Today I will do so again, but with no acrimony behind the curtain. The Flogging Whip is resting, allowing me to sally forth into a topic many writers are facing these days as the Interwebs become the primary Go-To Source for serious and fluffy news.
The recent lawsuit aimed at The Huffington Post for not compensating their original writers sheds the high-beam flashlight into how difficult it has become for well-known and not-so-known writers, personalities and "experts" in various fields, to make money from their efforts. And, should they be fortunate to receive a check, the amount is often less than a dinner for one at El Pollo Loco where one doesn't need to leave a tip.
The point of this? Many of us who write blogs, articles for local and national websites, might be wasting our time if we want to be compensated for our work. It's a great way to tout one's reputation as a writer of credible reputation by giving it away one or two times for the hope of developing Followers on the Twatter and a professional Facebook page.
But to make a "Living" this way? It's rough. In truth, I haven't tried it - yet. I've watched friends who have been fortunate to have columns in The Huffington Post, The Patch, etc. They were extremely happy to be given an outlet for their amazing stories and quite nice writing. But when asked how it was going on the $ level, all rolled their eyes and sighed loud enough for Arianna and her partner, AOL, to shudder a few times. And then allow the vitriol to roll off their backs into a dsitant "Too Bad You Weren't Paid" territory.
Writers in general have too often been the losers in the money game of publishing unless they knew in advance how to protect their assets and royalties. Without writers, the "idea" people in most writer-inspired projects from books to films are eventually placed at the oft-obtuse mercy of the money people or, as in TV And Film, the one-dimensional directive of the projects' producers.
Where is the ability to be creative under that sort of pressure-clamp to be found? In a few special deals money for the larger shows and hyped books can be quite lucrative, thus making it easier to sell one's soul to Dumb-Down or completely reverse the plot for the sake of not offending the Money Men or the sensibilities of what may be erroneously misconstrued as a "sensitive, PC-based" readership/viewership/audience.
However, as mentioned at the top of this post, writing is not the most stable, financially-rewarding way to ensure Retirement Security, and now, as so many of us take to the Still-Almost-Wild-West of the Internet for an outlet to our inner demons or intelligence, or basic ability to string sentences together in a comprehensive way, it's a truth that the primary winners in this New Frontier/Transition From Print To Link age are the readers, not the creators.
Why did I bring this topic to the fore today? Because I have been urged to submit my better blog posts to Top Outlets so that I may find a way to secure a few dollars here and there. It's great to know when you have written an excellent article that encourages strangers and friends to wish you well and nudge, "Just send it in to....." Thank you. But I'm a critic and may be holding-back for reasons beyond the practical. I still gots lotta polishing to do.
Perhaps in the future I'll follow the chorus. In the meanwhile, I want to carry on without the burden of an editor's expectation and deadlines (I have enough of that on freelance book projects), as well as avoiding the inevitable resentment/disappointment of knowing I spent time researching, editing, triple-proofing my work (unlike what happens here from time-to-time) for a byline that pays nothing (or very little) and benefits a large corporation with nary more than a nod to those who provide the content - without which there would be nothing to sell.
When writers in all genre's are properly compensated, then I'll be right in line - ready or not. Looks as if that time is a long way off into some other writer's dreamy vision of the future. But then, you never really know, do you?
Until you try.
What a concept!
Image via: http://berlinbattery.blogspot.com
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