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March 2, 2016

Unsolicited Advice for Freelance Writers

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Established writers are always warning newcomers not to work for free. I say do it.
What the heck. Might as well set your expectations low right off the bat. Freelance gigs for even the most popular sites pay terribly, assuming you can pry checks from the hands of their perpetually forgetful payroll departments. There are only a few dozen staff positions in the field you're enthusiastic about. No matter how much talent you have, you are valueless and incredibly easy to replace. Ten thousand people are eager to get the job done for less money as long as the companies they cover give them free t-shirts once in a while. You're fucked. This is all fucked. There are more eyeballs on the internet than tv and film but when you weren't looking everyone decided that writers should be made to suffer until they go away by either getting a job in the industry they wanted to write about or by dying in a garbage fire. -- Something Awful

Posted by gerardvanderleun at March 2, 2016 9:34 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

Everything's been cheapened down, nobody wants to pay for quality any more. Why pay $100 for the good stuff when you can get the plastic version at walmart for $3.97?

Posted by: ghostsniper [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 2, 2016 12:18 PM

With the Obamocomy you're lucky you can afford the Wal-Mart plastic.

Posted by: Vermont Woodchuck [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 2, 2016 3:24 PM

CHEAP. I have been calling this phenomenon, the Walmart syndrome for over 35 years. Quality is what I design and build and have for a very long while now. When some ass jack asks "why so expensive", I used to retort, "check Walmart". Of course Walmart doesn't offer what I do. The clowns shopping in that Zoo wouldn't even recognize what the product was used for. Amerika is basically a dumbed-down moron nation. Falling back into the jungle I suppose.

Posted by: Terry [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 3, 2016 4:10 PM

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