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LA Times story: Freelance writing's unfortunate new model
Brad Mangin, Photographer
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Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 3:34 PM on 01.06.10 |
->> This is a really good story that relates to photographers also:
ON THE MEDIA
Freelance writing's unfortunate new model
By James Rainey
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-onthemedia6-2010jan06,0,3250617,full.column
Here is one of my favorite quotes from the story that relates to sports photography a little too much for many of us:
"Other publishers pitch the grand opportunities they provide to "extend your personal brand" or to "showcase your work, influence others." That means working for nothing, just like the sailing magazine that offers its next editor-writer not a single doubloon but, instead, the opportunity to "participate in regattas all over the country."
Sound familiar?
Happy reading! |
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Jody Gomez, Photographer
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Murrieta | CA | USA | Posted: 4:40 PM on 01.06.10 |
| ->> Guess this means the writers will soon know how we feel... |
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Sam Santilli, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Philippi | WV | USA | Posted: 6:39 PM on 01.06.10 |
->> USA Today was laughed at by the "real" newspapers when it came out....I guess USA Today had something there.
Ricardo's Law of Iron Wages is at work here. |
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Clark Brooks, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 8:39 PM on 01.06.10 |
->> Another great line:
"The 34-year-old Villano ... said some writers struggle because they have fuzzy, arty notions about their work. They need to act more like small business people, Villano said, diversifying their skills and the outlets they write for."
Gee, sound familiar folks? |
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Tom Weis, Photographer
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Forest Hills | NY | United States | Posted: 9:05 PM on 01.06.10 |
->> I wonder what James Rainey got paid for that article...
This phenomenon seems to be happening to any industry that can be digitized - photography, writing, audio production, video production, etc.
Digitization makes it "easy" for "anyone" to do these things, right? *wink*
It's strange to me that a writer gets paid per word instead of for the total effort put into a piece, quality of journalism/research, etc. I don't get paid per image file (at least not for weddings, fashion, sports photography). |
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Jim Comeau, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 9:30 PM on 01.06.10 |
| ->> I'm gonna start charging per pixel. |
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Matt Kartozian, Photographer
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Scottsdale | AZ | USA | Posted: 9:33 PM on 01.06.10 |
->> Tom,
I do some writing and I get paid either per story with a prearranged average length (web) or per published page (minus ads) magazine. Never had a per word gig but I am wondering who is paying $1-3 per word. |
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Dominic Hanna, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Bear | DE | United States | Posted: 9:41 PM on 01.07.10 |
->> Matt, since you mentioned it, you reminded me of this clip of a conversation between Harlan Ellison and Robin Williams...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9AGVARpqdk
One of the things he discusses, besides Hubbard, is how he lived in NYC back in the day on $30 a week and being paid 3 cents a word for a short story.
If you think this is scary, I was talking with a jeweler friend of mine a few months back over lunch, and he told me of a newspaper that wanted him to write a weekly article for their paper, as part of his advertising package. So basically, he would be paying them to contribute content to their paper. |
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Margaret Bowles, Photographer
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Houston | TX | | Posted: 11:52 PM on 01.07.10 |
| ->> I have been writing to supplement my photography income, and it is really no different than photography in terms of getting people to pay a reasonable rate. "Citizen" journalism has diminished the writing standards and the pay. Just like photography, you have to have a specialty or niche to earn a respectable fee. It is infuriating to see freelance editorial projects that pay less than minimum wage. How did journalistic skills and talent become so diminished in value? There's nothing to be done to combat the tide of "average joe" media content except specialize and develop a technical skill that the masses cannot duplicate. |
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PJ Heller, Photographer
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Santa Barbara | CA | USA | Posted: 1:27 AM on 01.08.10 |
->> As both a photographer and writer, most people today think the "free" in freelance is what they have to pay.
Think that's bad? Here's the latest from a CL ad seeking a photographer to shoot for a new magazine. Not only do they want the photo(s) for free, but included this:
"Your work will be in front of 10K potential readers in OC alone at no cost to you, all we ask for is a rebate for any shoots or gigs you may get from our marketing efforts.....we can discuss rebate details once we have seen your work."
I suppose that next they'll ask writers/photographers to pay to have their work published. |
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Matt Barton, Photographer
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Lexington | KY | USA | Posted: 8:55 AM on 01.08.10 |
->> Moral of this story... apply to law school now.
Because I see a wave of libel/slander/defamation cases rolling in soon. |
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Sam Santilli, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Philippi | WV | USA | Posted: 11:37 AM on 01.08.10 |
| ->> For the two people who gave me the Huh?'s: Ricardo's Iron Law of Wages states that there is always someone who is willing to do a job for less. Next time ask or look it up. |
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