Editing Hack writer

{{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.

==History==
The term "hack writer" was first used in the 18th century, "when publishing was establishing itself as a business employing writers who could produce to order."<ref name="Fulford">{{cite web|author=Robert Fulford|title=When hacks attract: Serious artists are drawn to tales of mercenary scribes|work=The National Post|date=19 August 2003|url=http://www.robertfulford.com/2003-08-19-hacks.html}}</ref> The derivation of the term "hack" was a "shortening of [[Hackney (horse)|hackney]], which described a horse that was easy to ride and available for hire."<ref name="Fulford"/> In 1728, [[Alexander Pope]] wrote ''[[The Dunciad]]'', which was a satire of "the Grub-street Race" of commercial writers who worked in [[Grub Street]], a London district that was home to a [[bohemianism|bohemian]] counterculture of impoverished writers and poets. In the late 19th century, [[Anthony Trollope]]'s novel ''[[The Way We Live Now]]'' (1875) depicts a female hack writer whose career was built on social connections rather than writing skill.<ref name="Fulford"/>

Many [[author]]s who would later become famous worked as low-paid hack writers early in their careers, or during a downturn in their fortunes. As a young man, [[Anton Chekhov]] had to support his family by writing short newspaper articles; [[Arthur Koestler]]  penned a dubious ''Dictionary of Sexuality'' for the popular press; [[Samuel Beckett]] translated for the French ''[[Reader's Digest]]''; and [[William Faulkner]] churned out [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] scripts.<ref name="Fulford"/>

A number of films have depicted hack writers, perhaps because the way these authors are "prostituting" their creative talents makes them an interesting character study. In the film adaptation of [[Carol Reed]]'s ''[[The Third Man]]'' (1949), author [[Graham Greene]] added a hard-drinking hack writer named Holly Martins. In [[Jean-Luc Godard]]'s film ''[[Contempt (film)|Contempt]]'' (1963), a hack screenwriter is paid to doctor a script. In the film ''[[Adaptation (film)|Adaptation]]'' (2002), [[Nicolas Cage]] depicts an ill-educated character named Donald Kaufman who finds he has a knack for churning out cliché-filled film scripts.<ref name="Fulford"/>

==Use as a pejorative==

In the US, the term "hack" is used as a pejorative description among writers, journalists, bloggers, and comedians. It is especially used for journalists that are perceived to take partisan sides.

The term "hack" has been used by some UK [[journalist]]s as a form of humorous, self-deprecating self-description. The term was popularized in the UK by ''[[Private Eye]]'' magazine, which refers to male journalists as "hacks" and female journalists as "hackettes."

==See also==

*[[Accreditation mill]]
*[[Author mill]]
*[[Churnalism]]
*[[Content farm]]
*[[Essay mill]], a ghostwriting service that provides university students with essays and term papers for a fee
*[[Ghostwriter]], a writer who is paid to write books or articles that are credited to another person
*[[Vanity publishing]]

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hack Writer}}
[[Category:18th-century neologisms]]
[[Category:Writing occupations]]
[[Category:Pejorative terms for people]]
[[Category:Journalism terminology]]