Sunday, May 10, 2009

I'm beginning to dislike the editors at Suite 101

Don't the editors at Suite 101 know that most writers at the site make peanuts every month? I mean, I have 33 stories up at Suite 101, and last month I made $21.16 off them.

That's not exactly riches, right?

Why, then, do some Suite editors act like I'm writing for the Atlantic Monthly?

I actually put a story up on Suite that had real comments from real sources that I spoke to by phone. I soon received a message that the channel editor had some suggestions to improve my story. Her thoughts? She wondered if I could put in the date when I interviewed each source.

Really? She wants me to date the interview in my copy? For $21.16 a month?

Sorry, I'll be leaving that story alone. In fact, I find that I've been ignoring much of what my Suite editors have to say. Maybe that's a bad attitude on my part. But the only way -- and even this way isn't guaranteed -- to make content writing even remotely economically feasible is to crank out stories in record time. I'm not going to be able to do that if I'm dating my interviews now, am I?

2 comments:

  1. Suite is definitely doing things right by offering this kind of editorial guidance. It elevates not only your writing, but the quality of the entire site. They site and editors also provide excellent SEO training that makes it easier to clinche more lucrative writing jobs. As far as revenue being peanuts, consider that you'll continue to make roughly $20 per month on those articles for the next year, without writing anything else. (That is, of course, assuming your articles are evergreen.) One year at that rate adds up to $240...two years is $440, which puts you in par with a content site that pays $15 per article. And But the earnings will continue to come in. Suite, then, is an investment in long term, residual income, not immediate payback. I'd much prefer this to a one-time low payment that equates to only pennies per word. And then of course, if content writing seems to be a compromise, well, there are other options to pursue.

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  2. Hi, Anonymous:

    Thanks for writing. I do agree that Suite is doing the right thing by having editors. However, there are times when I feel that editors are requesting changes just for the sake of doing something.

    I'm sticking with Suite 101, despite some of my reservations because, as you said, it's a source of residual income.

    Thanks again,
    Dan

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