What does your author credit or byline say about you and your blog? Have you thought about it?
The author credit or “byline” is the line featuring the author’s name on the post. It is usually found under the post title or in the post meta data section of a blog post.
In Lorelle is the Author of Lorelle on WordPress, I shared the shock of thinking of myself as an “author” on my blog for the first time:
Okay, so sometimes I’m ahead of the game keeping you informed of what is happening in the “now” of WordPress and blogging, but this is a thought I come late to the game with: You are a published author if you have a blog.
Did you make this “published” and “author” connection?
I’m a writer. I’ve published so many articles in so many mediums, I’ve lost count. I’ve also written books and have been dealing with book publishers on and off for years. But the thought that I’m the author of this blog, and the rest of my websites and blogs, caught me by surprise.
It also made me sit up and think about the responsibilities of being an author.
I still struggle with the label “author” on my blogs. I’m the writer, publisher, cook, chef, and bottle-washer, but author – ah, nope. That’s still a hard title for me to bear. But it is one of the labels used to define a blogger on their blog.
A fellow blogger recently told me she liked “contributed by”. She told me that her blog is her way of “contributing to society” and making the world a better place. She chose her introduction words for that reason. It didn’t just come with her blog.
Many introduction words come with the blog’s design. And few pay attention to it. Do you? Do you know what yours says? Have you given it much thought to what it says, or doesn’t say, about you?
The most common phrase for “announcing” the author of a post is:
By Ivana B. Goodenov
It’s fairly safe and doesn’t mean much. Some just use their name with no byline introduction. Another blogger said it was like a signature to them. Their stamp and seal of approval.
Other popular introduction words are:
- Posted by
- Written by
- Submitted by
- Contributed by
- Contributor
- Source
I find most of these to be pretty innocuous, showing activity and contribution without a lot of responsibility. The word “author” to me carries a huge responsibility. Does it for you?
Which terms do you prefer on your blog?
Lorelle VanFossen blogs about blogging and WordPress on Lorelle on WordPress.
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