I would like to thank both Lillie and Susan for kindly bestowing upon me the Premio Dardas Award, which is for blogs that have literary and artistic value. I’m really honored for that, ladies. I’m so glad to hear my ramblings have held some value over the last few years.
While I’m at it, I’d love to thank all those people who follow me – all 31 of you over there on the left column. Okay, so it was 36 last week. I’m trying not to take it personally. We can’t be all things to all people. But knowing you guys are there, that you took the time to link to my blog, that you comment or just lurk, means a lot. Let me know how I can help you or what you’d like to see here. Or just post about your great news or your lousy day. Same goes for you hundreds of subscribers. Stop by and I’ll thank you personally.
Now on to business – just a small illustration for you today courtesy of my 1099 forms. I worked for two magazines last year – both trade pubs. One paid me $1/word for my time. The other paid me 10 cents a word (I know – I was nuts to take it). I did exactly the same number of articles for each magazine, though the lower-paying one needed 3,000 words per and the higher-paying one needed 2,500 words per.
Here’s the bottom line for 2008:
Earnings while working for 10 cents a word –
$1,350
Earnings while working for $1 a word –
$12,377
Did it pay me to turn down that ongoing gig for 10 cents a word and spend the time looking for, and getting, the $1-a-word job? Damn skippy it did. Remember – I did MORE work for the lower-paying one, and it got me exactly nowhere.
Are you now ready to leave those nasty jobs behind? Please? If not, tell me why you keep those jobs. Fear? Insecurity? Self-esteem? Don’t think you can find a better one? What is it? Writers who get paid more – tell us how you broke the low-paying cycle. Do you occasionally lose your mind (like I did last year) and accept lower jobs? If so, what made you do it? How did you get out of the rut?
I try to look at each job independently and see what I can gain from it in non-monetary terms. “My name getting out there” isn’t part of it — SEVERAL Of my names are out there just fine, thank you very much! š
–Is it an area that fascinates me?
–Can I use the clips from this job as a springboard to a better paying one?
–Do I believe in this company/group/publication and its mission?
–Do I like working with the people?
Then I layer on how it fits in financially with the overall picture — basically, can I afford to work with them, and for how long?
If everything looks pretty positive, I might give a gig that’s lower than my usual rate a shot; otherwise I’ll pass.
Last year, I took a gig in an area I wanted to break into; it was lower-paying than I wanted, but the way it was presented to me, it looked like it fit all the criteria. It did not. So I completed the contracted work, wrestled payment from them, and left. They keep asking me back, but I refuse. I should have refused from the beginning — what ended up in the publication was so butchered and so edited to pimp their affiliates rather than being the objective, researched pieces I submitted — that it wasn’t worth it for me on ANY level.
So I’m more cautious now.
That was for a legitimate publication, not for a mill site.
I think there are instances where it can make sense to take a job at a lower rate FOR A LIMITED TIME, but it really has to be considered carefully.
And I’m doing it less and less.
And, as I’ve mentioned before, lately I’ve noticed that ads are offering one rate and then trying to negotiate back to a lower one when they offer the job.
No.
Devon, what strikes me about some legitimate publications is that they exist as showcases for their advertisers. I worked on one last year that wanted legitimate articles, but I had to interview ONLY their clients. I’d lined up a published chef and had three other industry experts in tow when they told me “No, we use these sources only because they advertise with us.” Oh my gawd. Talk about embarrassing – I had to go back to all those new sources and thank them but turn down their expertise.
That was the last job I did for them. It really wasn’t what I’d signed up for. In fact, the editor, who wanted real stories, quit shortly after I did. He was frustrated that they were saying “Bring us REAL stories” but meaning “Spice up these same eight advertisers’ quotes.”
Lori, seeing the numbers in black and white is a valuable reality check. We should all take note of your snapshot and tack it in front of our noses.
My (first) wake-up call came when I was at a Christian writer’s conference, where writing for Christian magazines paid 10 cents a word (or less). I was a newbie trying to break into the field, thinking I could actually make decent money doing this. Another writer who had 10 years’ experience told me she’d had a blockbuster year the year before. When I asked her if she’d mind sharing how much income she’d earned, she proudly told me $2000! The next week, I bumbled across Peter Bowerman’s Well-Fed Writer and I never looked back. Except for some stupid little detours I still take now and then because I’m not paying attention to the red flags flying from the signposts.
Wow, she was actually excited about that? Damn, I consider that a slower month! LOL
Excellent lesson, Eileen. Thanks for sharing it!
Wow, Lori! That’s eye-opening.
I’m still cutting my teeth before I take the plunge. š That’s why I read your blog and Devon’s. You ladies are a font (hehe) of information.
Congrats on your award! And thanks for the reminder – I need to link to you!
Congrats on the award well deserved!:) I have on occasion lost my mind and accepted lower wages than I should have, but I’m happy to say it’s happening much less often. I did it because I didn’t know better at the time. It’s so important that we value what we do.
Congrats on getting the PD award. And you did nothing to lose Followers. Blogger finally announced there’s been a glitch which causes blog followers to convert to Private, as they’re transitioning in some new friend connection thingy. Supposed to be all worked out shortly, but might be worth reading the update…’specially since my paraphrasing leaves a lot to be desired. š
I’ve been called a “font” of a lot of things, Michelle – glad one of them is information. LOL
Angie, thanks for telling me. I was actually checking the deodorant’s effectiveness…
Thanks, Kim. Yours is a site well worth the same accolades. š I think the 1099s were a huge eye-opener for me, as well. To have it sitting there staring me in the face like that and to have – fortunately – the easy comparison makes it SO much easier to ignore the lowering-paying jobs now.
I may have to follow Michelle- “font” is my kinda humor. š
I have a dear friend who was one of the favorite freelancers (the go-to girl) for 3 teen mags all owned by the same company. She wrote amazing articles, great interviews, always delivered on time, etc. But it was for the Christian market, as Eileen said. When I mentioned $0.25-$0.50 being the average for small publications, she stared at me like I was insane. Apparently those mags are in the $0.10-$0.15 range.
It’s a shame that those mags shut down recently. She’s got mad skillz, dude. š But she only likes writing in that teeny-tiny niche- Christian teen with an emphasis on music.
I always wanted to get into magazine writing, but I absolutely don’t want to actually talk to people. I’m not sure that even $1 a word would tempt me out of my happy little anti-social world.
Hm… I wonder if I could talk her into a non-fic book proposal. With the experience she has, and the contacts she has… All she needs is a good hook.
I still work for one of my first clients. They’ve given me a few small raises over the past 3+ years, but it’s still nothing compared to what I make from other gigs. But I continue to work with them because I can count on the work and the regular payments, and — most importantly — because I really like them.
So sometimes it is not always about the pay. I don’t disagree with you, but I think it’s also important to note that sometimes reliability and a good relationship with a long-standing client can be worth taking a pay cut for that particular client.
Excellent post, Katharine. Yes, there are other reasons to stick with a low-paying job. I have a gig that pays me just over half my usual rate. I keep it because I enjoy the work, I really like the client, and the check comes regularly.
Thanks for posting the hard cold figures from your 1099s. Seeing that in black-and-white really makes the issue that much clearer, doesn’t it?
I recently accepted an assignment at a fairly low pay rate because I thought it would be a good springboard. A couple of weeks later, the publication notified me that they had decided not to use me after all. I hadn’t signed a contract or anything, so I couldn’t realistically say they owed me anything. I was disappointed in the lost opportunity…but not the low pay. I’ve been thinking about it ever since…would I accept such low pay if a similar occasion came up again? I’m not sure. It would have to be a really good opportunity, you know?
Good opportunities can be low-paying, but the difference is they don’t have to be long-term. My mistake was signing up for all those articles at the outset. But now that it’s in black and white, I have a point of reference. Stupidity on Lori’s part = low pay.