Pay Ratea: Raising the bar in 2009

Status
Not open for further replies.

Tish Davidson

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
1,626
Reaction score
110
oops duplicate post. How do I delete this?
 
Last edited:

Tish Davidson

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
1,626
Reaction score
110
Pay Rates: Raising the Bar in 2009

I am not posting this in the Paying Markets forum because of the prohibition about discussing pay rates. However, this post is inspired by a job listing in that forum that offers $2.00 for 500 words. The mod in Paying Markets mentioned that there was concern about the pay rate and whether writers would get paid as the site is currently under construction. The OP in reference to the rate concern responded, “We suggest you to check getafreelancer, scriptlance, guru etc. They are offering as low as $0.5 per 500 words.”

From this response, it appears that the OP looked at other sites and decided that he/she was offering a fair rate. I’m not trying to belittle the OP or get into a discussion of the merits or demerits of this particular job offer. What I am asking is what can we, as a group of writers who want our work to be respected, do to change this mind set in 2009.

One thing is to take a hard look at what you believe your writing is worth and make a New Years resolution not to accept work that is below your personal rate standard. My thought is that even the most inexperienced writer should never accept less than $0.1 per word for nonfiction and the rate should rise rapidly with experience. My own resolution is not to write for less than $0.5 per word for material that requires little or no research and $0.15 per word for material that requires research.

Not responding to low paying jobs is about the only thing I can think of to do on an individual level, but I’m also looking for ideas on how we can discourage job sites (NOT AW, which I think handles the pay situation well) from posting rates such as $0.5 per 500 words because when people offering jobs see these rates, whether they ultimately successfully attract writers or not, it gives the job posters a false sense of what writers expect to make for their work. Any ideas we can put into place either as individuals or as a group to discourage low-ball postings and educate job posters about more realistic professional rates?
 
Last edited:

aka eraser

Fish Whisperer
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
6,795
Reaction score
1,732
Location
Gone around that next bend.
Website
www.frankbaron.com
I hear, and echo you Tish.

All we can do as individuals is disdain the bottom feeders and try to encourage newbies to set their own bar more than an inch off the ground. We need to try to instill some pride into what used to be a (somewhat) respected profession.

Let's not vie with Brazilian rag pickers as to who can do the most work for the least amount of money.
 

Zombiestare

obsessive compulsive procrastinator
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2008
Messages
27
Reaction score
6
Location
Bend, OR
I don't see what writers can do about this problem. Job sites don't really care about the writing markets or the financial predicaments of writers. They connect employers paying a certain amount with workers willing to work for that certain amount. The system is working perfectly.

People willing to work for half pennies are increasing across all the fields - writing, design, programming, editing. Free market and all that.

The question you have to ask yourself is, why do you care about lost business with people who obviously don't respect your profession. Bottom feeders protect you from employers who would be very difficult to work with. Thank the bottom feeders.

Or curse them excessively as you scroll through the thousands of jobs listed with pay rates of $.00001 a word. Thats what I do. Then I go drink some hot chocolate and bake brownies. Chocolat makes you forgive everyone.
 

Tigercub

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
Messages
133
Reaction score
97
Location
State of panic
It's difficult when even other writers think you're being uppity and greedy when you want to be paid a living wage.
 

Tish Davidson

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
1,626
Reaction score
110
The question you have to ask yourself is, why do you care about lost business with people who obviously don't respect your profession. Bottom feeders protect you from employers who would be very difficult to work with. Thank the bottom feeders.

The point is that people offering bottom feeding jobs bring down the rates of legitimate employers who look at the jobs being posted, see how low the rates are and feel that so long as they offer more than the lowest of the low, their offers are acceptable. Look at the response quoted in the first post of this thread and you can see this phenomenon in action.
 

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
29,138
Reaction score
8,563
Location
Toronto
Website
ktcraig.com
Tish,

I wholeheartedly agree with you. When I first started out I took anything and everything. I thought it was a miracle that I was even being published. I quickly learned to value my writing though. I simply ignore low paying markets. And I encourage others to do so. Writers who take low paying jobs hurt all writers. I firmly believe this.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.