Comments on: Writers & Promotion at the Hands of Strangers https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html a freelance writing resource. Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:26:24 +0000 hourly 1 By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11900 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:26:24 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11900 Jenn, I would have paid money to see that. 🙂 What gets me is they keep parroting the same BS without missing a beat. If it's such a great deal, how about HE tries it?

Right. That's not happening. 🙂

]]> By: Jenn Mattern https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11866 Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:09:45 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11866 I saw that video, and I couldn't do much more than laugh, shut it down, and take my self-respect elsewhere. The guy was clearly oblivious. She handled him well. I probably would have broken down and punched him in the nose.

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11862 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:40:57 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11862 Michael, good for you. I don't know that I'd have had the same restraint. 🙂 I think his deflection is more telling than any answer he might have offered. He doesn't have the answer because he knows what you say is true — it's a crap job paying crap wages. He has no criteria for why he's not paying more. Maybe that's what he had in his pocket at the time. Maybe he wanted to see how low writers would go. Maybe he thought "Hey! I have a spare fifty bucks–let me see how far I can stretch it." Or maybe he thinks that a writer isn't worth more than a Happy Meal.

Or maybe he's just a jerk who would be highly offended if the shoe was on the other foot?

]]> By: Michael https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11861 Sat, 02 Mar 2013 11:33:55 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11861 I got a response back from the guy who started the site. Instead of addressing my question he deflected it by asking why I didn't have any connections yet on the site. I replied but before hitting the "send" button, I did some digging of my own. Found out his experience and credentials are focused on web design and I.T.

Instead of getting into it with someone who clearly has no appreciation of writers,I took the high road, deleted my comment and stated I won't be using his site any time soon and wished him good luck.

Just thought I'd share my experience with your fans / followers.
Cheers!

]]> By: Paula https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11857 Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:35:11 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11857 BTW – did anyone notice Doonesbury's recurring storyline about a downsized reporter reduced to writing for HuffPo?

A favorite one had him trying to get an interview and being asked if he was a paid or unpaid HuffPo blogger.

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11856 Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:00:11 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11856 AMEN, Gabriella! You're preaching what I'm hearing!

The scenario you described –this is the kind of stuff that's killing journalism. How long before that seeps into other areas, such as marketing and customer communications?

]]> By: Gabriella F. https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11852 Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:58:50 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11852 Oh, man, you just got me started. I won't rant on and on, but I'll say two things.

1. I won't read HuffPo for exactly this reason.

2. Another writer friend and I were just talking about this. Her husband's friend was a writer at a big-city newspaper and got laid off. All the while, the wife was touting that her articles (unpaid, of course) were getting picked up on HuffPo. My writer friend: And they didn't see the connection!

I preach to everybody: DO NOT WORK FOR FREE. IT'S A FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION.

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11851 Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:13:07 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11851 It is a bit daft, isn't it Jake? They went OFF because Oh no! They just realized they weren't being paid (really??)! Then this? Sweet Mother of All, how daft.

]]> By: Jake P https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11850 Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:19:07 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11850 I find this hilarious. I mean, weren't these same folks bent out of shape when they didn't get a share of Ariana's fortune when she sold to AOL? Did they not learn anything? Do they have even a lick of business acumen?

Anyway, Darwin will have his way with them.

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html#comment-11849 Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:15:39 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/02/writers-promotion-at-hands-of-strangers.html/#comment-11849 Michael, I'm sorry your comment was deleted, too. Says something about the person running the place, doesn't it?

Utterly ridiculous offer. That's not a place serious writers should ever give their work to. Unfortunately, there are a lot of non-serious writers out there. What really frustrates me though? Seeing writers climb over each other to "win" this type of job. What the hell are they thinking?

Devon, having been replaced by a writer who agreed to $25 a blog post, I know exactly what happens to those clients. In fact, that one came back begging me to work for them again, only I got to choose my rate that time.

People who won't pay what I'm worth are not my clients.

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