Writing for the web at 25 cents a word
From time to time, this site has brought up the issue of eroding and absurdly low pay for freelancers. Here, from one of Canada's biggest entertainment and media companies, is yet another example where freelance work is being undervalued by a company that a) could afford to pay more and b) probably should pay more but c) probably knows that there are enough hungry young hopefuls out there who will work for 25 to 40 cents a word. Here was the memo that was being circulated:
It had consolidated net revenues for the year ended August 31, 2006 of $726.3 million, up 6% from $683.1 million in 2005. Net income (profit) for the year was $35.5 million compared to $71.1 million ($1.66 basic and $1.65 diluted earnings per share) in 2005.
We don't know how much money the company is making on its websites (if anything) since this is not broken out. What we do know is that the overall share price of the company is up about 30% in the past year.
(Thanks to the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers list for making me aware of this.)
Wanted: Freelance Web Writers
Company: Wnetwork.com (a part of Corus Entertainment)
Looking for: Freelance Web Writers (Original “How-to” articles and “Top 10” lists)
Length: 500-750 words per article/list
Compensation: $1,000 for 5 articles/lists
Application Deadline: Before March 27th. Note that there are a limited number of assignments available, and we may fill all of them before that date.
Topic areas:
* Women’s Beauty & Style (Classic content, not short term trends)
* DIY Home Décor, Home Renovations, & Home Organization
* Adult Relationships from the female perspective (Dating, friends, living together, marriage, divorce, family)
* Women’s health
Corus Entertainment is a multimedia and specialty television company with brands that include YTV, Treehouse, W Network, Movie Central, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations
including CKNW, CKOI and Q107.
including CKNW, CKOI and Q107.It had consolidated net revenues for the year ended August 31, 2006 of $726.3 million, up 6% from $683.1 million in 2005. Net income (profit) for the year was $35.5 million compared to $71.1 million ($1.66 basic and $1.65 diluted earnings per share) in 2005.
We don't know how much money the company is making on its websites (if anything) since this is not broken out. What we do know is that the overall share price of the company is up about 30% in the past year.
(Thanks to the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers list for making me aware of this.)
posted by D. B. Scott at
5:46 pm
3 Comments:
"(Classic content, not short term trends)"
Ah, there's another rub--this stuff is meant to stay online forever, with the hope that it will pay consistent dividends, one click at a time.
Well, at least these jobs rarely have the writer's name attached.
Not any lower than going newspaper rates.
Besides per word rates are not as important as per hour rates.
And no, I don't work for Corus.
As someone who works for a magazine that publishes a lot of authoritative how-to material on a difficult topic, I can make the educated guess that the assignments Corus is looking for (how-tos on dating? ugh) will be completed and published with little or no critical analyis of the prescriptions offered by the writers' sources, who will probably number in the twos or threes for each story. This kind of dreck is not worth more than 25¢.
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