Lament for the byline
I’m not really complaining here, but sometimes I do miss seeing my name in print. When I was a full-time journalist (mostly in college), I always had a byline. I used to love seeing “by Beth Ziesenis, Staff Writer.”
These days I write press releases with someone else’s contact info. I write brochure copy that looks as if it appeared on a page without a human behind it. I write electronic newsletter articles, with words that will never even see a printed page. And my byline appears nowhere.
Oh well. Such is the life of a freelance copywriter.
Sometimes I Google myself to see what pieces of writing are out there with my name on them. There are precious few, mostly fiction short stories. Here’s a sample…
Two really short stories I read at a monthly writer’s group last year (audio format):
“I’m Not Wearing Any Underwear.” (It’s not what you think)
“Leaving Melissa” (Published in a literary journal that died shortly thereafter)
My very favorite short story, later published in an electronic magazine, and soon after accepted for publication by a really nice literary magazine! But it had already been published! Ugh!
This one cracks me up. It’s an article I wrote in college about our homecoming election. Our newspaper supported a dog and a squirrel for king and queen.




Liz Viall on 11 Feb 2008 at 11:34 am #
And then there’s always:
Suicide Coverage in Newspapers: an Ethical Consideration
Journal article by Elizabeth B Ziesenis, Carol Burnett; Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Vol. 6, 1991
http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=96652542
Beth on 11 Feb 2008 at 11:43 am #
Ha! I forgot about that one. Cheery little piece, wasn’t it? I love how that citation makes it look like Carol Burnett and I wrote the piece together, when in actuality, Liz and I tied for first place for the Carol Burnett Ethics in Journalism award.
Good times.
Sarah on 12 Feb 2008 at 8:16 am #
you could start adding your byline to all of your blog posts!
(don’t do that.)
but - do you have time to work on other stuff now that you’re full-time freelancing? that’s one of the things i’m worried about.