Re: GWL: Pay for garden colums

**J* L* <h*@yahoo.com>**

I sure hope that those of you who haven't had a raise for your columns in a long time have asked for one! It's true that newspapers are cutting back and there's not much money there. But you should -- about once a year -- make a case for a slight raise. Tell them how many calls and letters who receive monthly. Quote the praise. Mention the awards. Tell how you also speak to their audience through local groups -- which publicizes them without any cost on their part. And tell them how long you've been working for the same pay. 

It won't always work -- maybe not most of the time these days, but it does some and when you do it regularly, they begin to value you more. I know I've always gone to bat for better pay for regular contributors. (The problem I found was that it was usually the marginal writers who wanted more money; you don't have that problem with a regular columnist.

It pays to know and stay connected with your editor and his/her staff, too. They can really be allies. And when you have a subject that calls for longer coverage, see if they'll let you break out of the garden column ghetto and write a feature on the subject. (That's assuming you've studied their features and know what they want in one.)

Nowadays more than ever, freelance writers have to market themselves to their current markets.

Judy

> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Nellie Neal"
> 
> > My newspaper column of 15 years was cut this year by
> one quarter - 
> > formerly 4 questions per week, now 3. They pay me the
> same, so I did get 
> > this one raise, after 15 years.
> 
> Yeah, tell me about it. I started writing a column for a
> regional seniors 
> magazine some fourteen years ago, picked up several
> national awards for it 
> including the only gold Mature Media Award the mag has ever
> gotten and 
> several bronze, but still the same rate from the Clinton
> era.
> 

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