Editing Hack writer (section)

{{Short description|Term for a writer who produces low-quality mass-appeal work}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2019}}

'''''Hack writer''''' is a [[pejorative]] term for a [[writer]] who is paid to write low-quality, rushed articles or books "to order", often with a short deadline. In [[fiction]] writing, a hack writer is paid to quickly write sensational, [[Pulp magazine|pulp fiction]] such as "[[true crime]]" novels or "[[bodice ripping]]" [[paperbacks]]. In [[journalism]], a hack writer is deemed to operate as a "[[mercenary]]" or "pen for hire", expressing their client's political opinions in [[pamphlet]]s or [[newspaper]] articles. Hack writers are usually paid by the number of words in their book or article; as a result, hack writing has a reputation for quantity taking precedence over quality.