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MayB, I gotta agree with the sentiments expressed here.
I've started with the $20.00 markets, however, I am looking for more lucrative pastures. One of the articles I read last night on bidding talked about just what you have, how writers are pitted against each other and sell their work for little or nothing. One article noted that magazines pay writers less than 1% of their gross income. Sad, ain't it? considering the amount of work that can go into producing one well-researched article.
posted by
word.smith
on April 20, 2005 at 7:17 PM
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JohnMcNab, I just caught up with this comment. I was so busy from my "charity" work that I missed it. You are on the money and that is what I am doing
posted by
Azur
on April 20, 2005 at 4:04 PM
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MayB
I don't know how long your university stint is, MayB, but it sounds like you are doing it out of charity more than any other reason. Stop doing it as soon as you can decently do so. As for the $50 markets, I wouldn't consider it. Writing has always been simply a hobby for me, but when I was working at my own business, I charged what I was worth - not what other people thought I was worth.
posted by
johnmacnab
on April 12, 2005 at 11:19 AM
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Metta, I know it so very tough for poets. I think that some of the literary sections in newspapers regularly run poetry and some pay but the space is much more limited than for prose. In that setting topical poetry probably works best. Have you studied publications like Writers' Market?
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 5:37 PM
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Merryanne, thanks. There is nothing wrong with writing for low-paying markets such as write-for-cash but people need to be wary of being caught in that cycle if they have aspirations for higher paid markets. They need to be prepared to adopt a different mindset to research and attention to detail. I get the feeling that people think I am being a snob about it but there really is a difference in a lot (not all) cases.
For example in many low-paid settings it is acceptable to take stuff from all over the web and rearrange it so long as it is not blatant plagiarism. It is a task I could do in 20-30 minutes flat but as you say it is something I am just not interested in doing these days.
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 5:32 PM
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MayB,
my thoughts are that there is a market for high end, heavily researched articles that require more effort to write - and I think that they will always be higher paying. But there is also a market for the less experienced writer who can write an article in a few hours or a day and is willing to take $10-50 bucks for it. In all honesty I don't think that the feature article writers would be interested in writing for places like WRite-for-cash anyway.
posted by
MerryAnne
on April 10, 2005 at 4:23 PM
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How about poets?
Do you have any suggestions for them? It seems that for most poets they can only hope to get published with very little hope of ever seeing any actual money. ~Metta
posted by
Metta
on April 10, 2005 at 3:41 PM
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If we give our work away for so little the rates will be devalued for all.
Any thoughts anyone?
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 2:23 PM
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Hi MerryAnne, any thoughts on this disucssion?
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 1:09 PM
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Oceandancer, the go getum gene has got up and gone eh? You're not stupid as I can see in your writing. You will have your price `i imagine
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 12:57 PM
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Hmm
At this point I'm sucking income wind so bad in this small town I'd write for any kind of money. Drives me nuts cause I'm not a stupid person. Obviously I'm missing out on some kind of go getum gene that would help me get out there and make a living.
posted by
Oceandancer
on April 10, 2005 at 9:00 AM
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