Actually, months ago, someone admitted exactly that here. It was before Deb switched sites and I don’t know if you can still see that post here – but I never forgot it, because I posted it at my own blog and was amazed about it. Someone said they were doing it to beat the competition and were happy to do so. It was a really lame situation, but that one person can’t be the only one doing it. It’s dumb, there are so many jobs available.

Many ads aren’t legitimately seeking writers. They want typists or transcriptionsits or commission salespeople.

Many of those that actually pay offer sub-minimum wage, which is illegal, and therefore even worse than paying “exposure.” I encourage everyone to flag those ads.

Contests are another problem. They aren’t jobs or gigs.

I’ve been writing professionally for more than 25 years. Many businesspeople recognize the value of professional skills, but many think anyone can do it. People who work for less than minimum wage make it harder for me and my peers to make a living.

If you’re a beginner, and you need exposure, please volunteer for a non-profit agency. You’ll get published clips and perhaps help to make the world a better place. Please do not help someone make a profit when you aren’t getting a fair share. You hurt the profession and your long-term chances for success.

I encourage your readers to help the profession by flagging ads that are inappropriate. We can help each other by doing so.

~Graham

Just an idea — can you have these people send their ads directly to Jodee? Better yet — set up a permanent blog post and allow them to post their jobs in the comment section. That way those writers interested will be able to “Subscribe to Comments” and see the latest ads coming in.

I’m sure there are more efficient ways to do this, but this might be the fastest and easiest for you…

~Graham