Oh, great point, Devon. I hadn’t thought to look for the same offenders, as it were.

I’d like two t-shirts, please. 😉

One of the things I like about looking at the listings (even when I don’t apply) is that I can see where
there are frequent turnovers (also known as companies to avoid).

We must have the same crotchety approach, Dava. 😉 Agreed — it’s all good as long as you’re working. I fall back on magazine pitching. Thankfully I’ve not had to have a fallback approach for a number of years. But it’s there if I need it.

And I’d bet you’re younger than I am. 😉

Whoa, THAT is too controlling! I agree with you — you are not at her beck and call. How does she know you didn’t tweet that from a dentist’s waiting room or in line at the DMV? She doesn’t. It’s none of her business where you were. That kind of stalking is inappropriate in anyone and way, way out of bounds for a client.

Pity her employees. Imagine the scrutiny they’re under. Egad.

And I appreciate those listings, Paula!

That’s what’s disturbing (well, besides the cruddy pay) — the language they use. “Positions” itself bothers me because it suggests they’re hiring a bunch of writers. That’s a red flag. The more writers they hire, the less they’ll want to pay each of them.

But you’re right. “Position” implies a job and a job comes with benefits. Worse are the ones that say you must be available for X hours a week. No, I’m freelance. I must meet deadlines that I’ve agreed to, not be on call constantly.

The higher up the client food chain you go, the more those irksome things disappear.

Over the past couple of years I’ve noticed that a couple of content companies always have ads for the SAME freelance “positions.” (Um, for starters, “position” implies “job,” and jobs require benefits. Freelancers aren’t on staff.) Seeing the same listings from the same place over and over tells me they have a very high turnover. One time I dug deeper – they didn’t pay much at all but wanted the world. No wonder they constantly need to look for new writers and editors.

Being a cynic isn’t a bad thing, Diane! Thanks for sharing your experience. That does help!