What’s on the iPod: Untitled (Love Song) by Counting Crows
A nice, unexpectedly slow day yesterday. Since most of my assignments this month are magazine articles, I have some lag time while the sources get back to me on dates and times. I spent the morning futzing with a small project, then the afternoon was personal writing time.
Those magazine articles are great assignments, but they’re not all I do. Paula brought it up yesterday, saying she’s reached the top rate at most of the magazines she works with. And it’s not enough, so her search for other work begins.
It’s true for most writers whose careers evolve thanks to hard work and time in the trenches. If you want to make more money, you either have to look for publications that pay more than the ones you’re currently writing for, or you have to go beyond magazines. And frankly, you should.
Magazine work is great, and I know there are probably people out there who specialize in it. Still, unless you’re writing for The Atlantic or similar pub that pays through the nose per article, I don’t see how it can be your sole source of income. Please feel free to prove me wrong if you’ve had a different experience.
So what happens when you’re at the top of the rate scale and it’s still not enough to meet your goals?
Ask for more. Just because it’s their published rate doesn’t mean they can’t/won’t go higher if you’re delivering what they want. Ask. If they say no, you’re not out a gig. You’re simply out extra cash. And your asking may clue them in that it’s time to raise the pay scale for freelancers.
Negotiate a retainer. I know a writer who managed a sweet retainer deal from one of the most tightwad-run magazines in the industry just by asking for it and promising exclusivity. He wrote for them exclusively and they rewarded him with a deep five figures every year. See if they’re interested in giving you a more steady check for your loyalty or for a set number of articles annually.
Move up the food chain. Sometimes you outgrow your clients. It’s okay to move on to higher-paying venues. Most industries have a multitude of publications, so finding better pay rates could be easier than you think.
Cut back on the old, increase the new. I’ve done this a few times. Basically, keep writing for the first pub, but decrease how often you work with them as you transition in newer, higher-paying pubs. Once you’ve cut your teeth a little in the new pub, you can phase out work at the older one.
Look elsewhere. If you’re making 75 cents a word with magazines and can’t get them to go higher, try ghostwriting articles for experts and corporations. You can charge per hour or per word and increase your income while providing companies with basically the same work you’d be providing for the magazines. The only differences — you lose the byline and you have to work through revisions with the clients. Knowing that, make the rate worth your while.
How do you ensure you’re paid what you’re worth? Have you ever become more expensive than the magazine you’re working for? How did you resolve it?
I know we have had the discussion before, but I rarely write for magazines EXCEPT in the role as a ghostwriter. I love that gig. They're trade publications and I get paid by the company whose byline goes on the article.
The pros ~
1. You don't have to submit queries to the magazine—and wait…and wait…
2. Your are paid much better rates (due to the ghostwriting aspect and corporations, in general, pay more).
3. It often turns into an ongoing gig.
Cons ~
It's not your name on the byline. This doesn't bother me a bit. As long as it's my name on the check, I'm cool with it. 🙂
But, if that's a problem for you, then that would be a big negative.
Cathy, exactly as you say. I have never been concerned about my name not being on a project as long as it's on a paycheck. I take other people's ideas and make them readable. They're not my ideas, so why should I get credit?
Besides, I've had plenty of bylines. My ego doesn't need one more byline — my wallet needs a few more bucks. LOL
Magazine writing isn't the only thing I do, it's just the one I do the most. It's fun and I'm really good at it. But I'm always searching for other opportunities. Ghostwriting opportunities have only come up for me once so far – and ended less than a year later when the Boston-based company hired a full-timer and didn't need me anymore.
Finding places that use ghostwriters is the tricky bit, especially in the fields I tend to cover. Yet I still try.
In fact, today a referral came through. A marketing company that uses freelancers to handle client blogs, articles, etc… So cross your fingers – I can use the extra cash. Not only is the oven glitchy (no hurry – I don't bake in the summer) and the AC broken, but now my 2-year old fridge is on the fritz. Don't you hate it when everything craps out at the same time?
Diversification is good practice for any business. When we have different revenue streams it eliminates reliance on one particular client. I want to build passive income, so I'm not always tied to the keep board in order to pay the bills.
It's funny how when you tell someone you're a writer — the first thing she thinks is of magazines, newspapers and books. There's so much more out there.
I've written for a few magazines and have one annual gig. But like Cathy said — it's the query time that gets you. The magazine gigs I've had were steady gigs that required no querying. More effective.
I'm all for ghosting. It's not about my name. It's about the work and helping clients.