PAY DAMMIT
So I'm thinking about doing more freelance writing to make my house-poor ass some extra dough, and hop on the Writing/Editing jobs section of craigslist.org.
Here's a paraphrased sample of the ads:
Need hip, connected writers with a feel for what's new in Los Angeles to write about health, fashion, beauty, and other current topics.
There is no pay, but we'll link to your website and give you a byline to encourage shameless self promotion, and this is a great way to build clips and be seen by an ever-increasing audience.
***
I don't need "clips." Your audience increases from 100 readers a day to 101. Give me. A BREAK. Dammit, I need MONEY.
When I was producing little shorts on mini-DV for my hosting reel oh so long ago, I hired a camera man, and a friend as field director. I wasn't rolling in cash (at one point, I believe I was even temping), but I paid the DP $75 and my pal $100, for no more than 10 hrs of work. Sure that's not a lot, but $75 for one day of work when you weren't working anyways--that's not bad. Once, I only hired them out for a half day at the same rate. I think people just feel better when they're PAID. Give them that courtesy. Even $50, or $25--just ANYTHING. If you need a product, and you have SOME income (even just a few bucks from online ads), pay, for shit's sake! Even if it's $10 an article. Seriously, I'd write for $10 an article.
In fact, I'm catering this weekend for extra cash. Yes, catering. (Shockingly it pays more an hour than what I was making at one time as a producer at a notoriously cheap but friendly production company.) And catering will pay me. They'll pay me to pour wine and be nice for five hours. It pays pretty well in fact!
So that's what it's become for web writers. I'm surprised no one has written a polemic underneath listings for the ads (sometimes someone does that). I'm actually turning to just pitching publications outright--I was planning on it--but thought I could at least make a few bucks here and there doing some web writing in the meantime.
Guess not.
Here's a paraphrased sample of the ads:
Need hip, connected writers with a feel for what's new in Los Angeles to write about health, fashion, beauty, and other current topics.
There is no pay, but we'll link to your website and give you a byline to encourage shameless self promotion, and this is a great way to build clips and be seen by an ever-increasing audience.
***
I don't need "clips." Your audience increases from 100 readers a day to 101. Give me. A BREAK. Dammit, I need MONEY.
When I was producing little shorts on mini-DV for my hosting reel oh so long ago, I hired a camera man, and a friend as field director. I wasn't rolling in cash (at one point, I believe I was even temping), but I paid the DP $75 and my pal $100, for no more than 10 hrs of work. Sure that's not a lot, but $75 for one day of work when you weren't working anyways--that's not bad. Once, I only hired them out for a half day at the same rate. I think people just feel better when they're PAID. Give them that courtesy. Even $50, or $25--just ANYTHING. If you need a product, and you have SOME income (even just a few bucks from online ads), pay, for shit's sake! Even if it's $10 an article. Seriously, I'd write for $10 an article.
In fact, I'm catering this weekend for extra cash. Yes, catering. (Shockingly it pays more an hour than what I was making at one time as a producer at a notoriously cheap but friendly production company.) And catering will pay me. They'll pay me to pour wine and be nice for five hours. It pays pretty well in fact!
So that's what it's become for web writers. I'm surprised no one has written a polemic underneath listings for the ads (sometimes someone does that). I'm actually turning to just pitching publications outright--I was planning on it--but thought I could at least make a few bucks here and there doing some web writing in the meantime.
Guess not.
posted by Bunny @ 9:05 AM
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