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Topic: The evolution of a (former) freelance mag writer
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| tj2240 | Posted – 4/10/2008 6:53:33 PM | show profile | email poster I've been a longtime fan and frequent reader of both the Mediabistro site and this message board, as it's been a tremendous help as I've navigated the waters of the freelance writing world. There are many other sites I've learned so much from as well -- like Deborah Ng's FreelanceWritingGigs.com, and FreelanceSwitch.com -- that provide a huge help to writers in stimulating ideas and discussion around our craft. However, something that's really stunned me is something I haven't seen discussed on this board or those other sites -- and that's for freelance writers to take matters into their own hands, and make money off the content they produce just like a publication or website would, by starting their own. Though I loved my past life as a freelance magazine writer (which I left just a year or two ago), it still kills me that I could write an article for a magazine and get paid what I thought was a nice sum -- $400 or $500 or so -- while they're sticking a $5,000 ad next to what I wrote. So while I'm toiling away for what I'm thinking is good money, they're racking up ten times or more what I'm making from the same amount of work. It costs only about $100 to register a domain name and purchase a two-year hosting plan on sites like GoDaddy.com, and to start your own blog or website devoted to whatever you're interested in. I've done that with a subject that's near and dear to my heart, and created a website -- which for reasons of privacy, I don't want to disclose, but also aren't really necessary to communicate how simple this is to do. The key is to pick a topic that is a mix of subject matter you're interested in which also has a wide mix of associated products and services. So, say, if you're interested in horses and horseback riding, you could start a blog related to a niche topic within that area, get to know the other webmasters and bloggers in your topic area, communicate with them and begin building your site to attract and interact with your visitors. It's key to pick a topic that also has associated advertisers (other than politics, for example) and lifestyle/leisure activities or hobbies are usually an excellent fit. You can register for services like Google's AdSense program, which displays small text advertisments on your site in exchange for 65% or so of the revenue from those ads. So, in effect, it makes you a publisher and editor all in one -- you decide what the content of the site is and the direction it takes, rather than chafing under the whims of some editor you can't stand -- a complaint I often see repeated on this board. The point of all I'm describing above is that rather than being in the position of the lowly scribbler who has to scrape and beg for crumbs from editors, grow a pair and build your own small (perhaps micro) business, which you can grow at your own pace and to your own liking. Now of course, saying something is simple is far from saying it's easy. Building a site that attracts lots of visitors -- and you need lots of visitors to make any real money from advertising on your site -- takes A LOT of work. A boatload, in fact. And I mean hours and hours and hours and hours of work. But it pays off. Trust me, if you put in the hard work and create a site that meets a need of users and offers something unique on the Web, you will succeed. That's all -- just my advice is don't just listen to the advice you find on sites like Mediabistro (which I love, by the way) -- do what they do! |
| jkdscribe | Posted – 4/10/2008 11:17:40 PM | show profile I'm right there with you. Along with a very talented designer I know and an advertising firm, I am starting my own monthly (print as well as online) in my hometown. Exciting and scary, but I love the idea of assigning my own stories--to myself as well as others--and producing the kind of publication I think my city needs. Especially in this economy and this field, I'm glad I'm making my own job. My mentor recently wrote to saying I found the secret of happiness...if the what you want doesn't exist, invent it. All the best to you. I hope to hear later that things progress well. Anyone else doing this or anything like it? |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 4/11/2008 1:30:59 AM | show profile There's a lot to comment on about your posting. First, to be candid, anyone who thinks $400 for a magazine article is "good money" is pretty low on the writing chain and doesn't make much money. I am not sure if the best route for most people coming from that position is to go into the publishing business and start a web site in order to sell ads around it. |
| DHernandez | Posted – 4/11/2008 3:49:43 AM | show profile Maybe writing wasn't your niche. Maybe marketing and sales was. |
| snappiness | Posted – 4/11/2008 9:52:26 AM | show profile It sounds to me like you're maybe a stronger marketing person than a writer? Which is fabulous, you're likely to make more money ;) But as a writer, I make way more than $400 for an article. And also, I have no desire to be a publisher (have done that, didn't like it). It's a pretty different skill set, and while it's interesting and challenging, it's just not what I want to do. |
| Canadiana | Posted – 4/11/2008 10:12:13 AM | show profile I think you can do both! I'm happy with the freelance writing side of things -- good money, autonomy, diversity, ability to work from home, etc. but the lure of a lucrative blog is strong, too. My friend started a beauty blog two years ago and is doing extremely well. She's been asked to speak at conferences, was invited to Fashion Week, makes [some] money from advertising, has been featured in national newspaper articles and more. |
| DQ102 | Posted – 4/11/2008 10:37:36 AM | show profile Hi TJ2240. I found your post inspirational, so thanks for sharing. I think it is great when writers can take matters into their own hands, and that's clearly what you have done. I hope you have great success! |
| sofisays | Posted – 4/11/2008 10:57:20 AM | show profile | email poster Me too, I think First, Hi, jkdscribe, I am the grateful, accidental student of yours. (Editing the your) :) My husband has been telling me for months to start a blog. I see it all over, including MB. Blog this and blog that. I don't know, is it a soapbox everytime you post. I am afraid I will get a little carried away with the whole thing and become some raving loon on the web corner... But I can see the potential. Besides the obvious, what one thing must this blog/website have to really distinguish itself from the masses? Should you throw a lot of money at it? Where are the ads coming from? Or pop-ups? Are they the same? Does anyone think blogging will go by the wayside, or continue to grow? As you can tell my research in this venue is in its infancy. Gotta start somewhere... Thanks for the vine... take care |
| Thabit | Posted – 4/11/2008 10:59:05 AM | show profile As DD pointed out, there's a lot of grist here. Part of the problem writers who set up web sites have is that they're *not* good marketing/sales people, as another poster pointed out you seem to have an ability to do that, which is certainly a plus. Surfacing content now is a lot harder than it used to be, pre-blog era. A site I started many moons ago got me noticed by a major outlet & really gave my career a jump start. I don't know how often that happens now, at the time (early 2000s) a well-written site with just one person behind it could become a source on Google News, that meant some of the content got picked up (and sometimes paid for) by bigger outlets. Now, no matter how good your content is, a one-person or small shop is relegated to the Google "blog" index which means zero traffic. I've still got the site, Ad Sense pays for the hosting/domain fees, but I haven't done much with it otherwise, getting above that critical mass of readers to get substantial advertising just seemed to be too big of a hump, given my very limited marketing abilities. Anyway, that's my 2 cents, I hope you'll run with your idea -- and let us know how you get on.. |
| tj2240 | Posted – 4/11/2008 11:25:05 AM | show profile | email poster Great discussion & back-and-forth Love the disagreements, you're raising points that perhaps I left out of my original post. And you're right, dribbledrive, maybe $400 to $500 isn't a lot of money, certainly not for someone who's making freelance writing their profession. I've been paid in the four figures for a number of pieces I've written, but certainly not for many others I've written, and I'd guess that for most of those who are trying to make a living as a freelancer, at least when it comes to writing articles for consumer or trade magazines, they're not getting $4,000 article assignments every week or couple of weeks. Those are the much-sought-after exception, and not the rule. One article I wanted to pass on to you is by a blogger named Steve Pavlina, who wrote a post titled "10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job." It's targeted more at people who work at full-time jobs than freelancers, but the principle I'm getting at still applies -- you're still trading your hours for money, whether you're a freelance magazine writer or working as an editor at a publishing company. Here's the link to the piece: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job/ The reason I posted what I wrote, I just want to emphasize, is not to denigrate freelance writers -- I just hate to see so many talented people not earn the money they deserve simply because of the structures that publishing companies and publications have set up to ensure that they make the lion's share of the money off the work that we writers do. I wish you all the best. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 4/11/2008 12:17:39 PM | show profile Again, you are mixing a lot of apples and oranges here. I am all for entrepreneurship -- I just don't think that starting a web site and selling ads is necessarily the best approach. Might work for some people. But most writers willl do much better ways -- targeting better paying magazines than you wrote for or going into corporate writing, for example. Realistically, I don't know that a lot of writers can develop a web site that can attract enough readers and advertisers. I known lots of talented writers who have tried and failed at this (and I am talking about sites that were designed to make money, not for personal expression), so I think you are soft peddling a lot of stuff. Your post to me reads like, "Hey, tired of working for someone else? Become a freelance magazine writer! Sure, it's hard work. But it's fun and you'll never have a mean, old, nasty boss again! Some magazines pay $10,000 for an article -- so there's money to be made here." --The reason I posted what I wrote, I just want to emphasize, is not to denigrate freelance writers -- I just hate to see so many talented people not earn the money they deserve simply because of the structures that publishing companies and publications have set up to ensure that they make the lion's share of the money off the work that we writers do. I wish you all the best.-- |
| InsomniacNOT | Posted – 4/11/2008 12:56:13 PM | show profile Thabit is a tad too pessimistic. Op perhaps a bit optimistic. It takes time to make it up through the Google ranks, but if you have good content in an area that's not particularly well served, you can definitely do it. I know because I've done it with high-quality niche content but it's taken almost a year of daily posting on one specific subject to get there. And once you arrive on page 1 of Google, if you keep up the quality and posting -- which takes me about an hour a day -- your audience just keeps growing. And with one powerful site, you can help build traffic to other related sites. My ad revenues are growing and many new opportunities are opening. Writers with a genuine interest in the web really should try it. That said, the ad revenues at this point are pitiful, but I've learned the business and they are growin |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 4/11/2008 1:56:35 PM | show profile Well, the reality is few sites are making money by wrapping advertising around content. Generally, the Internet marketing sites that do well sell services or products. For example, if you are a lawyer, it might make sense to start a web site about legal issues to showcase your expertise and get clients for your legal practice. It's less likely that a writer with an interest in law could do well producing a web site with information about law and selling ads for it. But anyone who wants to pursue this seriously should really do a lot of research and be realistic about the amount of time it will take and the chance for success. |
| InsomniacNOT | Posted – 4/11/2008 2:08:55 PM | show profile Dribble, you are right, but I have picked an underserved market and have a scalable project. It might or might not pay off. Even if it doesn't the skills I've learned are very marketable and complememnt my editing and writing background. I definitely have more to offer in today's media market. What's more even if I stop work on my sites now, they will continue to bring in advertising revenues. Not a great deal but on a par with royalty cheques. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 4/11/2008 3:25:36 PM | show profile That's all fine. I think it's perfectly reasonable to launch a site like you've done. The issue I had was the original poster, who basically said, "Quit writing magazine articles, you writers -- you'll make a lot more money by starting your own web site and selling ads for it." I found his postings naive and unrealistic. Most sites that use Adsense make about $20 a month through it. To suggest this is a easy way to make money, or that tons of web sites are successfully using this model, is ridiculous. But then the guy thought $400 was "a nice sum" for a magazine article, so for all I know he is making $50 a month off his Adsense ads and he thinks that he's doing great. --Dribble, you are right, but I have picked an underserved market and have a scalable project. It might or might not pay off. Even if it doesn't the skills I've learned are very marketable and complememnt my editing and writing background. I definitely have more to offer in today's media market. What's more even if I stop work on my sites now, they will continue to bring in advertising revenues. Not a great deal but on a par with royalty cheques.-- |
| tj2240 | Posted – 4/11/2008 3:46:59 PM | show profile Reorrr, dribbeldrive, kitty likes to scratch!!! (Just kidding!) |
| tj2240 | Posted – 4/11/2008 3:58:08 PM | show profile I was really only kidding, there dribbeldrive. You do raise some good points, it's definitely not easy to make money with a website or blog. However, I do think I stressed that in my original post as well. Please understand I'm not trying to sell you anything -- just to show the many, many frustrated freelance writers out there that begging editors for assignments isn't the only way to make money as a writer. That they can publish their writing and reach an audience and make some money in a way that they can control. And besides, there's a perception out there that unless you're Bill Gates or Sergey Brin or running a blog that's as popular as Instapundit, then you're failing. I don't agree with that at all. If you start a blog and are able to pull in 500 or 1,000 or 2,000 readers a day (as the founder of the blog GetRichSlowly.org has done in less than two years), you can make some nice money. It doesn't have to be your sole source of income. But if you can add $20,000 a year to your income, then you've succeeded in my book. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 4/11/2008 4:00:04 PM | show profile Well, out of curiosity, how much time do you put into your site and how much ad revenue do you generate from it? --Reorrr, dribbeldrive, kitty likes to scratch!!! (Just kidding!)-- |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 4/11/2008 4:21:03 PM | show profile You think a blog that draws 500 readers a day can make $20,000 a year in Adsense revenues? --And besides, there's a perception out there that unless you're Bill Gates or Sergey Brin or running a blog that's as popular as Instapundit, then you're failing. I don't agree with that at all. If you start a blog and are able to pull in 500 or 1,000 or 2,000 readers a day (as the founder of the blog GetRichSlowly.org has done in less than two years), you can make some nice money. It doesn't have to be your sole source of income. But if you can add $20,000 a year to your income, then you've succeeded in my book.-- |
| tj2240 | Posted – 4/11/2008 5:02:44 PM | show profile What is the classic economics class answer... "it depends"? It all depends on the kinds of users you're attracting, how often they click on your ads, and the subject matter you're covering with your site/blog. As I mentioned before, what's important is to create a site that you a) have a passionate interest in the subject matter and b) have a strong correlation/associated with products and services that companies want to sell. It's really like thinking like a publisher -- you publish a lifestyle magazine about golf, for example, in order to target the advertisers who sell golf clubs, balls, other equipment and clothing. Now, most likely 500 readers a day isn't going to make you $20,000 a year, I'd agree. I used that figure to say that just because you don't make six figures a year, that doesn't mean your site is a failure. But 2,000 a day or 3,000 a day might very well. It all depends on your subject matter and how much advertisers are willing to pay to reach the audience your site would attract. You asked a question earlier about the amount of money I make from my site. Unfortunately, I can't disclose that because the agreement publishers must sign with my advertising provider prevents us from disclosing the amount we are paid by them. I will say that I'm very happy with it, and have seen significant growth in my earnings this year and am projecting even more in the months ahead. However, I can direct you to an article on USA Today that includes some specific amounts in sites that don't reach millions of users every day -- that reach a much more limited audience, but still make a very nice living from it. Here's the links: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2007-10-25-retirees-google-adsense_N.htm http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/27/AR2006072701622.html http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-03-28-googe-adsense_x.htm http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-03-10-google-ads-usat_x.htm (Sorry for depending so much on USA Today for source material for you. They just happened to be the publication that has often covered AdSense). |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 4/11/2008 8:54:20 PM | show profile Not exactly sure how you reached that conclusion. One guy quoted in the article, for example, says his site gets 1 million hits a month and he makes $30-40,000 a year in Adsense revenues. I have no doubt there are a handful of people making fortunes from Adsense revenues, but as there are a handful of people who become famous from blogs or publish their own e-books that become hugely successful or who buy winning lottery tickets. It happens. it's just wrong to suggest it happens much or that it's a reasonable thing to expect. -- However, I can direct you to an article on USA Today that includes some specific amounts in sites that don't reach millions of users every day -- that reach a much more limited audience, but still make a very nice living from it. Here's the links:-- |
| mfs000 | Posted – 4/11/2008 9:25:27 PM | show profile I have been thinking about doing this for months. Can anyone recommend a good web host and where to get started? If I go to GoDaddy and register a domain, don't I also need to get some place to host me? I just don't get he technical aspects of beginning the while thing. But the rest I can do. I actually do it at work every day and have often thought and wondered why I work so incredibly hard- have even won an award for doing my work site- when I could do it for myself! And the way I look at it is that I have nothing to lose. Even if I made a few hundred bucks a months, it would still be more than I had and I enjoy doing it- so I figure win-win. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 4/12/2008 2:57:34 PM | show profile | email poster I have a friend who put several concentrated months of work into building traffic for her blog. She tried to get me to use some of the same techniques for mine, but I didn't want to invest the time. While she still has it, she has concluded that she needs to finish her book and market it to make money. I have an idea for a site related to a niche that I thought might make money, but I think it's too specific. |
| tj2240 | Posted – 4/13/2008 8:47:30 AM | show profile | email poster GoDaddy.com is a good one-stop shop In response to mfs000's post, you can register a domain name and sign up for relatively inexpensive web hosting packages at GoDaddy.com. Expect it to cost around $20 to register the domain name for 2 years (you can also register it for just one if you like) and the web hosting to cost around $80 for a two-year package (also available for one year, if you want). I'm sure there are other companies that provide this also, but GoDaddy's the only one I have experience with, so they're the only one I can recommend. In response to dribbledrive's post, yes of course it takes a very large level of effort to create a successful website that draws large numbers of visitors and readers. A very large level of effort. I put in about 2 hours each day into my website, mostly into writing articles and other content for it, but I've also spent large amounts of time writing emails to other websites to ask them to link to my site, participating in other sites' blog discussions on the topics that my site covers. Today, my site receives between 1,500 and 2,000 visitors per day mostly -- sometimes it dips as low as 1,000, but most days it's higher. That's definitely taken a lot of work to get to that level, so I don't want to sugarcoat the amount of work around it. However, it takes a lot of work to be successful at anything, I would argue. I mean, if you want to be a successful writer/actor/other creative profession, you're going to have to put countless hours into it no matter what field you're pursuing. Publishing my own website gives me the chance both to control what I write, how I write it and when I write it, as well as giving me control of the content in a business sense -- so I'm not limited to a one-time payment for something I write. Because of the ads that appear on each page next to the articles and other content I create, there is technically no limit to what each page can earn. Now of course, each page doesn't earn $100 every day or anything like that. (Not even close.) But over time, the potential earnings from my writing is far greater than it would be if I were submitting what I write to other publications, who would then be earning for themselves the "true value" of what I've written -- and would only be paying me a fraction of that value. I know this all sounds very cold and economical, and I hope it doesn't come across as off-putting to readers here, who most likely wish to focus more on the journalistic aspects of what they do. It's just worthwhile to consider these business aspects of what you do because, as a freelancer, you're running a business whether you recognize it or not. |
| InsomniacNOT | Posted – 4/13/2008 5:41:18 PM | show profile 1,000 readers a day is good. Not necessarily for the revenues but it shows you're providing something people want. Are you covering a niche? Where are your visitors coming form? Search? Other site referrals? What percentage return? And can we go look a t your site? |
