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1/29/2011 12:31:04 PM
 
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Section 18: Outdoor Writing Subject: Writing For A Living Msg# 767552
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A fulltime freelance writer needs a wife with a good job, independent wealth, or the ability to live in poverty. Or a decent retirement income combined with one from the wife and Social Security's pittance from both I don't believe we will ever again see 2,000 to 3,000 word assignments paying a dollar a word from the "big three" as I've heard they did back in the golden days of outdoor writing - back when I was just part of the readership. I think they have gone the way of the big editorial offices in downtown New York City and long-time editors with more clout than a crooked politician. |
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For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where: Thanks for the thoughtful response. A good friend was editor of American Hunter and he mentioned the typical pay for a feature was cut in half over about a 5-year period. That was over 10 years ago. I have no idea what outdoor magazines, if any, are paying $1000 for a feature now, but selling one a month would gross $12,000. Two a month would not even get one out of the poverty level. The overhead costs in travel, food etc, even if much of it is picked up by tourism agencies, etc., can be a killer. A fulltime freelance writer needs a wife with a good job, independent wealth, or the ability to live in poverty. |
