― Senor Embargo (blueski), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 10:48 (nineteen years ago) link
(It worked though.)
Alternate ending:(I went to prison.)
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 10:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― Senor Embargo (blueski), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 11:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― pfeffernuesse (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 11:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 13:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― Senor Embargo (blueski), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 13:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:05 (nineteen years ago) link
i also wish another editor wasn't so flaky, and that i didn't need the work so badly to tolerate it. i know the guy loves my stuff and that my position at the mag is under no threat, but the fact that i need them more than they need me is being spelt out so clearly here that its pretty dispiriting.
― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:12 (nineteen years ago) link
― stelfox, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:22 (nineteen years ago) link
actually, if i had to take a proper job, i'd have to quit the two regular freelance jobs that guarantee i make rent every month.
― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― Senor Embargo (blueski), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:24 (nineteen years ago) link
nonsense man. you have obviously not learnt the benefit of describing, in graphic detail, episodes of made-up extreme bowel trauma to to your boss. works every time and they can't get off the phone quick enough, even when you sound like you're obviously in the terminal of jfk airport.
― stelfox, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:29 (nineteen years ago) link
The U***t situation continues to be dispiriting and I think they've given up on me altogether - I've had no work from them for two months. I am aware that the ongoing music reviews editor vacancy problem is the probable reason for this, but having had to deal with three different music reviews editors on that mag so far this year - all with their own competing agendas - has proved wearisome. Or else they've recruited someone who doesn't like my writing.
― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― stelfox, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:42 (nineteen years ago) link
If he could have gone the whole hog and put out a magazine with emoticons and no words altogether then it might have stood up as a White Cube 2 art thing.
― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― stelfox, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:51 (nineteen years ago) link
Editor: [obviously comparing the original version to the original version, somehow] "Paul, I'm pretty disappointed that you would try to send a re-write that has one sentence changed."
Me: "Wait, what do you mean? It's completely rewritten."
Editor: [silence]
― Paul Eater (eater), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― stelfox, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― stelfox, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:58 (nineteen years ago) link
Hivemind only in the sense of badly focussed rage towards people who say things like:
'We don't have the budget for that' 'We can't pay you for another 30 days''We, your bank, are charging you £150 for missing five direct debits which are less than £10 EACH'
Stelfox, maybe they won't let you say battyrider cos you is white innit.
― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 15:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― stelfox, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 15:09 (nineteen years ago) link
i wasn't being facetious about the proper job thing. it has its benefits when yr faced with all of these problems. and as much as i'm a miserable bastard most of the time you should have heard me when i didn't have this. i have very accommodating bosses who allow mw, within reason, to go away at the drop of a hat (and work for places i probably contractually shouldn't) coz i'm shit hot at my day job and work really hard, so it's really the best of both worlds for me
― stelfox, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 15:13 (nineteen years ago) link
Actually, a couple of months ago I was up for managing ed of an art mag (not the one which does the art fair) and it was valuable to know that the publisher hadn't paid freelancers for six months. They then asked me to join them in another job, freelance, and fortunately I was able to tell them to swivel (though in that polite way that makes dumb men go 'wait, did she just tell me to swivel?')
I've only had one instance of a magazine going tits-up owing me money and it was an American art title.
― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 15:47 (nineteen years ago) link
-- stelfox (...), October 6th, 2004.
Well that's how the music monthlies work, isn't it, even the W**e. They want functional writing for readers who don't bother looking at anything except the star rating. As I have said many times on ILx before, no doubt we're close to a scenario where magazines will have done with words altogether and just print title, artist, track listing, star rating and optional emoticons. Our Readers, we are told, Don't Have Time For All This Arty-Farty Long Review (long meaning > 50 words) Stuff. They Have Busy Lives Trying To Get On Location, Location, Location! So why waste time constructing elegant syntactical curlicues and artful comparisons when (a) "not as good as the last one" will earn you the same money; and (b) all curlicues/artful comparisons will by rote be edited out of your review anyway, as well as, wherever editors espy it, the first person. Call centre criticism.
― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 7 October 2004 06:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― stelfox, Thursday, 7 October 2004 08:56 (nineteen years ago) link
features-wise, i'd hope that wasn't the case. i certainly haven't seen this at Mojo.
(b) all curlicues/artful comparisons will by rote be edited out of your review anyway, as well as, wherever editors espy it, the first person.
again, i have experienced this, but it certainly isn't the rule at places i work now. NME had this approach, i wonder if they do now? K! has always encouraged a first-person approach, where this works, and have allowed me to write in-depth on the tangential elements of an artist's appeal, because they assume the readers will appreciate this. again, with Mojo, the one big piece I've written for them so far (Mars Volta) gave me free reign to write about *the music*, and the influence of free-jazz, salsa music and afrobeat on the band, in addition to The Story and The Scandal.
Marcello, if this is yr assumption of the entire industry, YOU ARE WRITING FOR THE WRONG PLACES! Life as a Freelancer isn't all being Not Amused, and it'd be wrong if we didn't aslute the places we enjoy writing for as well, because without them this 'job' wouldn't be worth a damn.
Frustrations for me now are more to do with there not being the space to cover everything I want to write about, in the depth I want (but Loose Lips cures most of these, as blogging does for many I guess), or money issues, than feeling creatively frustrated. I certainly feel happier and more confident about my work now, and that's 100% to do with easing myself out of unhealthy work situations and finding places that rewarded me better. Shit or get off the pot, but there are definitely working environments that will leave you with a good sense of well-being, professionally.
― stevie (stevie), Thursday, 7 October 2004 09:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― stevie (stevie), Thursday, 7 October 2004 09:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 7 October 2004 09:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― stevie (stevie), Thursday, 7 October 2004 09:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 7 October 2004 10:11 (nineteen years ago) link
I've started doing some articles for submission to the broadsheets around here, I'm trying to avoid music, more feature style articles.
I guess since it's a while since I finished college I'm keen to just refresh on the basics of cold calling features editors. What are the golden rules here? As I say I'm sure this was drummed into me in college but I forget alot of it.
I mailed one of my completed articles to the features eds of 4 broadsheets here. I got two replies, one said "not appropriate for our paper, no real local angle, not enough real life stories", I sort of disagreed but didn't expect that paper to publish anyway, tho now I wonder if the fact that my story just can't really have a local angle will go against me, or is it just the paper in question.
The other reply said "I found this very interesting, can you tell a little more about your background, and show me some other samples of your work". So I did this, no response yet. But why would they want to know my background, is the article not the important thing?
I haven't recieved any reply from the other two. Not a bad start I thought though, at least things are happening, even two replies isn't bad and one of them was potentially positive.
But I'm just wondering about the best way to handle this kind of thing, is just coming up with ideas and churning out as many articles as I can, then sending them off, a viable route to success/money?
What about the days where you want to work but can't think of an idea and end up scouring the news sites?
I am really keen to make a go of this, I want to leave my current job, but I think it would be stupid until I have succeeded a little.
I know there are lots of good freelancers and smart people here, what do you think?
― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 14:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 17 August 2006 09:32 (eighteen years ago) link
Anyway I don't really have any expertise here but might as well chip in just to keep the thread alive. Do be on the lookout for features editors giving you the knockback on unsolicited copy and then nicking your ideas!
Maybe best to mail them (or talk to them if poss) and them send a CV with some of your previous stuff (music stuff and anything non-music you did for college paper or whatever) if they show interest?
― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 17 August 2006 19:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 17 August 2006 19:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 17 August 2006 23:30 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 17 August 2006 23:39 (eighteen years ago) link
"Accumulate well-placed acquaintances. Turn nothing down. -- Pete W (petershepherdwatt...), July 26th, 2006."
― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Friday, 18 August 2006 07:51 (eighteen years ago) link
I am really worried about this yes. So it does happen!
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 18 August 2006 19:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Saturday, 19 August 2006 01:15 (eighteen years ago) link
One time, I told a print broker "I'm sorry, I'm buried under other deadlines." Never heard from her again.
― Danny Aioli (Rock Hardy), Saturday, 19 August 2006 03:03 (eighteen years ago) link
Your subconscious is steeping new ideas while you scour. Alternately, call it a day after a few unproductive hours and do something concrete, like laundry.
― Paul Eater (eater), Saturday, 19 August 2006 03:21 (eighteen years ago) link
maybe you need to cut down on the starch?
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Saturday, 19 August 2006 08:21 (eighteen years ago) link
Any advice with the Guardian? Is living here going to hamper me beyond having to make calls to Britain for the odd quote?
Just some of the pieces I've written are more like what the Guardian would print than the Irish papers, I fear.
― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 21 August 2006 10:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 21 August 2006 10:08 (eighteen years ago) link
;p
― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Monday, 21 August 2006 10:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Monday, 21 August 2006 10:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 28 August 2006 10:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― suzy (suzy), Monday, 28 August 2006 12:07 (eighteen years ago) link
I basically said in my email "yes I'm keen to make those changes and can do it for tomorrow at midday" then made my suggestions for what my idea of those changes was, he was quite general, so I said what I specifically planned to include and asked if this was what he wanted.
No reply, it was about an hour and a half ago, so I guess just keep going with my interpretation of what he asked for? Presuming he might not be rooted to the office seat on a Bank Holiday Monday.
― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 28 August 2006 12:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 11 September 2006 13:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Monday, 11 September 2006 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 11 September 2006 13:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Monday, 11 September 2006 13:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 11 September 2006 13:51 (eighteen years ago) link
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/
― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 14 September 2006 07:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Thursday, 14 September 2006 08:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 14 September 2006 08:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Thursday, 14 September 2006 09:27 (eighteen years ago) link
Next step: Ro does an invoice to GNL (and no you don't get extra £££s for the front page stuff). Should get btwn £225-£300.
― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 14 September 2006 09:47 (eighteen years ago) link
I'm getting my first proper artwork for proper CD released soon. So far it's going pretty well but deadline is imminent and still loads of things to sort out. And I'm too scared to ask them how much they're going to pay me (or I'm going to have to pay them if it all goes tits up). Hoping it will lead to more tho.
― Konal Doddz (blueski), Thursday, 14 September 2006 09:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Thursday, 14 September 2006 09:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Thursday, 14 September 2006 09:59 (eighteen years ago) link
/voice of bitter experience
― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 14 September 2006 10:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 14 September 2006 10:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 20 October 2006 12:18 (seventeen years ago) link
At what point do you go "fuck it" and jettison an article? I spoke to my editor about it a month ago, had been working in my day job a lot, he said he thought it was a good idea and to give it a go, fairly non commital but he was interested.
Down the line I'm not sure it's actually going to work, but I really want to do it and deliver on the idea I had. Am I stupid for thinking it might look bad to just hit him with my other ideas now, which I do think are better. I just bit off a bit more than I could chew with idea 1, and now find myself unable to say what the piece is really about. I probably could finish a 1000 word draft of it but my gut feeling is that it's not really good enough.
― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:16 (seventeen years ago) link
So the boss has been falling a little farther behind in paying me with each issue. She's paying me now for work done in March/April. I think it's time for The Talk.
― My totem animal is a hamburger. (WmC), Friday, 13 August 2010 14:50 (fourteen years ago) link
good luck with The Talk, WmC.
one of my main clients has changed the schedule on me five times in the last two weeks. but I've put up with it because I'm terrified of not being able to pay the bills this month (and also because I'm a spineless weasel).
freelancing is terrifying. nice knowing I'm not helping my creepy old racist boss at my last job buy another Lamborghini, though.
― her breath came in short pants (sciolism), Friday, 13 August 2010 16:30 (fourteen years ago) link
She got caught up in a big way without having to have The Talk! Paid me for the most recent issue months ahead of expectation.
Freelancers and small business owners who have business credit cards, or anybody who has a credit card that they actually like, I need recommendations: my business card is going to expire in May, and since I declined their most recent Change in Terms (a hike from 9.9% to 20+ on purchases), I expect they'll cancel the card. I think I want to get a card that has a points/miles/rewards program. Anybody have any recommendations?
― pixel farmer, Wednesday, 8 December 2010 20:30 (thirteen years ago) link
No recommendations?
― pixel farmer, Saturday, 11 December 2010 00:00 (thirteen years ago) link
(doh! more appropriate to post here)
I fired a client today! There's so much weight off my shoulders, I actually am floating in space
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 30 April 2013 03:40 (eleven years ago) link
The client is really good at timing paychecks to arrive on Fridays before Monday holidays, knowing that it'll be Tuesday before I can get to the bank.
― channel 9's meaty urologist (WilliamC), Monday, 20 January 2014 14:08 (ten years ago) link
Advertiser, who knows the price for a full page full color ad, asks "what's the price for a full page B&W ad if only the photos are in color?"
― rack of lamb of god (WilliamC), Friday, 7 August 2015 17:38 (nine years ago) link
double, for having to mix black and white and color in the same ad
― j., Friday, 7 August 2015 17:42 (nine years ago) link
good answer
― rack of lamb of god (WilliamC), Friday, 7 August 2015 17:59 (nine years ago) link
I've been working for the same client for 17 years now and thought I couldn't be surprised by anything in this particular industry, but today I'm mindboggled by a feed supplement for show cattle called "Fresh & Feminine."
― rack of lamb of god (WilliamC), Wednesday, 12 August 2015 18:58 (nine years ago) link
Getting a dozen photos through email but rather than attaching them all to the same mail, each photo has been sent through it's own individual email. I noted in the future to try using zip or multiple attachments.
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 13 August 2015 16:11 (nine years ago) link
Also every time I get sent something, I get an email and then a few hours later I get a text and then a I get a phone call all asking if I got the email. Yes I got it. It didn't get lost in the mail.
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 13 August 2015 18:00 (nine years ago) link
I don't envy the life of the livestock show photographer. They sell a web-resolution image one time and suddenly everybody has it, including people who haven't paid for it and people who want to use it for print even though it's not big enough. Still puts me in a tough spot between the photographer and the advertiser.
― My name is Donald J. Trump, millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht. (WilliamC), Wednesday, 17 August 2016 17:09 (eight years ago) link
Can we talk about the Paycheck Protection Program? I got email from my bank this morning that included this:
On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, the Treasury Department issued much-anticipated guidance for the Paycheck Protection Program, which starting this week will provide up to $350 billion in fully forgivable loans to help small businesses maintain payrolls during the coronavirus pandemic.
Small businesses and sole proprietorships—generally, those with 500 or fewer employees—may apply for PPP loans with their bank starting on Friday, April 3; independent contractors and self-employed workers can apply starting April 10. PPP loans will be fully forgiven when used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, with at least three quarters of the forgiven amount being used for payroll; forgiveness is based on employers maintaining headcount or quickly rehiring and maintaining salary levels.
The phrase "fully forgivable loan" is throwing me. If I wind up qualifying and use the money under their constraints, does that mean it becomes just a free-money grant? I think I read on the Treasury website that I'd have to apply for loan forgiveness and that it's not automatic. But still, this sounds like a lifeline for me (independent contractor).
― Miami weisse (WmC), Wednesday, 1 April 2020 16:29 (four years ago) link
moving from the 'working from home' thread
I've worked from home for almost 19 years. I expect it to all come crashing down around my ears any day now.
― Miami weisse (WmC), Thursday, March 12, 2020 8:14 AM (two years ago)
lol it kinda did. My client held on through the end of '21 before shuttering, and I billed another client $310 in '22. My tax guy says I can claim to be self employed and claim a loss for four years before I have to start calling myself a bartender instead of a graphic designer and quit claiming internet/phone/WFMU donations as business expenses.
― The Terroir of Tiny Town (WmC), Friday, 10 March 2023 18:22 (one year ago) link