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Beating the Dead-End Want Ad Blues
By Jan McDaniel
I comb through scads of “Writers Wanted” listings every day,
hunting freelance opportunities. Responding to ads and sending
professional information into cyberspace is a reality of
today’s writing life, but I’m cautious and selective.
Basically, I want to know a real prospective employer or
publisher awaits on the other side of the computer screen.
To avoid wasting time and mailing information or work into a
black hole, I evaluate online postings watching out for these
warning signs:
•Spelling and grammatical errors. Some ads are riddled
with such comical blunders they merit their own segment on late-
night TV. “Book needs edidting;” “Must enjoy reading children;”
“Write reviews about the company itself.” Do you want an “editor”
incapable of writing a coherent sentence evaluating and revising
your work? An ad should look as professional as your resume.
•Chummy, unprofessional tone. Copy should be businesslike
and well written--clear, concise, and specific.
•No pay mentioned. This usually means the pay is either
nonexistent or too insignificant to appeal to writers. With the
exception of volunteer work for a favorite charity, I agree with
Stephen King, “. . .the only bad writer is one who doesn’t get
paid.”
•Ridiculously low pay. Life’s too short. Just because you
agree to write for cheap, you’re not off the hook for producing
high-quality copy on a deadline. Why ask for a job that’s going
to have you wondering what you were thinking when you accepted it?
•Sweatshop ads. If an ad promises measly pay per article but
promises you can make $1,000 per month cranking out a zillion
articles, consider whether being chained to a computer 24/7 to
churn out someone else’s copy meshes with your personal goals.
Chances are you would be better off channeling that time, talent,
and energy into a creatively satisfying project even if it is a
financial long shot.
•No fee for submissions. They believe they should be charging you?
•Place your bid. I don’t bother.
•No specific qualifications detailed. “All are welcome” or
“Write about whatever you want” signals run the other way. Real
employers don’t waste their money paying people to do whatever,
they need a particular task performed.
•Blind ads. A legitimate publisher will identify the company
name and ideally its geographic location and/or a Web site where
you can obtain additional information. I have on occasion sent
a resume in response to a blind ad, and these instances probably
account for the volume of spam in my email box. But, holy “I shot
an arrow into the air,” never submit completed work to a blind
email address. Would you mail money without knowing where it was
going? If a call for submissions interests you but doesn’t
provide sufficient information, email and ask questions before
sending your information or your masterpiece.
•Ads written in the first person. A company’s ad will usually
read something like “Best-Read Books is seeking. . .” rather
than “I need. . .”
•Ads requiring you to send custom writing samples up front.
This one is iffy and sparks a whole other discussion. If the
publisher checks out to be legit, the work pays well, interests
you, and is a steady gig, you may decide to invest the time in
producing work you can’t market anywhere else. Sometimes you
can negotiate with the employer in advance on this. For example,
an editor who offers a token payment for a custom test or sample
shows good faith.
Learning to spot junky ads and keep on scrolling along saves time
for what’s really important—writing!
---
Author and journalist Jan McDaniel has been freelancing longer
than she cares to admit. Her latest paranormal romance novel
Inseparable is due out soon from The Wild Rose Press.
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