• Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.

[Webzine] Cracked

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,617
Reaction score
7,298
Location
Wash., D.C. area
Hello folks,

I've wasted enough of my life on Cracked.com that I feel I might be able to click the "Write for Us" button and try my luck with an idea or two I've been ruminating.

Has anyone here written for them? What is your experience?

I wasn't able to find their contract on their site. Their Cracked Comedy Workshop Forum (you must have a free account to visit the forum) says they pay $150 on delivery of your draft, then $150 per article for the next four articles, then $250 per article for each one after that. If the article is one of the top 10 for the month, you get an additional $100. Payment is via PayPal.

To pitch an article idea, you post an up-to 2000-word pitch in their forum (to me they look like rough drafts of the articles), and the editors and other members comment. If the editors like it, it moves into a different forum where the editors will discuss if they want to move ahead with it. If it moves forward, they give you two weeks (with extensions if you need them) to submit your draft, and the article posts about 6 weeks later.
 

Denevius

Banned
Flounced
Joined
Jun 26, 2016
Messages
2,474
Reaction score
337
Location
Seoul
I find it humorous that Cracked articles go through such a rigorous process before being published on their site. Most of them seem life fluff to my eye, but I could be wrong. I have seen their recent advertisement of "Write for them and make money". I'll be curious to hear from those who've been paid by them for writing, too. An average of 300 dollars per article, when it seems like two to three articles come out a day, is an awful lot of expense.
 

Helix

socially distancing
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
11,695
Reaction score
12,079
Location
Atherton Tablelands
Website
snailseyeview.medium.com
I find it humorous that Cracked articles go through such a rigorous process before being published on their site. Most of them seem life fluff to my eye, but I could be wrong. I have seen their recent advertisement of "Write for them and make money". I'll be curious to hear from those who've been paid by them for writing, too. An average of 300 dollars per article, when it seems like two to three articles come out a day, is an awful lot of expense.

They pay their writers a reasonable amount. That's not to be sneered at.
 

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,617
Reaction score
7,298
Location
Wash., D.C. area
They pay their writers a reasonable amount. That's not to be sneered at.

7.5 cents a word at $150 for 2000 words. That's pro rates.

The site is insanely popular. Most of the articles posted just today have tens of thousands of views, and one at 130,000. Their advertising revenue must be huge. What they pay their authors isn't going to break their bank, but is still a good rate for short pieces.
 
Last edited:

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
16,877
Reaction score
5,196
Location
Near the gargoyles
Website
www.alessandrakelley.com
I find it humorous that Cracked articles go through such a rigorous process before being published on their site. Most of them seem life fluff to my eye, but I could be wrong.

They aren't fluff at all. Cracked articles are unusually good at getting facts right. Some of them have ongoing themes of the realities of oppressed subcultures, domestic violence, where people are being deliberately misled, and other deep and important subjects.

Rigor keeps them smart.
 

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,447
Reaction score
25,469
Location
Snow Cave
Chris, I'd urge you to go for it. Pro rates, and what's to lose? Your avatar suggests to me they're going to like your stuff.

Maryn, a good judge of such things
 

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,617
Reaction score
7,298
Location
Wash., D.C. area
Lol! Thanks everyone. The pitch is almost ready. I'm going to let it incubate a day or two then give it a shot.
 

pinkbowvintage

♔
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
964
Reaction score
112
Location
Brooklyn
I second going for it. Cracked.com is legit and they certainly don't just publish fluff; most of their stuff is very well-researched.
 

Jason

Ideas bounce around in my head
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
6,011
Reaction score
1,036
Location
Nashville, TN
I've been reading through their articles - a lot of interesting stuff. Many seem list-centric, but well-researched and documented as mentioned upthread. The more I think about it, most online reading tends in that direction anyway (blogs, Medium, etc.) Popular stuff tends to be bullet lists, or top 5, top 10 whatever kind of stuff. I like their app too - makes it easy to read distraction free.

If it pays, and you can put something together that fits their formula, the money does sound worth the effort (assuming you get approved for a draft).
 

ShaunHorton

AW's resident Velociraptor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
3,550
Reaction score
511
Location
Washington State
Website
shaunhorton.blogspot.com
I'd definitely go for it. I considered it myself at one point and made it onto their forum, but I couldn't come up with anything I thought was strong enough to submit, without going over something they had already touched on.
 

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,617
Reaction score
7,298
Location
Wash., D.C. area
Does anybody know what rights they ask for? I don't know if I would ever republish the piece, but it would be nice to know if I could.