These lousy job postings for freelance writing gigs are becoming more than a little ridiculous. The fact that I’m posting the fourth one in a few short weeks shows that they’re also becoming prolific.
This one comes to us via fellow writer Libby, who said she emailed the poster to get a response on payment. Crickets.
Folks, yet another installment of This Job, Not That Job.
We believe content is king in media. We currently have an open call for articles / features. The main focus of the call is Virtual Facilitation. (Using technology to meet virtually rather than in person.) This is your chance to be featured (good PR) with your by-line. There is no charge to you for this service. 1. The article should be about 1,000 to 2,000 words in length. 2. The format should be MS Word. 3. How you have supported or driven the New Norm. Let me know if you want the form letter describing the call.
Okay, even without payment info, we know this is going to suck. And here are the red flags:
We believe content is king in media.
Show of hands — how many see at least two things wrong with those seven words? Let’s count them:
- They resorted to an overused, tired old cliché (Content is king? Really couldn’t find anything better?).
- In media. Since media is primarily content (even visuals are content), this is redundant.
- It’s wordy, even for seven words.
- It shows they have no idea how to write.
- And they want to judge your writing.
- They don’t say who “we” are.
- They can’t make even their first sentence compelling.
Wow. That’s seven things wrong with seven words.
But wait — there’s more.
We currently have an open call for articles / features.
Hold the phone. Are we writers or actors? Open call? Come on. Stop trying to make this sound cool. Also, “open call” for articles” (emphasis on the plural) means they’re buying in bulk. That translates into low-paying gigs every time.
Every time.
No really — every time.
The main focus of the call is Virtual Facilitation. (Using technology to meet virtually rather than in person.)
Oh, for f* sake. Did they just turn a Zoom meeting into a buzz word? Seriously? Virtual facilitation, according to their parenthetical description, is a freaking video call.
This is your chance to be featured (good PR) with your by-line.
Translation: This is our chance to convince you that not getting paid is a great opportunity. If they didn’t tell you what they’re paying outright, they told you right there. You’re not getting a damn dime from them. You’re getting …. wait for it …. exposure. Because I’m sure you, like me, signed up for a career in freelancing for all the nudist opportunities, right?
Wrong. Moving on:
There is no charge to you for this service.
Oh, happy day! You get to bust your ass writing for these freaks and guess what? They won’t bill you for your time! Wow, what great guys, right?
Wrong again.
1. The article should be about 1,000 to 2,000 words in length. 2. The format should be MS Word. 3. How you have supported or driven the New Norm
Wait — what happened to the old Norm? Is he sick? Did COVID claim him?
Let me know if you want the form letter describing the call.
Um, I’d like a form letter (??) describing what the hell this guy is talking about. Call? What call? What form letter? What the hell?
Okay, so this is what fell when you shook that tree full of nuts. But we can do better. And we will if we look for things like this:
Looking for travel-related stories (no first-person accounts of AirBnB experiences). If you have a great story about an Airbnb home or experience that you’d like us to consider for an article, you can submit your idea to stories@airbnbmag.com.
Pay: reported to be up to $2/word.
Look at that! You get to write on something you love instead of trying to replace “video call” with “virtual facilitation” in your articles on how you, dear writer, have supported Norm in all his endeavors….
Writers, what are you seeing these days?
Have you ever been taken in by a posting that turned out to be less than advertised? What was it like?
4 responses to “Writers Worth: This Job, Not That Job”
I just posted an article about red flags in listings over on Ink-Dipped Advice and suggested they check out your “This Job, Not That Job.” I saw this listing — it made me roll my eyes.
It’s astoundingly bad. And Libby said she heard back from the job poster — no pay.
Next!
OMG. How did I miss this post? (I’m guessing that there have been so many horrid “job listings” lately that I assumed I’d seen them all.
Ugh. Ugh. A thousand times Ugh.
You missed it, Paula, because you don’t go looking for work in job listings. 😉
You know me — I don’t post a lot of these. But lately, it’s been like a blight. Good time for a reminder on what to look out for, I figure.