As a verb, author first appeared in the late 16th century but fell out of use for 250 years. It was rejuvenated in the mid-20th century with the sense “to be the author of a written text.” In most cases it refers to material that has been published—and not to unpublished texts such as love letters or diaries. Therefore it does not have quite as broad a meaning as the verb write. For this reason, it is unlikely that someone who has ghostwritten a book for a celebrity will be said to have “authored” the manuscript. Perhaps because of the relative newness of the verb, many usage critics have condemned it as illegitimate. The Usage Panel tends to sympathize with this view. Seventy-four percent reject the sentence He has authored a dozen books on the subject.
1
Journalists frequently use the verb author to apply to the creation or sponsoring of legislative acts, as in The Senator authored a bill limiting uses of desert lands in California. In these cases the lawmaker may not have actually written the bill that bears his or her name but rather promoted its idea and passage. While a bit more tolerant of this legislative usage, the nays on the Usage Panel still have it. Sixty-four percent reject the example sentence cited above.
2
coauthor. The verb coauthor is well established in reference to scientific and scholarly publications, where it serves a useful purpose since the people listed as authors of such works routinely include research collaborators who have played no part in the actual writing of the text but who are nonetheless entitled to credit for the published results. For more on this, see
author under Science Terms.
