Who gets credit on the book jacket?
Credit is determined by mutual agreement. When peers collaborate on a book, they may flip a coin to decide whose name comes first. An author like Sarah receives a with byline on the jackets of coauthored books, signaling that the expert is the lead author. The expert collaborators name is typically printed first and in larger type. Similarly, the description of the expert-author that’s printed on the book jacket flap, is longer than the description of the writer and may include a photo, which the writers might not. All these details should be spelled out in your collaboration agreement. Some experts prefer not to credit the writer. But most professional writers are proud of their books and would hesitate to collaborate with someone who was unwilling to acknowledge their work. Those who agree to be a ghost writer (a writer or collaborator with no credit) usually expect commensurately higher payment to assuage the pain of no credit.
