Yesterday was another day where I spun my wheels and got very little done. I managed to get one query out before the daughter came home and took me to lunch. Too much time at the mall later, I insisted we come home. I’m not buying anything, and I can’t window shop when all I see is article ideas sitting untyped and unsent.
I feel the free time I have in front of me is a gift, and I’m intent on digging in today with no interruptions and no way anyone is pulling me away from my personal projects. That’s it. I’ve spoken. We’ll see how long that lasts.
It’s time once more for the This Job, Not That Job portion of our program. Because summer is a time of scarcity, we may be tempted to lower our standards or reduce ourselves to taking what we shouldn’t. So let’s practice our vetting skills right here.
Here’s a Craig’s List entry that I found particularly amusing:
Article Writer of Night Club Bands
XXXXX.XXX will soon be putting out a monthly Magazine. Currently our Bread & Butter seems to be hard Rock & Roll, heavy metal, style Bands. We have no idea if this trend will continue and if not what is in store for us next. We are looking for someone who loves the life, the music, the crowds, and the complete concept and can put this all into a publication that is going to be interesting to others.
There is one major down side to what we have to offer the person that we bring on board. That is the pay. You see, each of us has our own reason for doing what we are doing and the pay isn’t it. We have been in business less than a Month and the interest in us is there, in a big way, but the funds for expansion haven’t kept up with the need. Therefore, if you take this one you’ll need to do so under the same understanding that all of us have and that is, “Put your Heart into it and as the funds become available they will be shared with all”.
If you think you can and want to take on this responsibility and grow with us then please, pick any band you wish, and send us 50 to 100 words as if it were the start of an article you would be doing for us. We already have the first two Bands picked out but, if you have a favorite you can have the third month to feature them.
Wow. It’s a new twist on the same old theme, isn’t it? It’s a more verbose way of saying “Buy into our labor of love and take on our pains for us!” Nothing doing.
While the lack of pay is a major “down side” I have a few more reasons why this is a lousy deal. First, if you’re putting together a magazine, wouldn’t you start with understanding proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure? Wouldn’t you already know that capitalizing words randomly doesn’t work, even in marketing circles?
Second, why would this be listed as a job posting necessarily? It’s not. It’s volunteer work. It’s also saying you the writer are now in charge of the content. Period. Oh, they know what they want and you can bet you’re going to have to do their bidding, but why subject yourself to what will probably be constant field trips, unreimbursed drinks and cover charges, and lousy editorial oversight for nothing?
Third, did anyone else notice the tone in the first paragraph? It reads to me like they don’t know what their focus should be. Who wants to go along for a ride off a cliff? Really?
Relix Magazine
Published 8 times annually. Needs articles focusing on new/independent bands, classic rock, music alternatives such as roots, improvisational music, psychedelia, and jambands, and lifestyles. Live reviews, new artist profiles, etc.
Pays variable rates.
No, I couldn’t locate a set rate, but this is a legitimate publication with a large following. The rate could be well worth the time it takes to submit a query. It’s also paying something and not requiring you to become the entire editorial department. Worth further investigation.
I’d like to try something new here. If you’ve come across a good offer or listing that doesn’t quite fit you, why not paste it in the comments here? Maybe it will fit someone else better. Give a little, take a little.
What lousy offers have you passed up this month?
I'm in the process from extricating myself from a job where the client lied in our initial discussions. Not acceptable on any level. When we're discussing terms and I say, "I can do X, Y, Z for this rate, but not P, D, Q, AND IT'S AGREED, don't suddenly think you can slip in D or Q and I won't notice.
There isn't enough money to make me continue this. It's about total lack of respect and honesty.
Thanks for those two. And man of man, that "pays variable rates" number is starting to get to me too, I've got to say. Yeah, variable rates = from bad to worse. I'm getting to the point where I break out in a rash whenever I read those words.
Devon, I hear you and share your upset over those kinds of clients. Luckily, they are the rare instance, and I suspect people like that lack true business skills. Or they're just used to using everyone around them. In either case, I wouldn't be interested in continuing with them, either.
EP, I do agree that "variable rates" can mean anything. In those cases, I research the publication or website. What are others saying about it? It's not enough to have a strong presence anymore (think Huffington Post and their non-payment agreements). Clients have to have a track record. If it's an easy query to write, I'll dash it off and take my chances, but I'm not investing quality time in a question mark.
This is more about your comments on the wise use of time….
I lost 90% of my workday due to a massive power outage that started around 9:30 last night. Tornado watch, two tornadoes spotted a few miles west of here, and severe thunderstorms "training" over us all night…flooding, near-constant cloud-to-ground lightning – and me without a radar to view. (The weather radio I bought two weeks ago was a godsend – one good crank and it ran all night and most of today). Scary night, no sleep, no power. Being a Luddite, that means no smart phone for e-mail.
Sixteen and a half hours later I'm finally hearing damage reports: less than 100 miles west of here saw up to 14.5 inches of rain overnight. (On top of saturated soil from 6 or 8: that fell last weekend.)
My only work accomplished today was setting up an interview and e-mailing an editor. Cross your fingers tonight's storms don't cause more flooding or knock out the power. Losing power 2 mights in one week is bad enough.
If my power is on tomorrow, I'll be busy working!
The best bit is that they've "been in business less than a Month and the interest in us is there, in a big way, but the funds for expansion haven't kept up with the need."
Um, um, but, they also have a bread and butter genre and have noticed a trend. These people have no focus or business acumen, and the "as funds become available they will be shared with all" is worse than the "we'll pay you when we start making money" line because they've already admitted that they're in the hole.
Just. Not. Bright.
And who decides to start a magazine less than one month into their new business? I really hope that they didn't quit their jobs to start this thing…
Paula, hang in there. Your rain is coveted here, but not your torrential downpours, flooding or tornados. Egad! Do you have a generator or power backup for your computer? Do you keep a laptop charged? Either might get you through for a minute or two of blog commenting. 🙂 Or maybe keep the smart phone charging in the car….
I was at that conference and picked up a USB car charger adapter that works with my laptop. They were giving these things away and I swear if I ever need remediation services for my business property, I'm calling the people who gave me that. LOL
Lori, isn't that odd? Why would anyone admit they're struggling for funding (and clueless about their business)? Bread-and-butter genre? Curious, but I'm doubting it.
I need to get the USB charger for my cell phone (if it's not too old for one, LOL). It's not a smart phone by any means. But the new weather radio has a cell phone charger – if you have the USB charger. Not like I can e-mail from it, but if the land line goes out I can still call. Luckily the landline still worked so I only used the cell phone when it was actively lightning.
I don't have a laptop (in the Mac world they're way out of my price range), and my desktop computer is 100% hard wired – no AirPort Card so no wireless modem, and I don't have a battery backup. No iPad/Pod either. Even with everything plugged into surge strips and the phone line I shut down and unplug everything when it storms since the best surge protectors can't do much to protect against a direct lightning strike.
Paula! Be safe.
I've been involved in magazine start ups and they have to have money to work… even then it's a tough road… exciting… but
I love it when you do "this job, not that job." I think many of my new freelancers at about.com need to read it.