So I'm volunteering....

[CrazyKell]

Not really sure how to title this thread but I've got a bit of a weird situation.

A local bike magazine is starting up this spring. I saw a post on a local forum and contacted the editor. Met with him and submitted an article.

In our early communications he stated that he can't afford to pay anyone yet, but wants to build a good team.

I want to be published and want to build my portfolio. Great!

In the past month I have been asked to write 5 articles. I'm not complaining, but rather trying to guage whether this is appropriate. It just seems a bit demanding but I don't know if I'm out to lunch on that one or not.

Any thoughts?

[skiergirl]

Depends on what the magazine turns into....if it's a success it's a good opportunity, if it fails and fizzles out then it's worthless. All in all it's a crap shoot so you just need to ask yourself if it's worth the effort for the possibility of something or not.

[fasternyou929]

Congrats on getting a few articles published, I hope you benefit from the exposure!

That said, I think this thread alone is a sign you're being asked too much as a volunteer. I'd just talk with the editor and remind him you have other commitments that must take priority of a volunteer effort and see if he's willing to work with you. Chances are, he will.

One of the pitfalls of charity work: the work load will not stop increasing until you start to say no. Typically it will then plateau, not go away.

[smileyman]

Published articles does build your resume and experience for a real magazine job someday.

Then again someone publishing 5 of your articles per month for free sounds like he's taking advantage...

We can take advantage of you much better!! but it wont build your resume for legit employment...

[azoomm]

He could be playing the "don't ask - don't get" game. You offered, he asked. That could be the extent of the plot. If it's too much, then tell him you have time for the number of articles you have time for.

I don't think it's more complicated than that.

[No Worries]

Congrats. I don't know the legal stuff, but you probably want to state on the article that it is First North American Serial Rights, so that after he publishes it, all other copyrights to the article remain with you. Probably want to look this up to see how it works in Canada.

[askmrjesus]

I've been published in a couple of mags here, and in the UK, and what I've noticed about editors and publishers is this:

They're bastards.

I wrote an article for RoadRacing World a few years ago (I know, how fucking cool am I?) no big deal, just a page full of text and a couple pics. Did I get paid? Fuck no. I didn't even get a free subscription. Cheap bastards. You'd think maybe a t-shirt or something, but no. Not even a sticker, or a thank-you note.

You know why there was no thank you note?

It's because they're bastards.

Did we not already cover this?

Five articles a month is bullshit. If you can't get paid, demand, "Associate Editor" status, or better yet, "Editor at large".

Editor at large is the shit. Nobody really knows what it means. You could be a Grammar Nazi, trolling bus stations for semi-colon fax paws on the covers of bootleg porn CD's, or, you could just be a crazy person with a gun and a red Sharpie.

JC

[CrazyKell]

Thanks! I think you all made valid points.

I'm excited about the opportunity to write for a reason. I am going to tell him I have other commitments and will do what I can. He can't ask for anything more than that.

[Papa_Complex]

Good to hear that you managed to get the gig Kel, but WOW! Five articles in a month is pretty heavy. Not that pay for motorcycle journalists is all that great up here. A writer for one of the majors up here told me that he for something like $0.10 a word and $10.00 a shot. It's still money though.

It sounds like you're fronting half+ of the damned mag so not getting paid doesn't sound appropriate. Either the workload should go down, ir the money should materialize.

[CrazyKell]

Originally Posted by askmrjesus

Editor at large is the shit. Nobody really knows what it means. You could be a Grammar Nazi, trolling bus stations for semi-colon fax paws on the covers of bootleg porn CD's, or, you could just be a crazy person with a gun and a red Sharpie.

As Editor-At-Large I'd like to point out it's faux pas.

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Good to hear that you managed to get the gig Kel, but WOW! Five articles in a month is pretty heavy. Not that pay for motorcycle journalists is all that great up here. A writer for one of the majors up here told me that he for something like $0.10 a word and $10.00 a shot. It's still money though.

It sounds like you're fronting half+ of the damned mag so not getting paid doesn't sound appropriate. Either the workload should go down, ir the money should materialize.

Thanks Rob. It's been great because I don't necessarily want to make a career out of this, I just want to do it. I just don't want to be taken advantage of.