I started out as a writer on a freelance bidding site. When I first signed up, I was amazed at how little buyers would offer for quality writing. I wasn’t expecting to see such rates as 50 cents for an article or “8 hours of work a day for $2 an hour”. Frankly, it pissed me off. I had not even started writing for the web yet and I knew my writing was worth more than that. The problem was that as a “brand new writer”, I was not going to get the $10 to $20 for an article. I can honestly say I’ve never worked for $2 an hour and I’ve never accepted 50 cents for writing for half an hour, either. But I have worked for $3 an article and I’ve put hours into jobs that barely paid for a family dinner. I averaged .075 a word for a long time.
I decide to write for the experience. According to what I understand about the typical day of most freelance writers, I packed a year’s worth of experience into 8 months. Then I got sick and there was some family upheaval to deal with and I couldn’t meet my obligations to my long-term buyers. It was hard to admit that fact to myself, let alone to those people who counted on me for content and…oh…wait a minute! They counted on me to make money for them! It finally hit me! I had been writing articles for them and they were getting paid MUCH more for the articles that I wrote! My leg hurt, my children were turning into hellions, and I was working for slave wages. I took a few weeks off.
Now, I have found a couple of buyers who honestly want quality content and are willing to pay better for it. I am not getting rich but I am not killing myself to survive.
As a little girl when I daydreamed about being a writer, I always saw myself writing stories. I love fiction! Instead, I am writing about football history, internet marketing and special “eco-friendly” kitty litter — and I don’t hate it.
Don’t get me wrong. There are times I want to throw up my hands, throw on my jacket and go eat ice cream. Some days I really want to just give up and go out and get a “real job”. [Yeah. Writing isn't a "real job". Just ask several members of my oh-so supportive family. They'll tell you. ]
Him: “Did you see that Ozzy is in a new PS2 game?”
Me: “Yes. I want to play that game. I haven’t played video games in a long, long time.”
Him: “Why? Don’t you have a system?”
Me: “I have a system, I just haven’t had the time to play.”
Him: “Oh yeah. You play on the computer all day.”
[5 minutes go by]
Him: “Karla?”
Him: “Do you not wanna chat anymore?”
Him: Going, Going….
Him: Going, Going…
Him: Okay. Love ya, see ya, bye
Him: Gone.
That would be one of the “family” referred to in my last post….
I WRITE 12 hours a day on most days. I DO NOT PLAY.
I am growing, evolving, and getting into bigger and better things.
If you are a writer and you truly love it, do yourself a favor and take some jobs for a few bucks an article. There is a chance that you write, anyway, even if it is just in your journal. Why not get make a few pennies for writing and build a portfolio while you’re at it?
