A couple days ago, Elana Centor referenced my article “How to Write with Authority.”
Based on the tone of her article, I can’t say she was enthusiastic about my suggestion to not give attribution when it’s not necessary.
Which is why I thought I would clarify that point.
First: I do not suggest or condone plagiarism. It is against the law.
What is plagiarism? It is copying somebody’s words as they wrote them.
The remedy is simple. Write your own words!
Here’s what really irks some people. While you CAN copyright words, you CAN’T copyright ideas (with the exception of some inventions protected by patents). As such, ideas can’t be plagiarized.
At some point in time:
- Somebody had the original idea of making a drip coffee maker. Now there are dozens of different brands and styles.
- Somebody had the original idea of making a gas-powered car. Now there are hundreds of different makes and models.
- Somebody had the original idea of printing books with movable type. Now there are hundreds of book publishers who print millions of books a year.
The point: Once an idea is released into the world, you can’t stop it from propagating. It WILL spread. And as it spreads, the source of the idea will stop receiving credit.
Now, if you’ve come across a new or unique idea, and you want to write about it, should you give credit to the person who introduced the idea to you?
I think so. It’s good manners.
On the other hand, if an idea has become so ordinary as to become common knowledge, you don’t need to give attribution to anybody.
That’s why I used the example of procrastination in my last article. Everybody knows procrastination is a primary reason for not getting things done. Therefore, attribution isn’t necessary.
Likewise, I can say the most important element of a print advertisement is the headline. Do I need to source that? No.
Furthermore, who would I source? I’ve been studying advertising so long, I wouldn’t have a clue who to give credit to.
Imagine how silly it would sound if I wrote, “According to most advertising experts, including Claude Hopkins, Eugene Schwartz, and others, the headline is the most important element of a print advertisement.”
This phrasing gives unnecessary attribution, transfers credibility away from me… and makes me sound like I’m NOT an expert.
So:
- When quoting somebody verbatim, give attribution. (Do NOT plagiarize!)
- When writing about an idea or story that is new to you, give attribution — even though you don’t have to. (This is that “gray area.”)
- When referencing or writing about an idea that is considered common knowledge, DON’T give attribution.
By following these rules, you’ll be following the law and exercising good manners. Plus, your writing will naturally have more authority (always a nice perk).
-Ryan M. Healy
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8 comments ↓
Hey Ryan,
I couldn’t agree more. Really. I tried to agree more, and I just couldn’t.
“Give credit where credit’s due” is certainly the creed to follow. However; when it’s such common knowledge as to not even know the origin, then it’s almost a geneaology of credit.
Not only will that make you look less authoritative…no one will read it all anyway. And certainly your objective isn’t to run ‘em off with a bunch of credit “fillers”.
Thanks for the follow-up.
Tony
So to give your writing authority and credibility, and want to back up any claims with quotes from realiable sources, you can take a word-for-word quote, put it in a Johnson box and quote the source at lower right. Right?
Ryan,
You’re right. No doubt about it.
In my opinion, very specific ideas that were made popular by one person should be credited to that individual…very specific ideas being the operative phrase there.
For instance, you couldn’t take credit for coming up with the “Rolls Royce” headline…but the idea of a powerful short headline…you can take credit as an expert copywriter.
Great topic of discussion though…because you are also right about a few who get upset when “ideas” get copied over and over again.
The internet accelerates the “idea-copying” process…whereas it took longer 10 years ago.
Joseph Ratliff
@Tony - Thanks for the additional thoughts. I like what you said: Nobody wants to read “credit fillers.”
@Francis - Depends on the context. I once used a direct 3-word quote from a trade magazine as a headline. I gave attribution immediately underneath. It out-pulled my old headline.
@Joseph - No doubt about it. Ideas get copied faster now than ever before.
Recently a hatha-yoga teacher was trying copyright yoga poses, so that only he would have the right to teach them unless you paid him a royalty.
I think in the end people know when they are copying someone else’s hard work (e.g. replicating an entire system) or really creating their “own” by combining different ideas they’ve assimilated.
Execution is usually so much more important.
Tony writes: I couldn’t agree more. Really. I tried to agree more, and I just couldn’t.
I see Tony’s sense of humor is intact. And I agree too.
Joseph writes:The internet accelerates the “idea-copying” process…whereas it took longer 10 years ago.
Just because it’s faster doesn’t make it right. I don’t have a problem with adding value, but copying just for the sake of “me too marketing” is low and lame.
John writes:I think in the end people know when they are copying someone else’s hard work (e.g. replicating an entire system) or really creating their “own” by combining different ideas they’ve assimilated.
Yup. People know. And I think what Ryan has said stands on it’s own merit. I’ve read so many books on marketing and writing in the last 5 years, I couldn’t begin to attribute each and every idea I write about. I don’t think anyone could.
Hey Ryan,
I agree with you absolutely on this.
If we had to attribute everything we ever did and ever do, imagine having to say something like, “before I go on I’d like to mention that I would not be able to write this post had it not been for my first teacher teaching me how to read and write. Come to think of it, I’d have to start with my mother, without whom I wouldn’t be speaking at all today. Then, my next teacher…” and so on and so forth.
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