First writing paycheque

Some of my best dollars were "first" dollars.

And on each of my birthdays, my younger brother sends a card with a single dollar in it. I spend it with abandon.

My first check came from the first story I wrote. It was for $450, which was a pretty decent chunk of money thirty-one years ago. Especially for two days work. It was, in fact, just fourteen dollars less than my day job paid in a month.

My first check was for a mystery story, "Just Like in the Movies" - $50! That was a lot for me way back then. The story went on to be nominated for a Derringer award, and has seen new life as a reprint in my current collection.

I bought a fancy fountain pen with the money, and continued to write.


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When I was in high school I covered some sporting events at my school for our local free weekly. My first paycheck? $15. I was still proud.

$5 for me, and I didn't even get a contributor's copy!

Nicole

I framed mine too!
C

My first check was for $150 for a short story contest I won. The contest was free (or was it $5?), so I made out pretty well.

First check was a humor essay for a magazine. I think it paid $125.

My first check was for 400 bucks, from a major daily newspaper. They ran little personal essay things from time to time, and I tossed off one about my dad who commuted to work on his bike come hell and high water.

They changed the title to something really, really dumb and chopped off the end, and since then no editor can traumatize me.

It was nearly ten years before I got another check that big, mind you, but it still told me I could make money from doing the thing I liked best.

The silliest "payment" I ever got was 24 cents. The check arrived in an envelope with a 25 cent stamp.

My first was $150 from The Globe & Mail.

I didn't get a cheque. It came by PayPal.

And the computer repair guy and optician ate it up. Still, it was payment for writing...

My first check for something I wrote was about $350. I opened a separate, special bank account for all such money and hope to use it as a down payment on a condo some day.

My first check was $100.00. I spent it on stuff for promotion and a picture frame for a copy of my cover.

My first fiction pay was for a short-short - 300 words story I had in a magazine called, THE HORROR SHOW and I got - a dollar! Was I happy?
I was ecstatic! I was getting small, $15 - $25 checks for writing pieces for local newspapers but...I wanted to be the next Stephen King! I kept that dollar for a long time, too but it got lost in one of our moves.

Carlene

My first check was for $6. It's hanging on the wall.

Shadow_Ferret said:

My first check was for $6. It's hanging on the wall.

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Xerox it, cash it and have a party. (-;

First check was for $75. for a poetry contest that I won. But I didn't see the check in the envelope with the magazine copies until a year later. And, desperate writer that I am, I actually called their accounting dept. and asked if it was possible to send a new check as that one was no longer valid!! I look back on that and feel so embarrassed...but the $75. but did afford me a facial and some new shoes.

I got stiffed on my first sale, a short story. Site said it paid $5 (I think, something very nominal) but they were happy to accept equivalent donations. Guess they just assumed that's what I wanted to do. I really WAS going to donate the money...just would have been nice to have been asked. I bear no ill will though cause they DID publish me afterall. LOL

$5 and a copy. I was so proud of that.

First check, $15 for a small humor piece. The photocopy is framed, and hanging next to the illustrator's photo of my first 'important' paying publication (also framed).

Firebrain said:

I don't mean this to be a crude money thread (though by all means, congrats if you hit the big time first off!).

I am struck by the absurdity of my first writing paycheque being five American dollars. I'm a Brit, living in England, lol. It was even sent to me -- along with the copy of the magazine I was published in -- as a five dollar bill. Not much by anyone's standards, but I have it in a little frame 'cause it's kind of cool in a weird way.

Anyone else have a similarly random first paycheque?!

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my first check was for seven pounds sterling, if I recall....it sits folded in a desk drawer, because it was uncashable here (and now old). Damn Brits, by now I'd have thought you realized manifest destiny has flipped and we own you guys, and you'd all be using US dollars by now, but no, the lady who sent my check can cram it in her crumpet-hole.....

(and yes, I"m joking)

I did a lot of stuff for free, but first actual paycheck was for £1800. God bless academia.

I was in a fantasy short story contest, which had 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes, as well as honorable mention. I got honorable mention, but got paid 4 US dollars more than the 3rd place winner, because my story was longer and I was paid on a per word basis. Total paycheck: $104.