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.

What ski journalists do in the summer

People always ask me what I do in the summer. I’m the ski correspondent on the Times so it’s a fair question. In fact, more often than not, I’m writing about skiing on some of the hottest days of the year.  Why’s that, you ask? Well, most newspapers and magazines run their ski features between September and early February. September might seem to early to begin and February might seem to early to finish but it’s all to do with when people traditionally book their ski holidays. As soon as there’s a chill in the air and people have had the last of the summer holidays, thoughts often turn to a winter holiday and so this is when ski companies start to bring out their new brochures and advertise in the newspapers and magazines.  Newspapers and magazines naturally follow this commercial flow. So that’s what I do in the summer.

About writer’s block

Here I plan to let everyone know what life is like as a freelance journalist and author, particularly those moments when I’m stumped on how to write the next few words and gaze out of the window for inspiration.