If people can’t trust you to present the news without bias, they won’t read your work. And newspapers and magazines won’t buy it.

You can try to sell an article that has to do with your organization, but you’re obligated to disclose all your ties with the publisher and, more important, the reader. What happens if you don’t? You lose your credibility and, ultimately, harm the news-paper or magazine that printed your work.

A couple of years ago, popular political columnist Armstrong Williams got himself into a big mess (to say it politely) when it was revealed that he’d accepted money from the “No Child Left Behind” pundits to push their agenda in his columns. He never mentioned it to his publisher or readers and, as the news leaked, his credibility disappeared faster than Hanna Montana concert tickets.

So be upfront with your readers and let them decide how much of your information they can trust.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Is Wikipedia an Accurate Source? (And Can Editors Alter Sourced Material?)

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:06:38 GMT

Q: I'm a magazine feature writer and one of my editors changed a statistic in my story that I had attributed to Wikipedia. She maintains Wikipedia is an inaccurate source. However, if I attribute my facts properly, does she have a right to alter my statistic?— Lynn M.

A: If editors feel uncomfortable with an article's contents, they most certainly can (and should) make changes and alterations. They're supposed to vet and fact-check the information. It's part of the job.

It's important to remember that attribution isn't meant as a safety net for reporting false facts. The point of attributing information to a source is two-fold: 1) to give credit where credit is due and 2) to give validity to the information, showing it's coming from reputable person (or organization). If your source isn't reputable, your article isn't.

This brings me to Wikipedia. As journalists, we love the site because it offers an excellent starting point to our research (underline, bold, highlight and draw squiggles around the words "starting point"). With a few clicks, you can find leads on nearly anything, along with links to better articles on each subject. But you can't trust Wikipedia. It can be updated and edited by anyone; that's right, anyone—you, me, that neighbor down the street who everyone describes as "sketchy." There's no real due diligence involved to guarantee accuracy and, as a journalist, you can't accept inaccuracy.

Again, that doesn't mean that the site isn't useful. Hell, I probably check it several times a day (one can never know enough about the Back to the Future trilogy). Just use it as a starting point to find more reliable sources. Your editors (and audience) will thank you for it.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

How Much Can an Editor Edit My Work?

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:33:06 GMT

Q: A publication I write for regularly just changed editors. The new editors are just ripping my work apart, even rewriting the leads and some sections, or sending stories back to me asking for rewrites. Is this OK? Are there limits to how much editors can change my work and still call it mine? Do I have any recourse if I hate their changes? —Shannon

A: As a writer, I know how difficult it can be to accept major changes to your work. But as an editor, I know the importance of reworking a piece so that it fits the style and tone of the magazine. That’s what editors get paid to do.

In working with so many freelancers who have different strengths and writing styles, editors must tighten each piece to fit the overall message of the publication. If your piece doesn’t quite fit, it’s subject to little or massive changes. An editor can edit, rewrite and ask you to rewrite sections—or even the entire piece—if it’s not up to the publication’s editorial standards, or if your work doesn’t meet the requirements set forth in the original assignment.

After all the changes are completed, the editor should give you a copy of his edited version, also known as a galley. You should be given the chance to look it over and point out any problems you have with the revisions. Most editors try to work through your requests, but ultimately the editor has the final say as to which version runs in her magazine.

If you still feel your article is in shambles and you’re uncomfortable running your byline with it, you do have one option: Politely withdraw it from consideration and return any money the publication paid you for your work. This should be a last-case resort, as pulling a piece last-minute will not only hurt the magazine’s production schedule, but also will burn all bridges with that editor.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Multiple Submissions Etiquette

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:07:09 GMT

Q: Is it proper to send out the same article to multiple publishers at the same time? What happens if several magazines accept the article?—Casey Magan

A: Hmm, did you send this same question to other magazines, too?

Sending out the same query to separate publications (simultaneous submissions) gives you more opportunities to get published, but it can also ruin your chances with editors if they know it’s been submitted elsewhere—especially to a competitor—unless they accept simultaneous submissions.

With multiple acceptance, it’s easy to burn bridges. As you sign a contract, you’ll find most publishers want first serial rights, or the right to publish the article for the first time in any periodical. If an editor puts in the time to read and accept your submission, she won’t be happy to find out that you’ve sold it to another publication.

If you want to submit the same idea to multiple sources, the best approach is to mention it in your cover letter so the editor knows up front. If it’s too late for that, the ethical thing to do is accept the first offer you receive and politely decline the others.

To avoid these dilemmas in the first place, refine the query/article specifically to fit the needs of each individual magazine. The theme of each magazine is different. The audience is different. By angling the same idea a little differently for each publication, you’re less likely to run into such problems.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.