I’m still in Vancouver, one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. I’m still hit-and-miss with the WiFi, I imagine (writing this ahead of time), but the Writers Worth continues on in earnest!
Another day, another fantastic post! Again, many thanks to all who contributed their thoughts and experiences. You’ve helped writers in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine.
Today’s arse-kicking comes from Peter Bowerman, the Well-Fed Writer guru and coach whose every word I’d follow if I were you (and I do sort of resemble you all, don’t I?). And an arse-kicking it is! Peter felt a bit hesitant when he sent it over, thinking it was too blunt. In my mind, there’s no such thing as too blunt when you’re telling someone something they need to hear in order to better their career. I love what Peter’s said here; it’s common sense applied liberally. No matter which side of the low-paying fence you’re on, he has a wake-up call for you.
Thank you, Peter. I love what you’ve written. Amazing insight.
Why Writers Don’t “Deserve” to Make More than $5 to $10 an Article…
By Peter Bowerman
Question: Do you consider yourself to be a smart shopper? When buying something big or small – flat-screen TV or a loaf of bread – do you try to get the best price (i.e., watching the sales in the case of the TV or clipping a coupon for the bread)? If you’re like most people, of course you do, right? Okay, file that away for a moment…
Over the past few years, I’ve seen any number of articles and blog posts attacking people who posted ridiculously low-paying writing gigs on online job sites. Yet, as I read these pieces, and the ensuing comments, I’ve been a bit troubled – and perplexed – by the stance taken by some. No, these pathetically low-paying job listings aren’t a positive thing, but they don’t happen in a vacuum. The target of the anger and frustration (i.e., those listing these sorry offers) was the wrong one.
One commenter (Mike) hit the nail on the head when he said, “If you don’t like the terms, then don’t apply – simple. You see these ads over and over for one reason and one reason only – they work. I don’t like them either, but I simply ignore them. No amount of complaining is going to stop them.” But alas, his voice of reason has been all but buried under a mountain of righteous, if misplaced, indignation. How dare they? How can a writer make a living? Who do they think they are?
It all smacks of victimhood. In blaming the job posters themselves, who are highly unlikely to change their tune any time soon (and we’ll get to why in a moment), you give up control of your financial future and put it in their hands. Imploring them to change their evil ways assumes writers play no part in this unfolding drama. Wrong.
Say you were looking for writers to crank out some writing (whether for a content mill or even any one-off project someone needs to have written). And say you didn’t know what to offer said writers. What next? You’d go to some job sites and see, 1) what your fellow posters were offering, and 2) more importantly, what writers were accepting. And when you see listings offering $5 or 10 an article and a long scrolling list of writers responding with various and sundry versions of “Me! Pick Me! I’ll do it for that! I’ll do it for less!” well, you’ve got your answer.
If that same poster went to a bunch of sites, and found nothing but writers saying, in essence, “I won’t write your 500-word, keyword-rich article for anything less than $250,” again, he’d know the going rate. And in that case, think he’d dare post a job offering $5 or $10 for that same article? Not bloody likely. The cyber-hills would echo with laughter.
Of course, that $250 response is a fantasy; it’ll never happen on job sites like these. When supply (writers) outstrips demand (jobs), the reality of competition driving rates down to nothing is as predictable as the sunrise. Econ 101.
But, let’s use the argument many make: that this is even driving down rates respectable entities are willing to pay. Maybe, but here’s what’ll happen. All excited that now they can get the writing that used to cost them a LOT more done for peanuts, they hire some of these writers. And soon discover they can’t cut it. If you pay a bargain-basement writer, and then have to hire another writer to redo what they couldn’t do, it’s no bargain.
One comment read: “This vile writing segment gives professional writing a bad name.” Why should it give professional writing a bad name? Does McDonald’s give the Four Seasons (or substitute any top-tier restaurant here) a bad name? Does the No-Tell Motel give Marriott a bad name? Within many industries, there are different levels of practitioners, serving different client segments and for different rates. If it’s not your segment and not where you make your money, then what do you care what they do?
So, let me address a writer outraged by the folks placing these listings. I realize there are more issues than just price, but that seems to be the biggie, so I’ll focus on that. So, you believe you deserve to be paid more than $5-10 an article, right? Okay, fine. Question: Why do you think that? As I see it, and correct me if I’m wrong, there are only two possible answers to this question and only one with real-world validity:
1) Writers deserve to be paid a fair wage, and $5 – $10 isn’t a fair wage.
2) I deserve to be paid more because my skills are worth more than $5 or $10 an article.
#1? Sorry to say, but no writer deserves to be paid any more than the going market rate for a particular skill set, and that rate is determined by a back-and-forth process between buyers and sellers over time. Pretty much like anything else that’s bought and sold on the open market – anywhere, any time, any place.
And the key here is “a particular skill set.” Which leads to #2: that your skills are worth more than $5 or $10 an article. Well, in the case of those running content mills, they only need a certain level of writing – and no better. And guess what? Thousands upon thousands of writers have the skills to write at that modest level.
Translation? That level of writing has been “commoditized.” Think gasoline. Or milk. Or sirloin steak in the supermarket. There’s so much supply, and so little difference between one brand or another, so assuming it’s not some special variety (organic milk, grass-fed beef, etc.), prices will all be about the same. Same with this level of writing.
That being the case, if those job listers have literally hundreds of writers lining up to bid on their projects at those rates, then why on earth would they need to pay any more than that? They don’t. And they won’t.
And please don’t say, “Because it’s the right thing to do.” That sounds really nice, and warm and fuzzy and all, but you don’t really believe that. Not if you indeed agreed earlier that you were a smart shopper. With rare exceptions, you won’t pay any more for something you want than you have to, and will often take time to ferret out a lower price on a particular item. Why should you expect different behavior from these job listers?
Here’s a serviceable analogy: McDonald’s, again. Okay, so McDonald’s pays burger-flippers, say, eight bucks an hour. And given the relatively low complexity of that task, there are tons of folks out there who can do an admirable job at it. Now, clearly hypothetically, let’s say a world-class chef strolls into McD’s one day and says, “I’d a like a job flipping burgers, but given my formidable culinary skills, I deserve to make $80 an hour, not eight.”
To which, the hiring manager at McD’s is likely to reply: “Well, Chef Pascal or Luigi, I’m sure your skills are amazing, but the fact is, I only need $8/hour-burger-flipping skills. I’m happy to have you – geez, times must be tough, huh? – and I’m really sorry about this, but I can only pay you eight an hour.”
Same thing here. Content mill operators don’t need anything more than $5-10/article-writing skills. So, if you think you’re a world-class chef of writing, or at least a mid-talent short-order cook of writing, then stop applying at the McD’s of writing outlets, and instead go where the work pays far better, so your skills will, deservedly, be rewarded commensurately (like the commercial field, for starters).
And as many have accurately pointed out in their comments, those higher paying gigs are almost never advertised or posted online. You have to dig them out, which is why they pay far better. And those freelancers making the highest wages out there are usually those with a special skill or niche. In another words, there are far fewer writers out there with comparable skills. Just like our world-class chef.
If you decide not to bother seeking out better work (and it’s tough to retool your business, no question), thanks to inertia, uncertainty about next steps, or, let’s say it, laziness, that’s perfectly okay. But then stop complaining that these evil job listers won’t recognize and appropriately reward your stellar wordsmithing skills – skills which, like that McD’s hiring manager, they’re happy to have (heck, why not?) but don’t need, and hence, will be unwilling to pay for.
Oh, and as for other crazy conditions some of these listers ask for (e.g., free samples, on on-call 24/7, etc.) can you blame them? Given that writers, in droves, have already established their willingness – heck, eagerness – to be abused financially, it’s only natural to assume they’ll happily prostrate themselves again and again.
Not, that’s not exactly enlightened behavior on their part, but they’re simply reacting to the prevailing reality. In other words, in this scenario – no one abuses you. You allow yourself to be abused. And frankly, the sooner you realize and internalize that, the sooner you’ll be making the money you feel you truly “deserve” to make.
Yes, I know there’s been “rate fallout” in better-paying segments of writing, but I hear daily from writers having great years, some their best ever, and getting rates well above $100 an hour (and even more getting $75+). Not trying to be snarky, but if you want to believe the whole industry is in the toilet, it’s your right to do so, but it’s not the truth.
Adjusting my helmet, and settling into my freshly dug bunker, I await the inevitable “incoming”… 😉
23 responses to “Writers Worth Two: What You Don’t Deserve”
No bomb-tossing here. You're right. Mercedes doesn't worry about Hyundai, and Burberry doesn't care what Target does.
In fact, I just read that Burberry's is expanding. Ignore the cheap markets and focus on the ones that understand the value of better skills and better results, and are ready to pay for it.
Those Burberry raincoats cost a lot, but they last a long time (I've had mine for over 20 years).
Thanks Jodi,
Exactly. Figure out what markets your skills (skills not everyone else has!) would be a match for and approach them.
And know that those writers making $75, $100, $125 an hour aren't spending one nanosecond thinking about the markets paying $5 an article. Might as well be happening in another solar system for all it affects them.
PB
Nothing like a good butt-kicking to start the day right, Peter. 🙂 I like your emphasis on working hard to showcase your skills and find better paying work – it's the old 'how many years does it take to become an overnight success?' thing.
Straight, no chaser – sometimes that's how the truth has to be delivered to be properly received. When I first started out I didn't understand this. I spent a lot of time responding to ads. There was this missing puzzle piece – how were some writers finding these higher paying jobs? Where were they being advertised? Of course, as you so bluntly point out, they're not.
I knew I was brilliant when I started following you from the start of my freelance career. Peter. 😉 LOL!
I love this. When I moved into freelancing and owning my own business in 2008, I had never heard of content mills. I even applied to Demand Studio. But, when i got all the information and saw what they were all about, I simply declined to take part.
It was very early in my new business and I had not caught up with the content mill furor. I was frankly shocked at all the passion around this. Maybe it's an age thing, but I didn't think it was worth the energy.
I've learned tons since starting this journey. The successes AND failures are my own. I prefer to spend positive energy on continuing to grow and learn.
As Kimberly above said, "Straight, no chaser."
This is the way good advice should be given. Those who want to hear it, believe it and act on it will take it for what it's worth (a lot!) and move on.
Others will whine.
Bottom line is, your freelance career is just that — YOUR career. Take charge of it and stop blaming others for YOUR decisions.
Well said Peter; very well said 🙂
Thanks to all – Sharon, Kimberly, Cathi and Yuwanda – for weighing in!
Glad to hear the message resonated.
Of course, as someone who's been operating in the commercial writing realm since 1994, and who started on Day One waaaay back, charging $50 an hour, this all seems second nature to me… 😉
But, I understand that if you start as a writer in the content mills (or similarly poorly-paid writing), and that's your only definition of "freelance writing," then you could understandably get sucked into that world, thinking it's the one that exists.
And as Cathy said (good to hear from you! And thanks for the kind words…), because she knew of a different freelancing reality when she started out, the content-mill scenario just didn't feel right.
And yes, as Sharon's and Yuwanda's comments underscore, this ain't easy stuff. There are no shortcuts. And you need to take responsibility for where you are.
You absolutely CAN make a very good living as a writer, but if it were as easy as pursuing this type of client or that one to make a ton of money, everyone would have figured it out by now, and no one would be making ANY money.
Understand this perverse-sounding reality: the fact that it takes a LOT of hard work to get established is proof that it's a real opportunity. If it were easy, it wouldn't be real… 😉
PB
Un-freaking believable Peter Bowerman! You have the audacity to tell me that I have to search out clients who appreciate my talents and marketing my services is more than answering an add on craigslist? Who the hell do you think you are?
Tongue in cheek of course. Isn't this true of every service industry? There are high-end clients and low-end clients and part of our job is to find them. If you don't like your situation then change. It sounds so simple, but it's so true. We're in charge of our careers. Thanks for a great post.
Thanks Peter!
It's so true! Why worry about what everyone else is doing? There are a lot more ways to compete on just on price point alone. Stop worrying about the poor rates and go find the better ones.
Love it, Peter! I found a Wi-Fi connection just to thank you again for your post. Thanks again for your well- received words of wisdom.
Like I always say, if you don't respect yourself and your work, you don't give anyone else a reason to do so, either. Simply ignore the crap jobs, go after the ones that are a better fit — financially and creatively. These job posters aren't going to stop because they have no reason to stop, anymore than certain politicians and special interests are going to stop trying to take us back into the dark ages, and all for the same reason: Personal profit.
As always, thanks.
Peter, you always know how to make a point beautifully. I just saw Seth Godin's post which echoes what Peter said: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2012/05/the-tyranny-of-low-price.html
Thanks Wade, Dan, Lori, Devon and Meryl, for the newest comments!
Glad it resonated – though it sounds, with this crowd, I'm largely preaching to the choir! 😉
It's really true with anything in life: people will respond to "how you're being" in a given situation, if you catch my drift.
Go in timid, and with hat in hand, and, you send a subtle but clear signal that they can take advantage of you, and they will, even if it's unconscious.
Go in confident, certain in who you are and what you're offering, and you send an entirely different message.
In either case, people will (often unconsciously) treat you how you broadcast you SHOULD be treated. In any interaction with another human being, there's an exchange of energy, and what you put out will absolutely determine what you get back.
I've shared this link before, and some of you may have already heard it, but I make a point of listening everyone month or so, just to remind myself (yes, I need reminding, too!).
Classic stuff. And a warning: "Profanity Alert." But we're all big kids – I think we can handle it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE
That was brilliant, Peter! I will never ever complain about content mill writers again. I loved the McDonalds / 4 Seasons analogy too. Of course! Why didn't I think of that? I'm so glad I'm not a burger flipper.
When I started out I charged $10 per 500 words. I became comfortable charging that rate, and remember feeling like I must improve before I could charge more. Even though clients were always enthusiastic about my writing, I wondered whether I was worth more.
For me, even the baby step from $10 to $15 felt like a big deal.
When I eventually gained the balls to ask for a little more, I continued to win jobs like I always had. It was somewhat of a revelation.
It seems I needed to freelance for peanuts for several months before I learned this ridiculously simple lesson: if you don't ask for more, you won't get more.
I should probably be asking for more even now, but it's easy to get comfortable at a rate you know people will accept.
Awesome, Peter! The trouble with blaming others for your poor situation is that you have to wait for THEM to change before things get better for YOU.
So, as you said, we may have to work harder, and dig deeper for those high-paying gigs.
Excellent long form piece of price discovery. It's true of Odesk, Blogmutt and other crowd source services – the real winners of heavy competition.
Internationally, $5/hr can be a decent income in poor countries. English is the most spoken 2nd language; it's a natural progression as Internet resources related to virtual work that US based writers will get kicked in the arse…
It's amazing how little I think about content mills these days, since I started chasing my own clients – clients who allow me to make $500 a day on a regular basis. The facts of life for writers:
1. The highest paying writing jobs are not advertised – you have to seek clients out proactively.
2. There is no magic writing site that will make you big bucks.
3. If you're writing for less than 20 cents a word you might as well flip burgers for a living instead.
4. There is much less competition for the big money at the top. I've talked to million-dollar businesses that can't find a decent copywriter. Maybe that's because all the decent writers are wasting their time on bidding sites….
5. Writers who complain that that aren't enough decent-paying jobs out there are looking in the wrong place. Target businesses directly – by phone, email, personal networking, whatever. It works. I went from zero clients to $7500 a month in 5 months by doing nothing more than that – plus delivering quality work.
6. Never, ever, ever sell your writing services by price. Sell by unique value.
7. There's never been a better time to be a freelance writer than right now. I write about 8 months a year and travel/explore wilderness rivers/play digital nomad the rest of the year. Copywriting has given me a great lifestyle – I'm loving it!
Thanks for the post, Peter. Really enjoyed your book, too. One of the best BS-free writing resources out there.
Cheers,
Kevin Casey
http://www.kevincaseycopywriter.com
Kevin, excellent points all the way! Content mills are an absolute disaster for writers thinking it's the only way to find work. It takes time, effort, and more effort.
I love point #6 — there is never a reason to sell by price. Never.
Wow- this philosophy can be applied to just about everything in life!
Right? It fits so many situations.
This is a great article, and the relevancy hasn’t changed for 2022. Facing a gap year in employment during COVID, I turned to the Upwork and Fivver work exchange sites…rough crowd. I quickly realized two things. One, I didn’t like being in the ‘dregs’ of professional writing, and two, my academic writing skill-set wasn’t going to get me writing jobs I did want. I turned to online MFA programs, which led to reading this article for my Business of Writing course. I couldn’t have worded my feelings of 2020’s experience as well as Peter at the time, but I’ve grown since then and so has my Writer’s Worth.
“I’ve grown since then and so has my Writer’s Worth.”
That’s a great accomplishment, Lisa. I hope you take a moment to celebrate that you saw the situation and realized it wasn’t what you wanted. Too many writers get stuck in the fight for projects. You knew you wanted more and made what I suspect is a great decision.
Good luck, and please stick around. We’re here to support you.