RE: re-working your writing for portfolio

["Higgins, Lisa" <LHiggins -at- carrieraccess -dot- com>]

> What do others think of this? Do you clean up or
> update your old material (if you're showing pieces of
> work - obviously you can't do that if you bring in a
> published book)? As a hiring manager, would you be
> offended to learn that someone was showing you work
> that was different from what they had published
> (assuming they had done all the changes themselves)?

I think your friend's all wet. As a matter of fact, I think this is a really
great solution to the problem of determining what is a writer's work and
what's coming from an editor, an illustrator, a company style guide, etc.

Honestly, I pride myself in being able to see others' points of view even
when I don't agree with them, but I have no earthly idea what the ethical
problem with this would be. That you spent more time and effort on these
pieces than you normally do in the course of your job? Some people have
tighter schedules and faster-paced projects than others, and I absolutely
don't have a problem with someone going in later when they have time and
cleaning up something that they would have done better in the first place if
time allowed. 

Maybe she's not differentiating these from tear sheets for published works,
but tear sheets are less 'writing samples,' really, than they are proof of
publication.

Nope. I honestly can't imagine a reason that what you've done is unethical. 

Lisa.