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Oceandancer, a few years back I had the best gig possible. I wrote whatever stories I proposed and was paid at a good market rate. these gigs must be enjoyed while they last. This one unraveled after 9/11
posted by
Azur
on April 9, 2005 at 2:25 PM
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DarrkeThoughts, I try to use my energy wisely because my supply of that commodity is not what it was. Lately I blew it--overcommitting myself and now with a health issue possibly looming I will really have to make sure to get back to jobs that don't squander my reserves. As I say it took me 20 years to get to that point and also to get any sense of my value. I am also optimistic I can improve on that. I want to give hope because after all, if I can do it so can others
posted by
Azur
on April 9, 2005 at 2:20 PM
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Getting paid sounds great to me.
I'm looking forward to the day I can worry about "how much"...
posted by
DarrkeThoughts
on April 9, 2005 at 1:08 PM
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Luckily I get to write whatever I want.
Sorta makes up for the pitiful amount I get paid.
posted by
Oceandancer
on April 9, 2005 at 6:41 AM
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L.E.Gant, it is a business and that's the only way to think about it.
My niche is an ability to handle complex subjects.
They sure know that they get a good deal from me and that's why they keep coming back. However, I try to do so much only that is useful to me and that I enjoy - exposure etc and a steady-ish income and often readers email me and ask if I can write for them. It is those factors which really add value
I see a lot of sites where people write articles for $15-30 a piece. In those cases too people are seeking exposure and a stepping stone.
posted by
Azur
on April 9, 2005 at 12:03 AM
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It's a BUSINESS!!!
The trouble is that editors (the people that pay you the $500) don't recognise that you are working on your time, not their's. They forget that their staff get paid their $20 to $50 per hour, and get the telephones paid for, and lunches and all the rest. But they do realise that, at $500 for an article, they are generally getting a bargain (a cut-rate price) from free lancers. Sure, it might sound like anything but: a staffer at $50 per hour would spend 10 hours (Ha!) doing the same thing, but, by the time the other costs of having staff get factored in, you cost only about 3/4 of what they would for the same article.
But that'sthe joys of being a freelancer (or independent consultant - I usually get around $250 per hour, but I'm not much better off than someone getting paid $30 an hour!).
posted by
L.E.Gant
on April 8, 2005 at 5:16 PM
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I don't think that
but maybe your brain is congested from absorbing so much. You are probably writing a lot more then me. I have a real problem of retaining everything that I have learned. Maybe that is why I get so many headaches.
posted by
Sherri_G
on April 8, 2005 at 3:36 PM
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Sassyass64. It's good that you learn something. I forget most things as soon as I file them. When I read them in the paper I can't believe that I wrote it. By then it seems so foreign. I think I forget to make room for the next thing --maybe my brain is too small
posted by
Azur
on April 8, 2005 at 3:34 PM
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That sounds about right
I also write about subjects that I know virtually nothing about. The researching is the fun part for me if its an interesting subject. Not only do I get a pretty paycheck, I learn something new. The experience is also beneficial. $500 for 600 words is great. I get that for about 1,200 words. I of course have no where near the experience that you do, but I will get there eventually.
posted by
Sherri_G
on April 8, 2005 at 3:31 PM
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JohnMcNab, it is hard work although there is a formula. preparing original material with interviews is labor-intensice. Not only that it depends very much onthe complexity of the subject
posted by
Azur
on April 8, 2005 at 2:31 PM
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MayB
I had daydreams of becoming a reporter once until I realised I'd have to interview real people. Last year I emailed a UK trade magazine which I'd written for previously, asking if they would like an article from the Canadian point of view. It wasn't until they said 'yes' that I remembered the interviewing part. I still haven't done it and probably never will. It could be called laziness, I suppose.
What you are doing sounds like hard work to me, MayB.
posted by
johnmacnab
on April 8, 2005 at 2:26 PM
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