So, I’ve been thinking, this morning, about a question that’s been running through my mind/ life/ blogging experience. That question is – whether or not it’s worth it to write for other blogs. Should you do it or are you better off just concentrating on creating your own thing?
Now, I don’t mean guest posting – here, on WordPress – on another fellow blogger’s site. For example, I also run Canadica and that regularly runs posts from a wide variety of bloggers. Posting on someone else’s site on WordPress seems to be more of a fun activity than anything else. At the very best of times, it drives some more traffic to your own site or widens your audience.
That can’t be a bad thing.
But, I’m talking about writing for other sites outside of the WordPress community and usually, trying to write these posts for money.
The writer/ per post rate out there seems pretty much abysmal to me. I’ve been offered article writing positions for $15-30 per article. The client usually says, “I know that’s low, but we want very short pieces under 700 words and that shouldn’t take more than an hour of your time.”
This picture has nothing to do with this post, but it’s an interesting way to fish…
Riiiiigggggght. What amazes me about that low of an offer price is that it doesn’t take into account ANY of the research you might do for a 700 word piece. For example, I had a site that wanted me to write about LA comedy clubs. I know a lot about comedy clubs, so it should be easy, right? Yes, but it depends on what kind of quality you want to put out there. I can write a piece on comedy clubs in under an hour, no problem. However, that’s not how I do things. I’d want to go to each club, experience each one, note what I like and don’t like about them, and THEN write my piece in under 1 hour. So, the whole “write 700 words in under one hour” doesn’t put into account all of the hours I may spend “investigating” the various comedy clubs. Hell, I could do a post like this without leaving my house, I’m sure, but at the very least I’d still look up each comedy club and read their visitor reviews. I have no doubt that I’d spend at least an hour doing that. That’s an hour to write the piece and an hour to research it – 2 hrs minimum, equaling about $7/ hr. That sucks. Plain and simple.
I have also been offered about $50-75 per quality post by other sites. And still, I’m not sure if it’s worth it.
My days of piecemeal income and spinning every plate I can to try and make a living are over. I’m attempting to go for the “big kahuna” in some way. I think the big kahuna only comes when you create it yourself for people like you. Everyone who gets “it” and you and what you’re trying to do will enjoy it to no end and everyone else, well, “feck ‘em.”
That’s how you go from a plate spinning freelance writer to a brand-name, David-Sedaris-type. At least, I hope that’s how it works.
The problem is that money is hard to turn down. Regardless of how small it is, I have a deep work ethic and there’s a part of me that goes, “$15 in the hand is better than $100K in the imaginary bush.”
Like a lot of things in life, while difficult – I think holding out is the ultimate way to achieve something completely original. Working creatively for yourself and experimenting until you hit a “sweet spot.”
At least I think that’s the key. Today, anyway.
What about you? Do you post on other blogs? Freelance write for free or a low rate per post? What’s your experience?
Inquiring mommas want to know.
***
Sweet Mother is updated daily-ish. If you’d like to receive an email when new content is published, simply click on the “follow” at the top, right of the blog.
**
You might also like:
*
Photo creds:
Lady-fish, big-kahuna, feature
Sweet Mother 