The Mantras Talk of various mantras has made me wonder – what are your mantras? I’m not talking just those things that motivate you. What abotu those things that you must refuse to do? I have a couple: – I will not work for less than I could make at McDonald’s.– I will not work…
Month: March 2007
When to Hold Your TongueI have this new project (an ongoing one) that isn’t going well. It’s not the work – no, I’ve done some already. It’s the level of organization in my client (the nonexistent level of organization, to be precise). I do not like to “kiss and tell” as they say, so that’s…
Working for Ad Revenue One word – don’t. Oh, the employers offering you the ability to write for a percentage of the site’s ad revenue make it sound so great, but ask yourself this – when was the last time you clicked on an ad while surfing? How many times this week? Ooo, that little?…
No Spec Work! I was alerted recently to a website that is out to do good for the creative world – www.no-spec.com. This site is dedicated to creating awareness among writers and designers regarding working on spec. Give it a look. I feel so strongly about never working for free (unless it’s for your mother)…
Intelligent Spam FilterI think my spam filter is wiser than I am. I check it once a week, and today I saw that I received a “test” offer by a potential employer. I can write a sample article on a very vague topic (luckily, vague is my specialty) and after I write it, I’m assured…
Later That Day Some days it’s just a shame to limit yourself to one post, dontcha think? Especially when I run across a gem, as I did on Leigh’s page where she shows you just how much work goes into writing one of those “$2 for a 500-word article” articles. New and upcoming writers, take…
Response from “Employer”Ah, I love the smell of steamed pseudo-employers. Since my last post on the abominable rates offered by some “employers”, I decided I might just ask one or two what the rationale behind the pricing was. I asked, ever so politely, if the price they had quoted was a misprint. I did the…
Employers, Hear This!Maybe it’s an overabundance of caffeine in my system right now, but I can’t look at another ad asking for specialized writing skills that offer a measly 10 bucks an article. Today, I saw two of them, each one offering a new level of ridiculous pay. (Warning – rant ahead) The first –…
Ye Olde ImageI had the displeasure recently of working onsite for a client. The client wasn’t the problem – the caliber of the other hired help was. See, they were talented people, and they were contractors there for those talents, but oh my word, their actions! I was unfortunate enough to share space with these…
Working for RoyaltiesIf I had a nickel for every time a potential author wanted me to ghostwrite or edit for a percentage of royalties, I’d have more money than I would have earned from those fabulous offers. Why is it so unfathomable for some clients to understand that writers require payment? I guess because for…