byline
BY-line
/ˈbaɪlaɪn/
A line in a newspaper or magazine article stating the name of the writer.
It signifies authorship and credit, crucial for a writer's reputation and portfolio. It's a mark of recognition.
The story behind the word. The term 'byline' is quite straightforward! It literally means 'by line' – the line that tells you who the article is 'by'. It emerged in the early 20th century in the context of newspaper and magazine publishing, as a concise way to refer to the author's name printed directly below the headline or title of a piece.
Word relationships
- credit: Broader term for recognition; 'byline' specifically refers to the author's name on an article.
- author credit: More explicit, but 'byline' is the standard journalistic term.
- ghostwriting: Writing content for someone else to publish under their name, thus lacking a byline.
- uncredited: Content published without any author attribution.
Commonly confused with
- headline: A 'byline' is the author's name, while a 'headline' is the title of the article.
Collocations
- get a byline
- prominent byline
- byline credit
- byline story
Example sentences
- "After years of ghostwriting, she finally earned her first prominent byline in a national magazine." Discussing a writer's recognition.
- "The editor insisted on a clear byline for every contributing journalist." Referring to the placement of credit.
- "Getting a byline in 'The New York Times' was a dream come true for the young reporter." A common aspiration for new writers.
Memory hook
Think of 'by' as 'written by' and 'line' as the line of text where the author's name appears. By the line
When not to use
Do not use 'byline' to refer to the title of an article or the publication's name.
Fun facts
- In some publications, a byline can also include the author's affiliation or a short bio.
Related words
Explore more words
editorial, columnist, journalism, broadsheet, op-ed, accountable
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