Angela I was reading your column on freelance writing rates. When I saw Writer’s Digest, it reminded me of a subscription offer I received from them not too long ago. I had quit subscribing about 2 years ago when their subscriptions had raised from around $21 to $23 per year. This subscription offer was for $19. While lower than the previous rates a couple of years ago, I then noticed the word “bi-monthly.” Didn’t they used to be monthly? This got me curious. So besides checking the current guidelines, I looked at their 2002 guidelines. I was correct. In 2002 they were monthly. Now they are bi-monthly. While I’m certain part of their reason–probabIy a majority–was increasing their income, it seems to me that by being bi-monthly and only dropping the subscription cost by around $3, they wound up still not giving a little of that “income raise” to their freelance writers.

Actually, unless I misread, their freelance rates are basically the same between 2002 and now. Yet they must surely be making more money when the costs of their magazines are close to the same for 1/2 the number of mags per year. But the writers still appear to be making the 2002 rates.

The reason I had quit subscribing was because the information area of writing fiction seemed to be growing smaller and smaller. They used to put out one or two magazines a year dedicated solely to writing novels, but I haven’t even found those the last couple of years.

Is this a magazine, so popular at one time, which seems to be slowly sliding downhill–possibly because it’s not listening to what readers want?

Or maybe their stagnant rates are producing fewer queries from good writers with good pieces.

Will it still be around in a few more years?

Just a thought…

Karen

EDITOR’S NOTE: Through archive.org, WritersWeekly has confirmed that Writers Digest charged $19.96 for 12 issues in 2002, and is now charging $ 19.96 for 6 issues. So, they’re earning more per issue from subscribers and their advertising rates have increased 17%, yet they’re still paying writers the same rates they were paying in 2002. Increase your rates, Writer’s Digest!