I read your post about Examiner being an evil empire who makes money off people’s clicks. While I agree with you for the most part, it isn’t all that bad of a business model, for them especially, but it isn’t bad for people like myself as well.
It was a sunny morning in Freelancetopia. The birds were singing and the flowers were blooming. It was so nice that Princess CeeGee declared it a good day to write. With the royal family away, all of her distractions were gone.
Sitting down at her laptop she began unwrapping an enchanted chocolate bar, which contained magical properties that could make a writer very happy! In chocolately bliss, the princess surfed the web until she came across a nasty article titled: “Why Journalists Deserve Low Pay”. The princess was no journalist at a newspaper, but she could not help but notice how little a writer’s work was valued. She was seeing $2 writing jobs everywhere, even at her favorite jobboards. This made Princess CeeGee very sad, and broke. She was just starting out as a freelancer and couldn’t understand why some editors weren’t paying reasonable rates. If this kept up, she could not pay the mortgage on the royal palace or buy enchanted chocolate.
I am curious to know your take on a situation I have encountered the last few months with publications–their editors, in particular–whose “writers wanted” ads I have responded to after seeing them listed in WritersWeekly’s jobs and opportunities.
The issue is this: professional courtesy and timeliness in responding to e-mail and returning phone calls.
Manga? What’s that? Japanese comic books? A few years ago, when I first encountered Manga through my niece’s obsession with it, I viewed it with amazement and curiosity. What was this new-to-adults writing form? Now, some people advise to never expand into other writing areas, for fear of jack-of-all trades, master-of-none syndrome. But, by being curious, and pursuing my questions, this short story writer opened up whole new areas for lucrative writing success.
UNDER INVESTIGATION: Tove Warmerdam / Seattle Dog Magazine / seattledogmagazine.com / Queen Dog Publishing – The State of Washington is pursuing their case against Tove Warmerdam for alleged Identity Theft.
COMPLAINT about Thoroughbred Style Magazine – thoroughbredstyle.net / Silks Media Corporation / silksmedia.com / Larry Simpson –
also associated with Horsepower World Pool / horsepowerworldpool.com – Writer alleges she’s owed $354.75 and that this publisher sent her a bad check.
COMPLAINTS about Freelance Home Writers / FreelanceHomeWriters.com – Numerous complaints about this outfit have been posted online.
None of our children has ever had imaginary friends…until now. Mason (age 3) has suddenly acquired a pet that nobody else can see.
Last week, Mason came into our room, with his tiny hand outstretched, and said, “See my lizard?”
Thanks!
Just wanted to say thanks! I gave my friend the ad for a Spanish-English translator. She got the job and is thrilled to be able to work from home and remain a stay-at-home mom.
Thanks again,
B.S.
The thought pops into your head. It’s brief but it’s funny. It makes you laugh out loud. It’s a slogan that says it all. Why not see if a button company likes it enough to pay you for it?
Q. The editor of the local paper, who serialized my first book after it was published, suggests I serialize my next book as it progresses, BEFORE publication. What do you suggest?
A. The original star of electronic book serialization (not newspaper) was famous novelist Doug Clegg. Years ago, long before Stephen King took a shot at it, Clegg was distributing a free chapter of his book to his fans every Friday, via email…
My father-in-law once told me that the reason he didn’t have grandchildren yet was because I was wasting my maternal instincts on my pets. I had to laugh at his comment, even while I admitted it held some validity.
Like many people, my pets are like my family. So when my cat, Tigger, developed a serious medical condition, I was willing to do whatever it took to make him well again. As I wrote the bigger-than-my-mortgage-payment check to cover Tigger’s surgery, the writer in me was already thinking of a way to use the experience – and recoup some of that cash.