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 math (wrongly, it seems – another reason why I’m a writer and not an actuary) and said that the price they were asking was less than 93 cents an article (correction – it was .093 cents!). Here’s what I said:

Question:
“You stated the pay is $120 -150 a month. Did you mean $120 -150 per article? I don’t want to assume the typo, so I thought I’d ask directly. The rate as stated would amount to approximately 93 cents an article, and I’m sure you want to pay at least minimum wage! :)”

Response:
Only one responded, and she was none too cordial. “It’s a low-paying job. That’s why we posted it in a ‘low pay’ category.”

Hmm. No, it’s more like a “no pay – oh, but wait! Here’s a dime!” kind of job. I didn’t write back. What’s the point? I’d waste that .093 cents of my time when I could be cranking out a 1,000-word article for that same amount! Instead, I’ll post here in hopes that someone who actually considered this type of job will read this and reconsider his or her own worth.