Comments on New Site Looking for Writers

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I echo...look at the fine print

I'm the skeptical journalist, in the professional life and in my personal life.  I ran right to the fine print.

They are paying you $30, and you can never use that article again.  That won't be poverty level per-hour pay.  They make a big point to say this is a "work for hire." It means you've done it...but they can do whatever they want with it.  It also said that this place (paraphrased) "has no current plans" to resell articles.  Well, that will probably change tomorrow.  It sounds hinky to me.

If you want to be published to be published, this is as good as a host of others out now.  If you want this as a clip to get you into other places, it won't be a great help.  Editors look at the publication.  If they don't think much of the publication, you're starting below the 0 line.  It's not worth it.  No one can pay you $30 and expect you to sell all rights.  Most major publications ask for all rights today.  That's mainly because of Web sites.  I wrote for a major business publication.  They asked for all rights.  I told them I wasn't comfortable with that, and they changed it...quickly...no fuss, no muss.  I knew their main goal was to make sure they could put it up on the site.  To that end, I rewrote the section to say I granted them rights to reprint as often as they wanted, but I also had the right to sell the article again and again. 

Sorry...this is probably more information than anyone wants to know.

Kim

posted by terpgirl30 on May 4, 2005 at 9:25 PM | link to this | reply

ouch

Take a look at that Fine Print section before making any decisions: "By receiving payment for an article, you agree to grant us perpetual, irrevocable license to display your work on writer-base.com or any other website, magazine, newspaper, newsletter, or other form of print (electronic, ink, etc) that we are affiliated with in the future."

posted by keri5707 on April 8, 2005 at 8:00 AM | link to this | reply

Very generous of you Whim,

thanks for the tip.

posted by MerryAnne on April 8, 2005 at 7:33 AM | link to this | reply

Thanks -- I took a look at the site, and it looks interesting. It seems legit (though who knows!). It looks similar to writeforcash, except that they are paying a bit more.

posted by Eeek on April 7, 2005 at 9:53 PM | link to this | reply

All full up on chickens. Wombats accepted gladly.

posted by majroj on April 7, 2005 at 9:43 PM | link to this | reply

Thanks Whim - I'll check it out - though that is very low pay. But every

little bit helps these days.

posted by Hollee on April 7, 2005 at 6:43 PM | link to this | reply