WTF?
April 21, 2009
Just read an ad for a full-time features writing position at a newspaper in Michigan that also required some layout skills.
Pay: $25,000-$30,000
This ASTONISHES me.
posted by Mark Terry at 1:58 PM
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
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6 Comments:
An epublisher worth millions pays $450 for 50-60 hours of editing and guiding a project from beginning to end. And then wants you not to work with any other publishers or write. LOL. Way to make a living!
I blame how disinterested readers are becoming in print, among the other usual problems associated with U.S. employers.
There's no way you can underestimate the value employers put on writing skills. Even newspapers. I wouldn't be surprised if typists get more. And, heck, no one even uses typewriters these days.
Eric--ESPECIALLY newspapers. I remember it wasn't so long ago that I got 25 cents a column inch.
The sad thing is, most newspapers can't afford to give more than that. They actually have the readership--I'm thinking of the Ann Arbor News, which is closing shop soon in spite of the fact that it has a readership of something like 65,000 readers--but it hasn't been getting the advertising it needs to stay in business.
And if they keep giving the reporters squat, we will have no reporters. Just think what happened at the shooting in Binghamton, NY a few weeks ago. No reporters, just some on-lookers with cell phones reporting about something they knew nothing about. I'm afraid that's the future of news reporting nowadays.
I'd say, they'll get what they pay for if I still lived in southern California (where the cost of living is less than it is in Michigan, no kidding). But I've found in Michigan that technical writers at least are underpaid and that their employers really do get MORE than they pay for.
I'm sure it's the same for other types of writers here. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if technical writers make more money than other writers, as they often do outside Michigan.
Beth,
Actually, I have no clients in the state of Michigan. None. I did have a few at first, but I moved away from that type of work and it's been my observation that the bulk of writing jobs in Michigan--unless you do advertising copywriting or technical writing for a pharmaceutical company--suck. I'd love to be surprised, but I haven't seen it.
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