: A compiler or an editor? Let's say I'm writing an article (I don't think that's the proper name for it but anyway) and I'm not including any of my own opinions, just quoting and paraphrasing

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There is a difference depending on whether or not you have anything to say. Let's say that you create a compendium of famous quotes from Zig Zigglar. You don't actually say anything other than to provide zingy one-liners to head each "chapter" and each "chapter" is simply paragraph-after-paragraph of Zig's notable notes. Indeed, people are buying the book because of Zig, not you. In this instance, you're a compiler because there's nothing at all there for which you can claim ownership other than the compilation itself.

On the otherhand, let's assume that you're writing an article (such as you suggest) where you are providing the connective thread that ties everything together. Yes, it may be that 80%-90% of the article is outsourced, but simply listing the attributed paragraphs without your connecting thread would actually make the article incomprehensible. The point or theme of the article would be lost without your contribution, minor that it may be. In this case, you are the author.

EDIT: P.S., this comes from being a micropublisher for 10 years and having to categorize various works of authorship with people like the U.S. Library of Congress. You're not an author simply because you selected the paragraphs in your Zig Ziglar quote book any more than you're an automotive engineer simply because you chose the options in the car you bought.

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