RE: question about rates

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As a new person to this group, I have been following this topic of pay with interest. I am somewhat new to writing for national markets, but worked for many years as a Human Resource manager negotiating salaries and it’s not that different: supply and demand set the rate.  I totally agree with the theory of figuring out how many hours it will take you to write something before deciding for yourself whether it’s worth it.

I disagree with Brook’s comment that it is “inexpicable” that a professional would want to write for someone before knowing the rate. There is such a thing as writing for something beyond pay and beyond ego. Personally I love writing, and when I am interested in a topic or think that it’s a worthy cause, the amount they pay me doesn’t really matter as much.  Also, when you don’t have the benefit of 25 years of experience you have a different outlook.

Donna Gundle-Krieg, www.blitzkriegpublishing.com

>But if your hours are worth more to you than a page of text (by the word) is to the publisher, there's no deal.<

Yeah? So what's your point?

It doesn't matter how the editor (the buyer) establishes his rates. As a writer (the seller) you have to earn back enough money to make it worth your while to produce the product.

At base, it's no different than if you go into Walmart to buy a shirt. They price it at $15. If you think it's only worth $10, then you walk away.

If you think a story is worth $15, and the editor only thinks it's worth $10, then you walk away from that, too.  No big deal.

Unless you're the type who has an ego involvement in seeing his name in print? Me, I'm only interested in seeing my name where it says, "pay to the order of." And the figure after that line has to be large enough to justify my time expenditure.


Brook