The Ethics of “Rewriting”
Recently I’ve gotten some inquiries from prospective customers who want me to “rewrite” a pile of existing articles for them. “I have the articles, I just need them rewritten to make them my own.” They’re always careful to omit the part about how they got them, or from whom. I suppose they feel that they can save money by not commissioning fresh compositions, and that maybe by “borrowing” someone else’s expertise and putting their name on it, they won’t have to contribute any original thought of their own.
Come on, guys.
First of all, take note that the person you’re asking this of is a writer himself. The prospect of cribbing another writer’s work does not fill me with joy, nor should it. Granted, there are plenty of bottom-feeders out there who make money “repackaging,” rearranging, or blatantly stealing the genuine work of real writers. But please don’t lump me into that group. Plagiarism disguised is still plagiarism, and if you’re simply taking an article and shoving some of the words around so it looks like new material, that’s a form of theft.
If you quote substantially from a source, be it an an existing article, a scientific study, or a recipe for sugar cookies, you must reference that source. You don’t have to get all formal about it with footnotes and the like (unless that’s the appropriate format for the piece). A simple “According to…” will suffice. But give credit where credit is due.
Whenever someone asks me to “rewrite” another writer’s work, I feel a brief shudder as I imagine another another client, somewhere out there, asking another writer to “rewrite” one of my articles or web pages or whatever for a pittance. I wouldn’t like it, no sir. It’s probably happening, and there’s very little I can do about it. But I can at least refuse to play the game. The Golden Rule, and all that jazz.
Anyway, if one of your purposes for creating and distributing articles is to demonstrate your expertise on the subject matter, wouldn’t it be better to include your own insights and experiences? A generic article reads like a generic article — if it could’ve come from anyone, then it does nothing to build your brand. Unique, personalized content always makes a difference when you’re trying to promote yourself or your business. Spend the extra money and do it right!
One last troubling thought: What if your mass-market “rewriter” is re-selling “your” version of the article to a hundred other clients? What have you gained, other than egg on your face when your clientele discovers just how unique your writing really is?
Don’t go into the copycat business. Invest in the kind of marketing people want to copy from!
