Yesterday’s post about what freelance writing job ads really mean hit a nerve for many writers. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one finding many of these low and non payers ridiculous. Why is writing the only field where the client is expected to work for little or no money? The mind boggles.
A few commentators wondered how we convince newer writers not to accept low wages in order to break the habit and raise the rates. It’s not easy. Many new writers believe they have to start low, or even with no pay to gain experience and build up clips. This isn’t true at all. My first writing gig paid .10 per word. While this isn’t a fortune, I didn’t come off the gig earning $5 for my 6 hours of work, either.
So how do we convince others not to accept the low payers? Let’s brainstorm. I’ll share my thoughts and you can post your comments below.
Education – This blog and others often talks about fair wages. If more writers knew there were plenty of opportunities for them, many that pay a reasonable rate for a newbie, they wouldn’t be so inclined to accept nothing for their work.
Guidance – If new writers are looking in the wrong places, let’s guide them in the right direction. Let’s point out the jobs that are good opportunities and discuss why others aren’t such good opportunities.
Lead by example - Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk. If you think low wages are ruining it for everyone, stop accepting the gigs. Many writers who complain about the unfair wages are also applying for jobs that pay $5 or less. How can you convince your client or other writers the rate is unfair, when you’re happy to do the job?
Show us the good jobs – If you see a job that pays well and we haven’t posted it here, let us know. Post it in the comments or send it to me at deborahng(at)gmail(dot)com. I’m always happy to share the good gigs!
Now it’s your turn. What are some ways writers can become empowered and stop accepting less than a living wage?
SEO and getting a site on the first page would actually be helpful. Most brand new writers google stuff like “freelance writing jobs” and what do they see? Not the sites telling them not to accept low pay, but the ones that say, “Right here! $2/500 words!”
So they think, “That must be what it pays.”
I’m probably going to be really uncomfortable with this conversation, by the way, because you know how I feel about people accepting lower rates based on their personal situation and need. None of us are in a position to tell anyone what rate to accept, and that’s a very personal decision.
@James – you are absolutely right. And you know how I feel as well. Everyone does what is best for his or her situation. I don’t judge. However, when folks ask me how to show other writers they can do better, I answer the call.
I have begun writing my state Congressional leaders about introducing legislation that regulates what employers can pay freelancers. I have suggested that there be a minimum of $.10 per word, so that a 500 word article will net $50. While this isn’t a king’s ransom, it is a lot better than $5.00 for 500 words, which some employers have the nerve to offer.
James makes an extremely important point. In these very difficult economic times, more and more unemployed are going to be turning to freelancing if they can’t find jobs. The temptation will be to accept anything because some money is better than no money at all, especially when unemployment runs out. While the stimulus package is supposed to save between 2 and 3.5 million jobs (depending on which side of the Congressional aisle you sit), that’s probably not enough to compensate for the over 480,000+ jobs that have already been lost since November and the jobs that are about to be cut. That means that the situation with employers underpaying freelancers will only worsen as the recession worsens. Something needs to be done now to head it off at the pass, as they say.
Oh for SURE! And I’m all for that. I hope everyone commenting takes the tone of “let’s help” versus “let’s get upset”.
@ James I don’t know if I agree with you there. There is such a thing as being cruel to be kind.
It’s akin to what Deb said, “Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk.” I know it’s human nature to complain about things yet not do anything to change our (problematic) situations but sometimes it’s good to get a proverbial kick in the rear end.
As for what rates to accept, I’ll put my head on the line by starting with this:
Use the FreelanceSwitch.com rate calculator to (as accurately as possible) work out what your minimum rate is. You then have hard evidence of where you need to adjust your spending/living if you want to accept rates lower than this.
In other words (and to tie in with the article), education is the way to go in my opinion.
I think we also need to encourage and educate new writers more on how to build up their credentials. Many times, they accept low paying gigs thinking it builds their portfolio. While this used to be true – I’m guilty of encouraging this because of my pre-internet writing background, when it was pretty much a given that you HAD to build up some clips before pitching the big magazines for the better paying gigs, and you did what you had to in order to build your clip file – it’s all about the education now. And lots of encouragement, because as we all know, it can get mighty discouraging some days to open your email and find only rejections for jobs you’ve applied for, and rejection slips in the mail, etc. Part and parcel of the job of a freelance writer, but discouraging all the same.
Another great post Deb, although I have to disagree with you when you said writers are the only ones expected to work for free. I have found that anyone involved in a creative process is asked to work for free. My husband is a miniature sculptor and his work is the actual product for the company. It is what keeps the company in business but they constantly don’t pay, avoid paying or try to get originals for less then $50. He has heard it all and there are so many “amateurs” offering free miniatures, that he gets really frustrated. He is often labeled as difficult to work with simply because he asks to be paid.
I do agree with you on all of the other points though but the whole “work for free” is rampant in all of the creative fields.
I subscribe to a number of job lead services (lists that are sent out every day), and I always encourage new writers to seek similar services. In addition, I send new writers a list of great free job resources on the net (including this one!).
That said, I won’t help out a new “writer” that isn’t serious about this profession. A lot of people assume that writing is something that can be done while searching for a “real job.” Thus, I ask new writers that contact me to send me a sample of their work/experience/education/motivation. This may seem kind of harsh, but I already feel as though there are too many writing impostors out there.
Side Note: I have been getting a number of job responses lately that state “we aren’t paying at this time” or “payment depends upon your financial situation.” Where are all these non-paying jobs coming from? I wish I could warn all writers about these specific people…anyone have a soapbox?
I’ve found that you need to just stand your ground and be confident. Most of the people I’ve dealt with haven’t flinched when I’ve presented them with a certain fee. They figure I know what I’m doing and they have no idea what it takes to write a story. Granted, this is more sending out proposal ideas than answering ads but it’s the same idea in concept. Just be firm and let them know what they are getting for their money. If you hedge then they will.
Another issue that contributes to rate complacency is that some writers prefer to write for low paying content sites because they prefer not to go out and find their own clients. I’m still new to marketing myself, but I’ve seen firsthand how consistently marketing your services directly to prospects results in better paying gigs.
The ability to stand one’s ground on rates goes back to what James said about individual financial circumstances. Not everyone has the luxury to wait to find high-paying jobs beause they have bills due and they are their own sole support. In those instances, desperation is the prime motivator, and they will do what they have to keep themselves, and possibly their children going. That’s why there needs to be some kind of industry regulation that prevents employers from taking advantage of a writer’s poor financial circumstances. You shouldn’t blame the victim for the crime.
Maria, I missed your earlier post about contacting members of congress to enforce some sort of industry regulation. I’m completely on board with that idea!
I disagree that writers don’t need clips (Jeanne). I honestly don’t believe most credible institutions would hire a writer on the basis of “education” or good feelings. It’s all about the product – and writers need product.
That said, I usually recommend that would-be professional writers consider writing for smaller pubs (online or off) for lower rates IF it means getting decent clips in the area in which you’d like to specialize.
Another point I’d like to make: the fact that a company is large and well-established does NOT mean it pays well!
I started writing for a content-production arm of the New York Times Co called “LifeWire.” Through them, I had an article published in CNN.com. Not a bad thing, right? They wanted 800 words, including 4 or 5 interviews and several rewrites AND images for – get this – $250. After one and a half articles, I quit – having spent at least a solid week (7 days) of my time for a total fee of $250.
Meanwhile, I did some quick and easy writing for a new site advertised here, and earned $250 in about 3 hours.
Rates are not predictable based on client, though I will say that certain TYPES of writing (technical, medical, grant, advertising, direct mail, etc.) tend to earn more than others (blogs, poetry, etc.).
Last point: sometimes it’s just fun to write something, even if it pays poorly. A case in point: Examiner.com. They pay a penny a page view, which I think is very fair – and you write what you want, as you want, when you want. In theory, you can make a lot – though so far I don’t. But when no one is giving you a hard time, snapping the whip, or complaining about deadlines – it may well be worth it!
Lisa (www.lisarudy.com)
Just an alternative thought here on the regulation minimum pay idea, and I’m no employer so maybe I just don’t know enough here. But if such regulation comes along, how do you even enforce that?
Though I would love to know that every job I apply for would pay at least that much or more, I just don’t know about that.
But I must say, it is astouhding that you would expect even a fast food or hotel janitor job to be no less than minimum wage, and anyone seeing something for less would never buy into that.
But somehow, the mentality for freelancing (both by hiring folks and the freelancers themselves sometimes) has kind of an “anything could go” idea about pay.
Is it false advertising on the part of the employer – articles you “should” be able to do in 15 minutes, therefore you ought to make at least minimum wage for that?? Or ignorance of the writer, thinking they “ought” to be able to do that as well? And if it doesn’t work out that way, Oh well??
I don’t know. Is it because either the writers don’t respect what they are doing as work like they would if they were in a brick and mortar building? And it’s the same for the employers? Since that isn’t there, we may not reserve the right to treat this like a respectable arrangement?? Obviously, not every employer or writer is like that. But there is some kind of subculture of the freelance writing world that IS like that. And as someone else mentioned, many other creative endeavors people do for pay.
Prejudice? Ignorance? Sterotype? Self worth?
I would be one of those ‘new writers’. I was laid off last Wednesday, and I’ve always loved to write, so I started looking for freelance stuff along with something more technical. As far as being serious, If I discovered I could make a living writing, I’d scrap the other job search in a heart beat.
I am struggling with how to get started. I see a lot of random ads here and there, some of them ridiculously low paying. I almost find myself wanting to do these, just to get my feet wet, start understanding how this whole process works, but I imagine I’d get bored of getting $4 checks pretty fast.
My existing writing is pretty limited to sports, and while I have some rougher fiction stuff, I’m unsure if I’ve really got an adequate library to start doing this. I suppose I just have to start stumbling along and sending out emails to the listings I see. This blog may be one of the best resources I’ve found so far though.
I’m wondering about the business model of these places that pay so little. And I believe someone may have commented on this a day or two ago. If they aren’t planning in to pay their writers well enough to keep them or show their value, then they are doing something wrong.
Payroll is usually the most expensive thing in any business. If you’re cutting corners too much by shaving off pay to make it “all work out”, then there might be something wrong from the beginning. Certainly, some places that pay low are still around. But on the whole, that could be a warning sign of a not-so-stable employer. Never mind that you also wouldn’t get much money in the first place.
Maybe it’s about teaching writers to look at the big picture and their future with each gig, not just cash-in-hand.
OK, I’ll let someone else talk now…
How do you enforce a fair minimum wage where such a thing varies from one corner of the world to the next? Unless you are talking about a “global” minimum wage?
I think another important point to keep in mind is not to get into the work for cheap mindset. Sure your financial situation may dictate you take the low paying jobs but you should absolutely have a plan in place to get away from that as soon as possible, even if it means getting part time work as an employee!
I think new writers need to know that most clients don’t know what to pay, so they pull a number out of nowhere. If you tell them “For this project, I’d charge $X.XX,” more often than not (as long as your rate isn’t outlandishly high) the client will agree to that rate. A handful of times, my client’s budget is a bit low, and I’ll negotiate if it comes down to dollars and cents (I’d rather lose a couple dollars and hour and gain a loyal client). However, I definitely have a predetermined point at which I won’t negotiate any lower.
When I started freelancing, I was scared of losing business by charging too much, but I followed the advice of more experienced copywriters and I set a rate that paid myself a livable income. I’ve never lost a client because of my price – I’ve actually gained the respect of my clients by charging what I do because my rate reflects that I am a seasoned professional that knows what he’s doing.
The bottom line: If you’re a new freelancer, don’t be intimidated by the market and your lack of experience freelancing. Be confident and your attitude will command respect. Research what other reputable writers in your field charge, and set your prices that reflects the great value of your work.
I’d also like to point out that 9 out of 10 of my clients need a lot of hand-holding. Most of them have never worked with a freelancer before, and they need me to tell them how the process works and what’s going to happen. That absolutely includes my price and billing. If they’ve never worked with a freelancer before, they’re usually not going to know how much a freelancer costs to hire, so you need to tell them and you need to set a precedent that freelancers won’t work for pennies.
I think what everyone said here about confidence is absolutely correct. It may even be advisable for the beginning freelancer to engage in personal confidence-building through public speaking, exercise or anything else that they think will boost their confidence levels.
I also think that it is necessary to work cheaply when starting out, just not for ridiculous rates like $5.00-$10.00 an article. Until you really build the clips and experience you can’t effectively command market rate IMHO. To get an idea of what “market rate” is see @James’ awesome article on menwithpens.ca (James, you are a golden god.)
I’ve never taken a low or no paying gig.
I’m actually a bit of an expert in my field and 80% of my time each day is taken up by technical writing. The killer is, I’ve been trying to do some free lancing and can’t seem to get published.
I’m seriously considering giving something away just to get a by line.
@ Angela – Heheh, Deb’ll never let you live that Golden God stuff down
I actually recommend people DO briefly (I’ll repeat: briefly) write for dirt wages (see this post: Why You Should Write Cheap Articles), because it gives people great insight and a learning experience they can use to better help other writers get out of that low-wage rut and with understanding.
Face it, writing is a profession AND a hobby. Many people write just for the fun of it and if they find out they can get paid pennies for what they were already doing for absolutely nothing, they are way, way ahead from their perspective.
I find the discussion on getting government involved postitively horrifying. This is one of the few free markets we have left! Don’t think for a minute that if you succeed it will not end up biting all the high charging true professional writers in the butt. Everyone is making voluntary transactions here, no one is twisting anyone’s arm so can we please cut out the “we oughta have a law” stuff?
There are simply different markets out there. This reminds me of the people who get mad at Walmart. People who operate their little specialty stores get teed off at Walmart like they are doing something wrong offering alternative products at prices people want to buy. Those people who buy the cheap rug aren’t their target market. They were never going to buy your fancy handmade one-of-a-kind rugs anyway.
So sure, let’s talk about how to help people (and I’m one of them) who are new to freelancing and serious about it being their profession. But quit worrying about those who are happy to just make a couple dollars doing what they were doing for fun anyway.
And I agree a lot of it is confidence.
Just my two cents worth: I noticed the item for an advertorial writer offering $150 for 1,000 words; while better than some of the craig’s list item, advertorial work commands $1 a word — on the low end of the scale. So even some jobs that seem to be better paying are terrible.
Deb – you are the goldenest god. Just saying
If there is anybody who feels like being a mentor for the morning
I would LOVE some advice and I have a few questions. I would also appreciate somone who has a second to look over some of my work to get honest feedback.
You can email me at rachisaacson@yahoo.com (not sure if I should post a link here…)
Thank you in advance!
I would like to address a couple of the issues that have been raised. First, if leislation were to be enacted, its regulation would fall under the Department of Labor (in this case the resident’s state DOL), and in the event that an employer violates the law, a complaint is filed and the DOL investiagtes. Let me tell you from personal experience, when the Feds come in (I have been a corporate HR employee in companies where this has happened)they don’t leave any stome unturned. It is the last action any employer wants because the company is monitored for several years once they get onto the the DOL’s radar.
Secondly, while Marc’s notion of having an alternative plan would be feasible under normal economic conditions, this economy isn’t normal. The current crisis is the worst since the Great Depression, and as such we haven’t come close to bottoming out. The 480,000 plus lost jobs (according to Forbes’ lay off tracker) is merely the tip of the iceberg because as anyone who has ever worked HR knows, spring/summer have traditionally been lay off times because business slows. There is also the problem of no one really knowing the extent of toxic assets on the books of financial institutions. Put these two conditions together, and you have a really explosive situation in terms of finding employment.
While fast-food places pay minimum wage, you are not competing with other countries at your area fast-food and that changes the playing field.
Look at it from this standpoint. How much do you pay for a gallon of milk and a gallon of gas where you live? I’m in Vermont and a gallon of gas right now is $2.09 in my town, milk is $2.69 a gallon. No public transportation so gas is not something you can skip. Average rent here for one-bedroom is $600 a month. Obviously, my cost of living is different, so therefore my financial needs are also different. A $5 an article writing job is going to get me farther than someone in NYC or LA.
I once chatted with a freelance writer who was quite happy to work for minimal pay because what seems puny to us was a hefty sum to her. For that matter, my friend works for Morgan Stanley and she’s told me that if you call their 800 number you are often talking to someone in India because of outsourcing. They pay these workers a fraction of what someone earns here and in the end it is a company’s bottom line that matters to them. It happens and there’s little we can do to stop it unless, as some one else said, a global minimum wage is set. It’s really not realistic.
My two pennies on writers becoming empowered and working for what they’re worth: one thing that works for me is reading about other writers who command good money and won’t back down because they *know* what they can make.
One case in point is a recent article on mediabistro.com (you can’t read the article, though, unless you’re a member, which I think is *very* worth it for that excellent site) about a full-time journalist who took the freelancer plunge in ’07. (Story on the MB site is called “Staffer to Freelancer.”) His first year out on his own he made $95,000. Yes, yes, I totally understand that he’d already cut his teeth as an experienced journo with a big mag, he had lots of great clips to his name, good contacts, etc. etc. My point is, that story reminded me that there definitely can be excellent money in freelancing, and I can get there too, if I keep working hard and value my own writing. It’s an inspiration.
I also read an interview with Esquire writer Mike Sager, and he noted that back in 1983 he was making $1/word. He is appalled that rates have slid downhill over the years.
So…just sayin’, it’s nice to know there are heavy hitters out there going to bat for writers! Even if they aren’t in charge of what’s paid, they say out loud that writing needs to be paid better.
And yes, I realize both those sources are big-time article writers…but they each started somewhere, and they refuse to accept less than what they’re worth. Our words make money for other people, so we should expect–and get–good money in return.
@James: All that said, I agree with you too. I recently took on a lower-paying gig because I’m trying to beef up my portfolio, since I’m returning to freelancing after several years of not. I have some good clips, but they’re old, so I’m diving into familiar topical territory that I can write about quickly yet well. As I get more recent clips, I start to boost my rates and won’t go back down!
Great topic, Deb, thanks.
A poor economy is no excuse for not having a get out plan though.
Via @hownottowrite (Twitter)
“For many, the danger lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in aiming too low and achieving our mark.” ~ Michelangelo
I’m trying to get into the business and I do quite a bit of work on Elance. I’ve had some good experiences there and some really bad ones yet that’s where 99.9% of my work comes from–affiliate marketers mostly. (Dealing with some of them can be . . . interesting.)
Through them I’ve actually had several retun customers (a fairly famous affiliate marketer and a helath and wellness coach) as well as touching on celebrity (re-writing poorly constructed bios for a Hollywood model) but nothing that pays close to what you all are suggesting should be a minimum.
I’ve had a couple of articles appear in local periodicals and they pay pretty good ($100/1000 words) but it’s hard scratching.
As a beginner in the freelancing market, I just don’t know where to look for decent jobs. My local area is so rural and dirt poor that none of the local businesses are going to pay me anything (they prefer to go to in-house all-in-one deals like the local tv stations and radio stations even if the stuff they are producing is crap!) Even the local paper I write for doesn’t pay! (They offered me $25/500 words but I’ve only received one check from them after 6 months so I’ve kinda given up on that.)
I troll through here but honestly 90% of the listings I reply to never even get back to me. I don’t know if somebody else has already jumped on them or what. I mean, I think I have some seriously good samples.
I scroll through craigslist as well but have had no joy on that front either.
I had a primo blogging job lined up until the fellow posting it decided to pull the plug and concentrate on something else.
My biggest money maker wasn’t even a writing gig but one I landed because I had rwritten for the website owners before. It was actually a data mining/article posting job for a Japanese news website.
I get kind of frustrated when I ask advice from people who have been in the business for a long time because they always have the opinion that there are good paying jobs just lying on the ground for me to trip over (look at some of the posts in this thread!)
If I do get them to speak one on one (I love twitter for that) they mostly feed me a line about 90% of their income coming from return customers but never let on how they scored the gig in the first place.
I’ve started using Associated Content but they pay almost nothing. I’m in the process of launching my own entertainment blog and hope to make some cash from adsense but. . .
I’ve read a couple of books and most of them advocate direct mailing/cold calling/etc. but I really can’t go far outside my home territory and want to use the web as my base of operations until I can make enough writing that I can quit my fulltime “real” job.
Wow! Didn’t realize I had that all in me. Maybe I need a therapist not a BB thread posting
Anyway, I would really appreciate direction (maybe a website with the good gigs, book I could read about how to find them, or a slap in the head or something.)
Thanks
I am not saying that a poor economy is an excuse; however, it is a major obstacle that has to be accounted for. The availability of jobs will affect the viability of the plan. As the economic downturn worsens, that aspect of the plan will be harder to achieve.
Very few writers aim for low-paying jobs, but that doesn’t mean they may not be forced to take them. Being established in one’s field certainly gives one a leg up on the competition, which in turns makes an alternative plan a lot more viable, because if you have credability, you can provide references, which makes employers far more willing to take a chance on you even if you are entering a new field. That’s why so many people turn to Social Networking, like Twitter,(myself included)to gain a certain amount of additional credability to add to that which is provided by references.
All of this takes time, but bills are due now. If you don’t have all of the accountrements to make Plan B possible, it isn’t you aims that are the problem, it is the reality of the condition you find yourself in.
I think that it’s probably impossible to totally control what others do. Even legislation may not help since many of the organizations who pay the low wages are located out of the U.S. Also, most low-paid writers work as independent contractors and not employees.
Education is probably the answer. Ultimately, each writer makes the decision about what kind of pay to accept on their own, so heavily publicizing the issue could influence writers not to accept low paying projects.
Maybe we could all pick the same day to broadcast and publicize the fair wages issue (sort of like blog action day, we could call it don’t write for peanuts, or something). If enough writers blogged about it at the same time it might get some kind of coverage in traditional media.
I think if writers truly realized what they could make most of them wouldn’t be satisfied with low or token or payments for their work.
@ Laura – That ‘action day’ idea is actually a great idea. One problem is to pick a threshold, perhaps, because the information for readers could be just as confusing if people start putting their own info.
“Don’t write for less than $250 an article!”
“Don’t write for less than $25 an article!”
“Don’t write for less than $500 an article!”
… huh?
BUT! All that said, there is a great idea in there, mmhm.
You can be a freelancer, and still be an employee for the oompany you write for in the eyes of the IRS, even though it may be temporary employee status for the duration of the contract. Making a sweeping statement about a designation such as freelancer, making you independent and not protected by legislation isn’t accurate.
In addition companies outside U.S. territorial borders that hire U.S. employees are subject to U.S. laws and codes, especially the IRS Code and employment law.
I simply don’t understand what you would be educating writers about? They already know that they have a right to a living wage, and that there are higher paid writers than they are. Telling them to stand firm until they get more money is a bit too unrealistic given the realities of supporting oneself and one’s family. You can talk, blog and get media coverage until the cows come home, but if all that’s available to them personally is low paying jobs and they have responsibilities, guess which side of the fence they are going to come down on? That’s why this situation persists and why writers have been discussing it for an eternity.
Great idea Laura. Don’t listen to Mr Negative, he’s got man-flu
It can be called “Don’t write for peanuts!” or “Don’t write for less than you’re worth”
What you all saying is well and good!.I haven’t applied for any jobs paying under $20,($15)the minimum I’ll accept.It’s in your best interest to be leary of those paying under even that amount.True educate or learn through your personal-experiences to decide what you’ll accept.Here’s some sites with decent pay,some you may know writers weekly,freelance switch,writer’s find,sunoasis,poe war.
Mere peanuts to one person is a delicasey to another. How do you put a price on self worth?
Companies outside U.S territories that hire *non*-U.S employees are *not* subject to U.S laws and codes. Your kind of legislation is a logistical nightmare to implement on a global scale.
Laura said it herself; “heavily publicizing the issue could influence writers not to accept low paying projects.”
Sorry but I just don’t agree with the statement “all that’s available to them personally is low paying jobs”; they’re not looking/working hard enough.
FreelanceSwitch.com’s rate calculator is just one of several different ways of figuring out what your time is worth. After entering all your personal and business expenses and an amount you want to save/earn it tells you the minimum rate per hour you need to break even.
Simply put you cannot accept jobs which pay less than that.
I am new to the freelance world and I have to say it’s not all about education. I have a B.A. in English, but I have never been published. Most of the jobs I see want clips and if you don’t have them don’t apply. Of course there are plenty of jobs out there that don’t ask for clips, but those jobs are usually the lower paying jobs. So what does a person like me do? I have to admit I have been picky in my search and haven’t bid on super low paying jobs and I really don’t want to write an article for $5, but I have to build some kind of base for myself. I have been applying and applying and applying and have yet to land anything concrete. So now I am thinking that I need to start bidding on those $5 , $10 jobs just to get clips. I agree that having a degree probably does help, but having a proven track record seems to be the key in landing higher paying jobs.
Hi James!
I don’t know if you have to actually pick a specific amount. For one thing, not all freelance writers do the same type of work. Quoting a figure per article would make no sense to a freelancer who primarily edits, one who creates research documents, or a fiction writer.
The goal would just be to make writers aware of how much their work is potentially worth. Bloggers could link to one or more surveys about writer compensation. Here’s one here: http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=Writer&l1=US (probably not the best). Alternately, this blog could commission its own survey.
Marc also has a good idea about Freelance Switch’s rate calculator, although that may seem too complex for a writer who is just getting started.
I’m siding with Maria.
Right before Christmas, my husband’s employer switched workers to 32 hour work-weeks. We were losing about $150 a week. He was told about it on a Friday and the first day off would be Monday. So we didn’t even have a week’s notice.
I have four high-paying clients, but they couldn’t give me more work and we were $150 short per week. He went to the area grocery stores and fast-food restaurants looking to see if anyone would hire him for just one day per week and every single one told him that they have no openings right now.
You can bet that the very first thing I did was rush out, hit up Textbroker for as much 4-star rated work as I could find to try to make up the difference in pay. Try telling your power company that you are paying late because you can’t find “higher paying jobs.” They’ll laugh at you as they pull your power.
We made it through by dropping our phone service, keeping one prepaid cell phone instead that he took to work because there is no cell phone service at our house. We dumped our satellite TV subscription and bought a hell of a lot of ramen noodles. I used up every spec of food I had left hoping to turn garbage food into something with a speck of nutrition. The state quickly told us that even with the temporary loss of pay, we didn’t qualify for any assistance because it was just that “temporary.”
Thankfully, that’s over and he’s back on full-time. But he’s still not safe. They just laid off a third round of workers and who knows how much longer the plant will survive. You see he works for a locally owned firm that design and manufacture the cabling that goes into your cars- your brake cables, power window wiring, etc. If the auto companies go belly up, so do they. After 31 years with this company, he’ll have to start from scratch.
Of course, they aren’t. U.S. laws provide protection for U.S. citizens, just as the laws of any country provide protection for ITS citizenry. You cannot pass global legislation with a few exceptions (global warming being one of them). No one is trying to police the world. However, you can enact legislation to protect U.S. citizens, and perhaps start a writer-to-writer campaign around the globe that asks them to petition their own country to enact similar legislation.
As for your statement about not looking hard enouh, it isn’t quatifiable; how hard is hard enough, and therfore specious logic.
Rate calculators use subjective criteria, meaning you make the determination what expenses you enter. Having written for the risk management industry for a several years, no two rate calculators yield the same response. You happen to favor that particular one, what if I use another, does that make me wrong?
@Anne G. – That’s what I’m talking about!
@ Maria –
How would US citizens feel if another country started petitioning them and telling them how they should behave?
I don’t think that’s an area anyone should start getting into here. Politics is sensitive stuff.
@James Far be it from me to tell anyone how to behave. First of all, I said “ask” them to petition their own countries. Having had many conversations about this with writers from other countries, this is an issue that isn’t unique to the U.S. Yes, politics is sensitive stuff, however, if people feel the same way then uniting for a common goal wouldn’t be the worst thing.
I should add, that right now we have enough on our plate trying to resolve this issue here to worry about global ramifications.
I don’t think freelancers have enough clout to get legislation like that enacted, good idea or bad idea. We’re not really organized. We don’t have a lobbying arm or anyone standing up and making noise for us. So we just need to make the noise ourselves.