A new definition of ‘free’-lancing

I’ve recently been asked by a well-known editor to get involved in a new project that’s essentially TripAdvisor but with the content written by professional rather than citizen journalists. What that means is that I wouldn’t get paid for writing the travel articles but would share in any commission generated from bookings for the things I am recommending. 

It has really become crunch time for the traditional business model for freelance journalists. In the past, you wrote X thousand words and got paid Y. Consumers of my output now want to view that content free of charge if it’s online. Of course, free of charge means free to the end user. Most often, there is some hidden commercial input, whether that’s context sensitive Google ads or banners, which pays the bills. Naturally, online publishers now want their contributors to work to the same model. Provide the stuff for nothing and you get a share of any cash we make, they say. 

I have often felt aggrieved that my word rates have remained virtually unchanged in years, meaning I have effectively taken a pay cut because of inflation. Now, it seems that they are set to fall further unless I can encourage people to click on the ads or e-commerce links surrounding my words. Some unscrupulous journalists might think that by writing an article with a positive spin, those click-throughs are much more likely thus increasing their revenue. It’s a scary old time for the ‘free’-lance.