@Cathy, re the unethical medical ghostwriters: one bad apple spoils everyone’s rep. I write for supplement companies, and we face a similar problem. One bad company offers a contaminated product with cheap or dangerous ingredients, or writers make claims they aren’t legally allowed to, and it makes the rest of us look bad.

It’s great to see to many confident writers out there who understand their worth and aren’t afraid to stand up for it.

Ashley, I LOVE hearing that! :)) Great having you here celebrating with everyone. Please make it a habit!

Hi Damaria! Good seeing you again!

Sarah, I'm very happy you're here, too. Eileen is an inspiration, as are many who visit here regularly.

Valerie, it's night-and-day thinking, isn't it? Glad you were firm with that client! And I'm really glad the other client is treating you with respect. Amen.

Paula, your pom-poms are in the mail. LOL You are a strong cheerleader for this blog, this cause, and other writers. We need to clone you.

Wendy, for today you get a pass on the spelling. Everyone makes mistakes, especially in the comments section.

Good for you, Cathy! Just because you ghostwrite doesn't mean the research is any less legitimate. It just means the client understands his/her limits. 🙂

Georganna, I love your new site! Thanks for letting us know where it is. Some of us (ahem – not pointing any fingers at myself) don't always see the redirect…. sorry it took me so long to get there! It does look fabulous.

Devon, it wouldn't be a celebration without you! Ditto the content mill woo-hoos and raise you a thumbs up for the Preakness gig! I'm equally thrilled to see Miss Elsa responding to the vet's regimen.

And congrats to all those who dump the content mills!

Today, I handicapped the Preakness race card, I started Elsa on her new course of treatment, and I'm about to dive back into the screenplay.

I noted the occasion today on my [now better-looking] current hangout at Posterous.

Still working on getting the posts over to A Writer's Edge, but at least they are tweeted!

Before I saw this post, I just posted to my blog about the use of the term "medical ghostwriting" in a study that refers to the unethical behavior of skewing results by writers hired by drug companies as a ghostwriter.

I am celebrating that medical ghostwriter does not equal unethical behavior. There are legitimate, ethical and professional medical ghostwriters out there!

Don't slap a negative label on all!

Today I'm working. Not for clients but for myself. I've got my own project in the works. No matter day to start plugging away at it, then Writer's Worth Day.

Happy Writer's Worth Day, Lori and everyone else!

I wish I were celebrating he day as fully as Eileen is! I have a couple articles to work on and a column to write today, which is more than I was working on two weeks ago.

As someone who often unofficially mentors new writers, I always caution them about content mills, encourage them to aim for real publications (off- of on-line) that will provide more respectable credits, and explain why a no- or low-pay credit for a real publication will do you far more good than a low-pay mill piece.

Let's see… I recently felt disrespected when a potential client told me she loved my writing and asked if I would write 3 articles on spec for her. An audition, if you will. I nicely explained why I don't do that and we moved on.

A few days ago I spoke with another potential client who told me she and her team were excited about the skills and vision I could bring to their project and that they really hoped I would come on board. She treated me like a professional and treated the craft of writing the same way. Love it! That's the kind of person I want to work with.