I still remember the first story I ever sold. I remember the thrill of learning the story had been accepted, and the excitement of getting that first check. Twenty-seven years later, I still get a kick out of seeing a new book with my name on the cover. Our bylines are more than egoboo, however.
Credits are the foundation on which careers are built.
Without his byline, even Stephen King is only Richard Bachman. It is no longer safe to assume that the name on the cover of the book is also the name of the person who wrote the words inside. We have dead writers who continue to produce bestselling novels, sometimes in collaboration and sometimes alone, often at a faster pace than they ever managed while alive. We have possessory credits appearing above the title, just like Hollywood does. Books have been released with one credit on the cover and a different credit on the title page.