An acceptance letter from a national magazine that pays well is the goal of every freelancer. When I was last active in writing, back in 2005 through 2008, three of my articles sold for over $2,000 apiece. I’m trying to work back to that level again. But does that world still exist?
I’ve seen pay rates at freelance sites of less than a cent a word. And the last magazine article I sold barely covered my gasoline and the price of photograph release fees. Producing quality writing remains as difficult and time consuming as ever; I think most people would be staggered by how many hours it takes to produce a feature article. It does seem that, judging by the last few months, that the magazine wage floor may have collapsed and the market for good hard copy articles is shrinking.
I remain positive, however, to the world of work promised by producing on-line content. And in my next post I will have some thoughts on another possibility for the freelancer: overseas publications.
