It is perfectly understandable why people on this list might want to write for that website, or any website.
Few people here are professional writers who earn a living flogging words. They are in various arms of the wider world of Public Engagement in Science and Technology (PEST). Some of them are paid to promote particular causes. So why not write about your paymasters to get the word out? In that case the salary already rolls in and you are doing your best to justify it.
I suspect that there would be a different response over on the ABSW list, where even staff writers expects to be paid a "living wage" for freelance work, despite their doubtless huge staff salaries.
MK
-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jonathan Sanderson
Sent: 23 September 2015 21:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Job opportunity: Science Writers, What Culture website
Indeed - and one of the reasons I was initially suspicious here was that websites typically do pay via metrics-based systems, as indeed the apparent ratecard here suggests. On the other hand, I’ve no idea if this specific job is paying that ratecard, or a different structure. Has anyone checked?
Incidentally, I gather from the editor who first contacted me that they’re very pleased with the number of enquiries they’ve received via this list (and/or from BIG-Chat, where I also forwarded the query). So there’s certainly some interest from within this community. Make of that what you will.
> On 20 Sep 2015, at 21:59, Michael Kenward <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Nice of Jonathan to pass this on. As he says, it is a step up from “this "we'll pay you in exposure" rubbish)”. But in its place it offers “we’ll pay you by exposure”.
>
> If “What Culture” wants to be open, it should provide the information that contributors need to judge how much they might get. As it is, the approach is a bit New Scientist say8ing “We’ll pay you according to how many people buy that week’s issue”: or the BBC saying to programme makers “we’ll pay you depending on how many people tune in”. Even Hollywood works on a basis of “fee plus points”.
--
Jonathan Sanderson
"If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter" (Pascal)
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