You get what you pay for, or why I'm not a 500-words-for-$7-writer
Posted February 27th, 2012 @ 06:02pm by: Cynthia Sowden
One reason there's so much bad writing on the Internet is because there are so many poor writers who are willing to work for absolutely nothing.
I've seen offers for web copy for one dollar page. A recent craigslist posting offered $7 for 500 words. That's less than a penny a word! Now, granted, an experienced writer might be able to crank out 500 words in an hour. But that doesn't take into account the interviews or the research that occurs before the writer places his or her fingers on a keyboard.
I've done some writing for an asbestos website (I never learned the client's name.) I had to find asbestos-related information on various oil companies and power plants and write a page of copy on each. I was told not to spend too much time on research, to avoid certain websites that talked about asbestos, and to deliver "x" number of words--usually over the weekend. I'm sure I lost money on the deal, because I just couldn't bring myself to slap together some copy without digging for information.
When you're looking for a writer, choose someone who has credentials. I majored in journalism at the University of Minnesota. I've worked in corporate and marketing communications for more than 30 years. I research, I interview. I take pride in writing polished sentences. Good grammar is important to me, and I hate misspelled words.
Yes, I expect more than $7 per hour. But I'm worth it.
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eBooks in My Future
Posted February 20th, 2012 @ 06:02pm by: Cynthia Sowden
Originally published February 17, 2012 on cindysowden.wordpress.com.
I don't own a Kindle, a Nook, an iPad, or any of those other fancy, new-fangled electronic reading devices. But maybe I should. I attended a meeting of the Professional Editors Network (PEN) on Tuesday afternoon. The topic was eBooks, and I left the meeting with ideas swirling in my head.
My husband, Ralph, and I are working on a book about great motorcycle rides in Minnesota. (He does the driving, I do the writing.) I've been looking at traditional local book publishers, but the printing costs would take a major chunk out of our bank account. eBooks, on the other hand, cost nothing to publish. And, if you want to have some actual printed books, you can publish on demand.
The best part is that you get to keep more of the royalties-up to 70 percent! On my first two books, Wedding Occasions: 101 New Party Themes for Wedding Showers, Rehearsal Dinners, Engagement Parties, and More! and An Anniversary to Remember (both available on Amazon, by the way), I receive a 10 percent royalty, which is generous by traditional publishing standards.
Another cool feature of e-publishing is that you can publish serially, the way Charles Dickens did with A Christmas Carol. Because I'm dividing my book into regional rides, I could publish mini-guides from the same manuscript!
I like the smell of paper and ink and the heft of a book in my hand. But the possibilities of eBooks have me thinking about writing in new ways. Let the motorcycle season begin!
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Watch Out for Press Release Scams!
Posted February 20th, 2012 @ 06:02pm by: Cynthia Sowden
Originally posted January 26, 2012 on cindysowden.wordpress.com
Recently, a client of mine contacted me about a press release she had received from the U.S. Commerce Association (no relation to theUnited States Department of Commerce), saying her business, Healthy Training, had been recognized as the "best" personal training company in Eden Prairie. She wondered if I could distribute it to various media outlets, as I had done for her grand opening.
I read the release. After working in corporate communications for more than 30 years, I sensed something was wrong. Something about the release didn't pass the "smell" test.
The wording of the release was vague. There was nothing in it to tell me why my client had received this award. Furthermore, it extolled the virtues of the U.S. Commerce Association for three paragraphs. When I asked my client for more details, she forwarded the e-mail correspondence.
There it was-the monetary demand. For a couple of hundred dollars, she would receive a beautiful crystal award plaque proclaiming her business as the "best" in Eden Prairie.
I Googled the USCA (my security software now warns me against entering the company's website). They're in the business of producing fake press releases and selling phony awards. Prices vary, but small business owners across the country have been taken for as much as $1,000 for these "beautiful" awards. What's more, they've unwittingly perpetuated the ruse by sending the press release to their local newspaper, which printed it!
Better Business Bureaus from Spokane, Washington to Charlotte, North Carolina have posted warnings about these scam artists. They-and I-issue this warning: If you have to pay for it, it's not an award.