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For the past few months, I've been freelance editing a bit from home. In looking for freelance writing and editing opportunities, I've been shocked at how many listings say they can't pay at all or much.
Jon Boy came across this blog the other day, and I've been laughing and groaning about it ever since. In what other industry do employers make long lists of what they expect from potential employees and then refuse to pay them?
Do programmers get this? ("Write me two programs a week for $100. I think that's fair.")
I really don't get why it's happening in my field, and I haven't heard of this in any other. Am I just not looking hard enough at other fields?
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Is it because there's a large number of English type majors out there who are willing to be worked to death/screwed over because there are a large number of English type majors looking for work?
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I honestly have no idea. And I'm not sure if anyone is responding to these unpaid job listings.
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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No, it doesn't happen for programmers. External experts usually get paid a lot to do the job is less time and with better results than someone in the company. Work-at-home programmers that actually work for the company get paid normally. Unless you're in an internship you're never going to code for free. I hope. :gasp:
Posts: 4519 | Registered: Sep 2003
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It doesn't happen with programmers, especially on an IC basis. I charge between $150-$200 an hour for any consulting work I do.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
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It does happen with programmers, but only on the fringes of programming. There are lots of sites out there where people post looking for work to be done for laughably small amounts. Check out this one: http://www.getafreelancer.com/
Its probably worst in the traditionally 'creative' professions -- writing, design, and the like. Many people have a hard time understanding
why good creative work is valuable and
why what creative professionals do is different from what amateurs do.
posted
Fugu, I've nver seen that site, and I guess I should point out that I've never had to go and find work, it's always come to me and had never been priced so low that my hourly rate wasn't honored.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
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Yes, it is the fringe of programming. Most programmers never run into it, luckily, but quite a few do. Be glad its a relatively rare experience for programmers, unlike for those in some professions .
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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And it's on all levels of writing. Magazine freelancing used to be a decent gig once you got a reputation and some good contacts.
If you went to a decent journalism school you used to be able to get an okay entry-level reporting job.
There are a ton of writers out there and yet the field is shrinking -- esp. for freelancers. Perversely, many column inches that were taken up by salaried reporters/writers are no take up by freelancers (at lower pay rates).
I can only suggest, Brinestone, that you...
1. Develop a niche (or several niches). 2. Develop experience in a related field so you can offer a fuller suite of creative services. 3. Network like heck.
I'm not very good at any of those -- but I'm lucky enough to have a job. Of course, I don't do as much writing as I thought I would be doing, but that's cool.
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I'm involved in the roleplaying game freelance writing industry, and the pay there is likely worse. So many writers, so little money to go around. Often contracts are worded so that writers don't see any money unless the work sees print, or they get 20% upon completion and the remaining 80% upon publication.
Sometimes companies will go under before making any payments, leaving writers totally in the lurch.
It's the same for freelance art, though established names can command a lot higher price.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I attended a panel on publishing when I was an undgergrad. This isn't the freelance writing, but the working in the industry that would publish the freelance writing.
One of the panelist made the following joke: "Publishing is a great field if your parents can afford to send you." *nervous laughter all around*
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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