What I’m reading: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s on the iPod: Untitled (Love Song) by Counting Crows
Part of understanding your worth as a writer is identifying a lousy deal when you see one. Sometimes they’re not easy to spot — they’re wrapped in layers of exclamation points, copy, or details so that the smell isn’t so apparent. Ah, but they still stink.
Thanks to Jenn Mattern for sending over two job listings she came across. I’ll be sharing them with you, one at a time, so that we can dissect them and ferret out the stench. Today’s listing:
XX YY brokerage/lending company seeks a blogger to create two blog entries per week for the next four weeks.
One entry will be geared toward borrowers, and the other toward investors. Articles will be no longer than 685 words
We’d prefer someone who has experience writing in the financial sector, or real estate. You will be expected to create genuine content that will be checked for plagiarism! There are also SEO expectations for each article, which must be consistent.
Yes, we said XX YY brokerage/lending company, but if you think that means you should bid an amount over $50 per article, just don’t bid!
Okay, it takes no genius to see this for a raw deal. I hid the name of the company because I truly don’t want them getting any more coverage, but let’s just say the name infers there’s a lot of cash coming your way. Oh, the irony! Let’s see why:
They want experience. No problem, for you are a pro. However, that next line screams way too much at once: “…expected to create genuine content….checked for plagiarism!” No trust right away. Also, no clue. If you want specialty writing, you’re looking for a pro who already knows this.
“There are also SEO expectations.,,” Huge red flag. On its own, this sentence wouldn’t be worrisome, but coupled with the plagiarism talk, and you’re now smelling something.
And the clincher: “…if you think that means you should bid an amount over $50 per article, just don’t bid!”
Why this sentence alone makes me want to reach through the monitor and throttle the person who typed it: They’re asking you to bid on a job, so clearly the quality of your work is trumped by price. Instantly. Also, they expect you to compete blindly on price alone. Nowhere is it mentioned that they want samples. So the job goes to the lowest bidder.
The real kicker? They expect to teach people about how to make money, but they’re already bitching about paying $50. And that’s for specialized skills. And they’re telling you not to bid if you’re worth more.
Next.
Instead of working for losers like this, try a more legitimate client:
Magazine covering greater Cincinnati business, including features, news, trends, lifestyle, and other topics.
Pays $75-600 for articles from 200 to 2,000 words in length.
Seriously. A legitimate market, a clip you can use, and a client who starts the relationship treating you like the professional you are.
Writers, have you ever worked with a client who called all the shots, including price, at the outset? What was the experience like?
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