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Going Behind the Curtain: FAQ on Publishing and the Legal Issues of Hiring a Ghostwriter

Going Behind the Curtain: FAQ on Publishing and the Legal Issues of Hiring a Ghostwriter

Every year, dozens of civil lawsuits are filed that included allegations of libel or defamation.

Most of the time, these things are obscure cases that never reach the headlines, but nevertheless cost both plaintiffs and defendants sizable sums for legal fees and court costs.

Some cases, though, such as Jesse Ventura’s case against Chris Kyle’s widow or the suit filed by Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan) against Gawker Media, have gained far more notoriety.

The notoriously litigious nature of the United States leaves many would-be authors with plenty of unanswered questions.

Can I write about living people?

Can I quote songs in my manuscript without inviting a copyright suit?

What about pictures do I need to get permission to print those?

We field questions like these every day, and we recognize that any author must navigate plenty of legal pitfalls to be successful.

Below we’ve compiled a list of the most frequently asked legal questions we hear about writing and ghostwriting.

Is the practice of ghostwriting legal?

Yes, absolutely. It’s a great way for leaders and experts to enlist the help of a seasoned writer to help craft and hone their message.

People can’t be great at everything, and while some have fantastic abilities to govern or lead a business, they may not be the most effective at communicating the written word.

At its core, there is some debate as to whether ghostwriting is a form of plagiarism. As David Rothschild, a representative of iThenticate.com, has written, even though ghostwriting is essentially a form of plagiarism, the agreements put in place between authors and ghostwriters provide for the legal consent required for authors to take credit for ghostwritten works.

What items should an author be sure to include in a collaboration agreement with a ghostwriter, to provide legal protection?

This is a complicated question — publishing law constitutes an entire realm of American jurisprudence. However, according to Alan Kaufman, an attorney specializing in publishing law and a former General Counsel to Penguin Books, “one always wants the issues determined upfront in a collaboration agreement, which covers compensation, the grant of rights, late or unsatisfactory delivery, credit, copyright.”

Can a ghostwriter claim that they own the work resulting from our collaboration?

If the issues of credit and copyright are addressed in a collaboration agreement, then a ghostwriter can’t violate that agreement and claim the resulting work. This is why it’s so important that very clear boundaries and expectations be settled upfront.

If structured properly, a collaboration agreement between author and ghostwriter can address all of the above-mentioned items. What’s more, agreements can also include a confidentiality clause or other restrictions against your ghostwriter using any proprietary information that you disclose for their own benefit.

If a ghostwriter, editor, or someone else reviews a book, what keeps them from stealing it?

Per Mr. Kaufman, if you send a work to someone for review, they can’t legally steal it and claim it as their own. “The U.S. Copyright Act states that copyright subsists in whatever is created from the moment of creation. So, copyright protects you.” Most collaboration agreements provide for the author’s ownership of any product resulting from the work of a ghostwriter, meaning that anything a ghostwriter writes while working on the client’s book or article is that client’s property.

These are just some of the legal issues between client and ghostwriter.

In the process of writing, a number of separate considerations need to be made for specific content, including quotes, references, and characterizations.

Here are some of the questions we frequently hear about these more technical aspects of writing, which a professional writer can help to navigate. In today’s world of self-publishing, these concerns are especially relevant.

How can I avoid getting sued if my book or article is about real people?

As many defendants in civil cases will attest, this can be a tricky area to navigate. According to Alan Kaufman, it’s important to understand that “real people are protected in two ways.  First are libel laws, which protect from defamation.  Secondly, private individuals are protected by the laws of privacy.” If a book might be controversial, an author can always have it reviewed by legal counsel to assess their potential liability.

What criteria have the courts historically used to define libel or defamation?

Business attorney and author Helen Sedwick penned the Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook in 2014, and she speaks in-depth about these issues. As she has written in a detailed post on her website, in order to prove libel, someone must prove that an author maliciously or negligently published a lie about someone who can be identified and that hurts their reputation. If any of these qualifications are unmet, then it isn’t libel. For instance:

If the author publishes something that is true, that’s not libel.

If an author publishes a lie about someone who can’t be identified based on the published material, that doesn’t constitute libel.

If the statement doesn’t actually hurt the subject’s business or career, or hold them up for public hatred or ridicule, then that’s not libel. Simply publishing something offensive or insulting is not sufficient.

What about the invasion of privacy?

This is another subject on which Ms. Sedwick has written in detail. She indicates that privacy laws protect people from having embarrassing or unpleasant information published about them that (in the words of Ms. Sedwick) “is offensive to ordinary sensibilities and not of overriding public interest.” Most importantly, however, the person must have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Public remarks or conduct, in other words, would not be protected by privacy laws. Celebrities and other public figures, it is noted, have little expectation of privacy and (within reason) can usually be written about without their permission.

Can I quote songs in my writing without opening myself up to a lawsuit?

The short answer is yes, if done correctly. Music companies tend to be aggressive litigants, so this is an area where authors need to exercise caution. Attorney Alan Kaufman encourages writers “not to use more than a couplet.”

Can I quote other books?

To a certain degree, quoting other works is considered “fair use.” However, it’s worth noting that this is based on the total amount of original material used, relative to the total size of the book or article that is being quoted.

Unfortunately, there is no consensus on just what percentage constitutes plagiarism.

Much of the debate has been focused within academia, with many universities relying on plagiarism checkers such as TurnItIn. These checkers often limit the amount of directly-quoted text to 15% or less — however, this may still be too much if everything quoted is one continuous block of text. Some more stringent universities raise red flags if more than seven consecutive words of text show up in a paper that’s run through a plagiarism checker. For a few, the limit is even less: five words.

None of this is to say that an author can’t use the text, only that a citation needs to be included to give proper credit to the original.

The bottom line here is that when in doubt, it’s best to give credit to another author — even if it’s just for an idea.

Dr. Curtis Newbold is an Associate Professor of Communication at Westminster College, where he oversees the Master of Strategic Communications program. In addition to teaching many courses on communications, he has written extensively about the fair use of photographs. He has outlined the criteria that authors should consider when deciding if a photo can be used. A more detailed breakdown can be found on his website, but here are a few examples of photographs that can be used:

Pictures that you took yourself that are based on your own concept, for which you own all the rights. More on this later.

How can I determine what pictures I can legally use?

Pictures that someone else took, but which you are using in “an education or research setting, for limited non-profit uses.” Dr. Newbold also notes that copyrighted images shouldn’t be printed for personal or decorative purposes.

Pictures someone else has taken and you’ve secured permission to use, or for which you’ve purchased the rights (such as through a stock photo company or from a photographer).

Sara Hawkins is an attorney specializing in advertising, social media, and intellectual property. According to her, if you aren’t sure whether the photographer has released their rights to a picture, it’s best not to use it until you’ve made that determination or received express permission to use the image. There are still a lot of grey areas with plenty of exceptions. Authors are always encouraged to take as much caution as possible when dealing with potential copyright issues.

Are there any restrictions on using images that I’ve taken myself?

There are a number of issues at play there. First, if you want to publish a picture of your own, you need to consider whether the photo was truly original (not designed to resemble or mimic someone else’s photograph).

Second, you need to consider where you were when the photograph was taken to decide whether it may include anything proprietary. Generally speaking, if the picture was taken in your own home or while you were in public, then this shouldn’t be a concern.

If my pictures are of other people, do I need to get permission from the people in the pictures? What if they’re old pictures and I can’t locate the people in them?

In cases where authors want to use images that they took of other people, there are a few issues at play, including privacy laws and potential defamation or misappropriation, according to the Digital Media Law Project.

First, most states prohibit the use of “someone else’s name, likeness, or other personal attributes without permission for an exploitative purpose.” This would violate the person’s “right of publicity” — their right to make money from their name or likeness. This concern arises most often with advertising or other promotional materials. However, it can also be the case in other works like books or articles, which an author is publishing for commercial benefit. Here again, it’s better to be safe and get permission before using images.

What if I want to use an interview I did with someone in my book?

When conducting interviews to use as source material for a book, it’s a good idea to have interviewees sign a written release acknowledging that their responses may be published. If you are recording an interview, it can be sufficient to include a stated acknowledgment on the recording that the interview is being recorded, and the interviewee understands that what they say may be published. By doing so, they not only acknowledge that they’re being recorded but also that they give their consent for the interviewer to use their quotes for publication.

The same principle goes if you plan to conduct recorded interviews by phone.

There are some strict laws about phone recordings. Kelly Yamanouchi, a business reporter for the Denver Post writing for the Society of Professional Journalists, reminds us that “most states require only one-party consent to record. However, 12 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico require the consent of two or more parties.” She goes on to note that, in these cases, it’s not only important to get permission to publish responses in an interview, but also “to take great care when securing permission to record.”

Her suggestion is that writers first ask the interviewee whether it’s OK to record the conversation. Then, after recording begins, it’s a good idea to have the interviewee put their permissions — both for the recording and for publication of their responses — on the record.

What if the person I interviewed has passed away, or I want to use a picture of someone who is no longer alive?

If someone that you’ve interviewed or photographed has since passed away, the right to sue dies with them. However, if you want to use someone else’s photograph, it doesn’t matter whether a person in the photograph has died — you still need to get the photographer’s permission. In fact, even if the photographer has died, their estate can still own the rights to their pictures for decades after their death.

Writing a book is no small or straightforward undertaking.

There are a number of legal issues to weigh, both with regard to the relationships between author, ghostwriter, and publisher, as well as the nature of the material to be published, source material to be quoted, and pictures to be included.


While issues in the former category can be addressed explicitly in a collaboration agreement negotiated and signed upfront, working with seasoned professionals can go a long way toward resolving issues in both of these areas.

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What Kind of Author Are You?

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What Qualities Do You Value Most in a Ghostwriter?

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Superb planner and organizer

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Easily understands complex technical, financial, or business subjects

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What Type of Book Do You Want?

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>200 pages

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<100 pages

For friends and family

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For young adults or children

Answer

What Type of Ghostwriter Do You Need?
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Stay tuned for a text, call, or email. We can’t wait to talk to you about your new book!

Wintress Odom - Owner / Editor-in-chief

Wintress founded The Writers For Hire in 2003 after freelancing for several years as a copywriter and editor. She has overseen, edited, proofread, or written copy for over 100 clients and is happy to have maintained long-term relationships with many of her first customers. Wintress is an exceptional proofreader and editor and has a gift for organizing large projects, including large technical manuals and manuscripts. Her educational background includes graduating cum laude from Rice University in 2000, studying at Cologne Gymnasium in Germany, and graduating valedictorian from The Science Academy of South Texas in 1994.

Kathleen Kimm-Rinchiuso - Office Manager

Unofficially, Kathy is known around the office as “the other half of Wintress’ brain”: In her capacity as office admin, she helps Wintress keep track of projects and meetings; reminds her of upcoming deadlines; and serves as the point of communication between Wintress and the rest of the TWFH team. In her more official role of office administrator and project manager, she keeps tabs on all current projects, from drafting proposals and project timelines to working directly with writers and editors to keep projects on track. Kathy is particularly awesome at making sure that all of our website projects run smoothly, and she’s got a gift for translating potentially confusing web development jargon into plain English, so our website clients always know exactly what’s happening and why. When she’s not at work, Kathy loves singing along to musicals with her two daughters.

Brittany Hardy - Project Coordinator

Brittany is our resident Project Coordinator and serves as the liaison between writer and client. She also helps assign the team for each project, create project timelines, gather resources and information, schedule meetings, ensure each project stays on budget and within scope, and guarantee client satisfaction. Oh, and she does all of this at lightning speed with a smile on her face, without ever dropping a ball. Brittany developed many of her management and leadership skills working as an office manager for a lawn care company and as an assistant manager for an apartment community. But she attributes her superhuman organizational abilities to the years of practice she’s had managing 4 kids, 11 piglets, 3 dogs, and a dozen chickens.

Dayna Bargas - Accounts Manager

Since joining The Writers For Hire in 2022, Dayna has seamlessly stepped into the role of Accounts Manager, overseeing functions such as Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, collections, billing, and all tasks in between. With a keen eye for detail and strong communication skills, she efficiently manages all aspects of financial operations for TWFH. Dayna takes pride in her ability to navigate with a smile, displaying strong professional skills and fostering a positive work environment. Beyond her role with TWFH, she enjoys entertaining, traveling, and (most importantly!) spending time with her family.

Stephanie Hashagen - Senior Editor

Stephanie’s expertise in English and writing spans over a decade in freelancing and teaching. Stephanie worked as a staff writer and editor for The Houstonian, contributed to The Huntsville Item, freelanced for The Houston Chronicle and spent four years teaching English and reading at the junior high and high school level. She has a Master’s Degree in English from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Sam Houston State University. Stephanie has also ghost-authored several non-fiction and fiction manuscripts, numerous fashion and travel articles, and countless press releases, pitch letters, taglines, and print ads. Her copywriting and journalism experience includes technical copy for Tyco Flow Control and customer communications copy for a major American credit card company. Stephanie has also worked on copy and campaigns for Hilton and Carpet One Floor & Home, North America’s largest floor covering retailer. At The Writers For Hire, she has overseen, edited, proofread, or written copy for over 50 clients. Stephanie is an exceptional proofreader, writer, and editor and has a gift for adding a creative flair to projects while keeping copy professional and concise.

Barbara Adams - Copywriter

Barb Adams is an award-winning writer with more than 30 years of B2B and technical writing experience. She understands and closely follows the changing dynamics of the oil and gas industry – E&P, midstream, and upstream – and therefore needs minimum ramp up for any new O&G copywriting endeavor. Her portfolio includes hundreds of white papers, case studies, trade articles, op-eds, books, and brochures. Adams has also held positions as staff writer for a Houston agency, public relations manager for a Houston-based retail franchisor, and the advertising and promotions coordinator for a Minnesota-based hospitality company. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism.

Stacy Clifford - Copywriter

Stacy Clifford is a wearer of many hats, both literally and figuratively. Having earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996, his career has covered environmental cleanup, software testing, web development, technical support, copy editing and proofreading, and martial arts instruction. He has been proofreading since 3rd grade English with Mrs. Barry, corrected every stripe of web copy for over 15 years, copy edited both fiction and non-fiction books, and written on subjects as diverse as volcanology, sword fighting, and space colonization. A fixer by nature, Stacy is a stickler for structure and form and enjoys a good challenge whipping a document into shape. When not tackling the worlds problems or teaching people how to stab each other, Stacy enjoys pencil drawing and hiking in the national parks.

Flori Meeks - Copywriter

Flori, who has more than 25 years of writing experience, began her career in suburban Detroit as a community newspaper reporter. She has worked as a neighborhood news editor for the Houston Chronicle and as a copywriter for Powell Public Relations. During more than 10 years as a freelance writer, her projects included newspaper and magazine articles, press releases, brochure and website copy, Request for Proposal (RFP) responses, and grant applications. Her clients have included Galveston Monthly magazine, Weddings in Houston magazine, Judy Nichols & Associates (public relations) and NCIC Phone Services, along with nonprofit organizations, Lifeway International and Newspring. Since joining The Writers For Hire, Flori has assisted with social media campaigns and written blog posts, articles, press releases, brochures, and web copy.

Flori has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Oakland University.

Jessica Stautberg - Lead Copywriter

Jessica joined The Writers for Hire after several years of technical writing for two Department of Defense contractors, where she created software documentation and online help, as well as material for the company websites and newsletters. Since joining The Writers for Hire, Jessica has become the company’s resident “Wiki guru,” and manages most of the Wikipedia projects. She also manages social media campaigns for several local businesses, provides copy and layout options for website projects, writes blog posts on topics that include the oil and gas industry, web hosting, and fashion, and writes articles, brochures, books, and press releases. Jessica has a Master’s in Technical Communication from Texas State, where she also edited and proofread articles for Center of the Study of the Southwest’s academic journals while working as a ghostwriter for Infobooks.com. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Southwestern University.

Jennifer Rizzo - Copywriter / Genealogist

Jennifer, also known as "Rizzo," is a Denver-based writer and genealogist with a passion for history, travel, and languages. She studied Spanish at the University of Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico and also lived and studied in Ancona, Italy. She also holds a certification for International Tour Management through the International Guide Academy, as well as a Genealogy certification from IAP Career College. Since joining The Writers For Hire, Jennifer has tackled a vast array of projects—from RPFs and SOPs to memoirs and company history books— and has done many in-depth genealogical research and family tree projects. She has also worked as Project Manager for various client projects, including family history books, websites, RFPs, blogs, autobiographies, and SOPs. Jennifer is our resident historian and genealogist, and can often be found examining 200-year-old books in various archive sites around the globe. She enjoys working closely with clients, and loves any opportunity that allows her to indulge her creative side.

Peter Albrecht - Copywriter

After putting in enough time as a busboy, a cheesesteak artist, a medical courier, and a nightclub bouncer, Peter took the logical next step—securing a position at a bicycle shop. While serving as a mechanic and a salesman, his incriminating degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona got him assigned to every additional duty that had anything to do with words. Between all the wrenching and selling, Peter wrote website copy, emails, blogs, digital and print ads, press releases, articles, advertorials, and scripts for radio and television commercials. What started as a summer job evolved into an 18-year career in the cycling industry, gaining him experience in corporate communications, public relations, social media management, event planning, marketing, and retail advertising. Since joining The Writers for Hire, Peter has branched into ghostwriting, op-eds, RFPs, SOPs, and producing work for aerospace and engineering firms, public utilities, oil and gas companies, real estate developers, and the entertainment industry. At his home base in New Jersey, Peter spends his free time souping up cheap vintage guitars, admiring his dog, and talking about moving to the Adirondacks.

Arielle Emmett - Copywriter

Arielle Emmett joined The Writers for Hire after a 30-year career in science, technology, and international journalism education. Early in her career, during the Watergate era, Arielle was selected as a journalism intern for The New York Times columnist William Safire, and she was a correspondent for Newsweek. She has worked as an editor for Science Digest, as a reporter and features staff writer for the Detroit Free Press, and as a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and The American Journalism Review. She also has held senior editor and editor-in-chief positions at leading technical magazines and was a 10-year contributing editor at The Scientist. Arielle’s work has been published in Parents, Ms., OMNI, and Toronto Globe & Mail, among other publications. In 2011 she completed her doctoral dissertation in visual media and iconic photography at the University of Maryland. Since then, Arielle has taught science communications and online journalism at Temple and Drexel Universities, International College Beijing, and University of Hong Kong.

Erin Larson - Copywriter

With a Bachelor of Science in Language Arts from Georgetown University and 20 years of editorial experience, Erin brings a passion for words and well-crafted writing to every project. As a writer, she revels in the opportunity to create vibrant original copy and rejuvenate tired text. She has written on a range of topics, in a variety of styles, and for an array of platforms. As an editor, proofreader, translator, and trusted second set of eyes, she has helped clients from around the world enhance their writing. A self-proclaimed editorial perfectionist, Erin once canceled a credit card because of a grammatically incorrect form letter, which she edited and promptly sent back to the company. (Incidentally, she wasn’t surprised to receive no response.)

Devin Lawrence - Copywriter

Devin is a writer from Richmond, Virginia. He’s been an avid fan of fiction literature ever since he was young, and spent most of his adolescence pouring over one book series after another. Some of his favorites from back in the day include Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Ender’s Game, Ender’s Shadow, and The Edge Chronicles. He began pursuing creative writing when he was twelve, hoping to someday emulate his favorite authors. He has since spent more than ten years continuing to hone and expand the skills of his craft, graduating from Old Dominion University with a degree in Professional Writing in 2022. He has written on topics ranging from technology trends, to criminal justice, homeland security, self-defense, hiking and camping, workplace operational analysis, the challenges of eldercare, and data privacy. Creative by nature, Devin also dabbles as a graphic designer with particular interest in infographics and flowcharts.

Chris DeLange - Copywriter

Chris is a London-based writer with a strong background in HR/Learning & Development. He has held senior positions at large corporations in London as both Talent Development Business Partner and Head of Learning and Development. Chris graduated top of his class when he completed his MSc in Industrial Psychology at the University of Leicester in England. He also holds a TEFL/TESOL qualification in teaching English as a Second Language from Global Language Training. Chris is a big foody and is always exploring new dishes and creating new recipes. He became a qualified Chef in 2012 when he studied Culinary Arts at the International Centre For Culinary Arts in Dubai. He is very passionate about writing and is working on multiple team projects. Chris joined The Writers For Hire in 2022 and is settling in very well.

Morgan Pinales - Copywriter

Morgan has worked in marketing and communications for more than eight years, with a primary focus on copywriting and content creation. Throughout her years of experience, she has written and edited almost every kind of copy imaginable – magazine articles, blog posts, website copy, brochures, press releases, nonfiction books, newsletter articles, brand guidelines, and more – for both B2B and B2C audiences in a wide array of industries, including energy, technology, finance, healthcare, education, travel, retail, and more. In addition to her creative skills, Morgan has technical expertise in HTML coding and utilizing content management systems (e.g. WordPress) and email platforms, such as MailChimp, ExactTarget, and Constant Contact. With a lifelong interest in language, it is not surprising that Morgan has a bachelor’s degree in German and Linguistics from Rice University, where she studied more than eight languages. In 2011, she received her master’s degree in Advertising from The University of Texas, where she was accepted into the elite Texas Creative Program for her copywriting skills. In her free time, Morgan enjoys writing personalized picture books for friends and family.

Shelley Harrison Carpenter - Copywriter

Shelley’s love of words began in first grade, composing poems for her dear teacher and mentor, Mrs. Blanchard. Her writing career began with several years as a county newspaper reporter, where she developed a love for interviewing all sorts of people. Besides feature writing, her news beats included city government, education, and nonprofits of every stripe. As a determined “adult student,” Shelley graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2010 where she also wrote profiles of outstanding adult students for a “Web Weekly” newsletter and edited a grant proposal for a campus office. After college, she wrote English instructional materials, website copy, product copy, and blogs before joining two construction and development ezines as a staff writer, happy to be conducting interviews for each assignment. Several years of intervening employment in corporate merchandising and HR deepened Shelley’s understanding of the workings of larger companies and the written content they require. She now loves being part of the writing teams at The Writers for Hire. When not at a keyboard, she can be seen jogging in her Southern neighborhood or found holed up with a biography, a vegetarian cookbook, or a vintage TV show.

Melanie Green - Copywriter

Melanie Green is a Tampa-based writer and editor, with a focus on digital marketing content. She has more than 15 years of experience writing professionally, including time spent as a full-time employee of McKinsey & Company, Nielsen, and The Business Observer. She loves to write blog posts, website pages, press releases, RFPs, and whitepapers for companies of all sizes in the United States. 

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a concentration in screenwriting from National University in La Jolla, California, and her Bachelor of Arts in Writing from the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida. 

Carol Kim - Copywriter

Carol Kim is a versatile freelance copywriter who specializes in content marketing, blog posts, website content, and email marketing for business clients. She especially enjoys diving into research and discovering what makes every company unique. Carol holds a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and a Master’s in Public Affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Carol is also a children’s book author, having written several fiction and nonfiction books for the educational market. She especially loves helping kids learn about the environment and social sciences. Her first nonfiction picture book from a trade publisher is due to be released in fall 2021. 

Martha Scott - Copywriter

Martha Scott’s technical writing career began on a contract at Houston’s Johnson Space Center. She edited papers for scientific journal publication, documents for departments across the site, and a book about a proposed crew escape vehicle. She produced a yearly booklet describing Shuttle contract cost-saving measures, the mission managers’ Flight Data Pack, and a 45-page booklet called Charting a Course to the Year 2000 and Beyond describing plans to develop additional space vehicles and prepare for manned Mars explorations. At Invesco, Martha edited and contributed to two company newsletters (online and hardcopy). She wrote software user manuals, Help files, Training and Benefits department documents, and, finally, shareholder reports. She returned to aerospace for the Shuttle Program’s last 5 years where she attended and produced detailed descriptions of presentations and subsequent discussions at the Orbiter Configuration Control Board’s weekly meetings. She also documented crew debriefings for 17 flights. Martha’s most recent experience was on Jacobs Engineering’s contract with a Texas City refinery for which she wrote and edited Engineering, Safety, Inspection, and Information Systems documents.

Suzanne Kearns - Copywriter

Suzanne knew she wanted to be a writer at the age of ten when she wrote her first story, and has spent the past 2 decades writing blog posts, magazine articles, nonfiction and fiction books, sales letters, white papers, press releases, website copy, and anything else that can be put in written form. She has written for Intuit, Avalara, NerdWallet, GoPayment, and as a ghostwriter for a few well-known CEO’s. Her work has appeared all around the internet, including on sites like World News and Reports, Entrepreneur.com, and Forbes. She loves nothing more than being presented with a bunch of data and asked to break it down into digestible content for readers. Most days you’ll find her sitting on her porch with her laptop, writing to the sound of the ocean, and marveling that life can be this stinking good.

Jennifer DeLay - Copywriter

Jennifer has a background in journalism and Russian area studies. She holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MSFS from Georgetown University. While in graduate school in the mid-1990s, she developed an interest in the oil and gas industry of the former Soviet Union and launched a free newsletter covering the subject. She then spent more than 20 years researching, analyzing and writing about related topics, working for multiple weekly publications and a private consulting firm. Her areas of professional interest also include energy and power in China, Iran and the Eastern Mediterranean, and for fun she researches linguistics, neuroscience and disability-related issues. She has experience in copy-editing and has frequently worked with both native and non-native English speakers, helping them to produce clear, easily understandable articles on complex political, economic, legal and technical topics. Additionally, she has managed many time-sensitive typesetting projects for community institutions. Jennifer enjoys writing personal essays and lives in Atlanta with her family.

Dana Robinson - Copywriter

Dana Robinson has been writing and editing professionally for 10 years, publishing her first article in 2007. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of a local online magazine and is a contributor to various Houston print publications. She honed her experience writing newsletters and managing social media for small businesses and non-profits before moving on to e-books, magazines, and non-fiction books for print. She also enjoys teaching creative writing workshops for children. Dana received her formal education at the University of Houston–Downtown, where she majored in professional writing, minored in creative writing, and was the recipient of the Upper Division Writing award for best essay. She completed internships with Writers In The Schools and The Bayou Review.

Brenda Hazzard - Copywriter

Brenda Hazzard has over 30 years’ experience working as a writer and editor in the private and public sectors. She spent over 20 years working for the US Government in Washington and abroad, and spent several years working with the CIA during which she managed a team of writers producing internal briefs on international news, events, and politics. She writes on a variety of topics but loves opportunities to work on projects that cater to her keen interest in international affairs. She considers herself to be an empathetic editor, one who improves a draft but lets the spirit of the writer shine through. She has also worked on dissertations, white papers, newspaper articles, and family histories.

Adelia Ritchie - Copywriter

Adelia is a scientist, educator, technical writer and editor, poet, and blogger about her Pura Vida lifestyle in Costa Rica. She has more than 40 years experience writing professionally, including her years at Science Applications International Corp., Bechtel Corporation, Defense Acquisition University, and the Department of Defense. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Organic Chemistry at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Physics from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida.

Carey Miller - Copywriter

Carey brings more than 20 years of writing and editing experience to The Writers for Hire. A lifelong writer and reader, she holds a B.A. in English from UCLA. Her background includes writing and editorial positions with both book and magazine publishers. She has worked as a copy editor and proofreader for major advertising agencies including Ogilvy & Mather and Rubin Postaer. Her experience includes magazine feature writing and editing as well as manuscript development and editing. A former advertising sales executive, she has crafted a wide range of business, sales, and marketing communication for leading magazine publishers including Conde Nast and Hearst. She has worked with major consumer brands including Nike, Visa, Levi’s, General Motors, Microsoft, Charles Schwab, and Neutrogena.

Coralee Bechteler - Copywriter

In the past, Coralee has been an organic farmer, a chicken herder, a zipline administrative assistant, and an ESL teacher for kids. Today, she's living her childhood dream of being a writer. She currently resides in New York with her cat (and muse) Hermes and a miles-long TBR list that gets longer every day. If she's not reading or crafting, you can usually find her pulled over on a country road writing something down or picking wildflowers. Coralee holds a bachelor's degree in English, an associate's degree in Horticulture, and multiple internationally recognized software testing certifications.

Cecile Brule - Copywriter

Cecile enjoys the challenge of discovering each client’s unique strengths and presenting them to a wider audience. Since joining The Writers For Hire, she has worked on blogs, newsletters, RFPs, end-user documentation, email, social media, sales pages, biographies, op-eds, and fiction.

Previously, she taught in Shenzhen, China and obtained an HSK3 (Intermediate Mandarin) certificate. Cecile enjoys gaming, drawing, producing short films, and growing fifteen different varieties of apples with Serenity Orchards.

Rosalind Stanley - Copywriter

Rosalind Stanley grew up on the Coast of Maine and then accidentally spent fifteen years in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, before moving to the Midwest. She graduated from Lynchburg College in 2008 with a B.A. in Creative Writing (and a minor in Theater Performance); ever since, Rosalind has endeavored to make writing a part of her daily life, whether creative or technical, whether as a volunteer or an employee. She has tutored students, taught workshops, edited fiction and non-fiction books, and worked as a beta reader and a legal writer. She also publishes a newsletter on Substack, where she releases her own fiction serially. When not writing, Rosalind is busy homeschooling her four children and raiding the local library for new fiction.

Sean Patrick Hill - Copywriter

Sean has been a professional writer for more than 25 years, and has an M.A. in Writing from Portland State University and an M.F.A. in Poetry from Warren Wilson College. He's the author of five books, and his writing has won him grants and fellowships from the Kentucky Arts Council, the Vermont Studio Center, the Elizabeth George Foundation, and the Regional Arts and Culture Council. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also works at his photography.

Wintress Odom - Owner / Editor-in-chief

Wintress founded The Writers For Hire in 2003 after freelancing for several years as a copywriter and editor. She has overseen, edited, proofread, or written copy for over 100 clients and is happy to have maintained long-term relationships with many of her first customers. Wintress is an exceptional proofreader and editor and has a gift for organizing large projects, including large technical manuals and manuscripts. Her educational background includes graduating cum laude from Rice University in 2000, studying at Cologne Gymnasium in Germany, and graduating valedictorian from The Science Academy of South Texas in 1994.
Wintress