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I didn't write as much as I would've liked this year, but still — I did a lot of work I'm proud of, and I'm excited to recap it.
Here's everything I wrote in 2020! For the sake of transparency, I'm including what I was paid for each piece.
DM with Qs or for editor contacts!
Here's everything I wrote in 2020! For the sake of transparency, I'm including what I was paid for each piece.
DM with Qs or for editor contacts!
In January, I wrote about news fatigue for the Toronto Star! I was paid $300 CAD. I've written for the Star's opinion section quite a bit, and it's always the same amount. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/03/16/strategies-for-dealing-with-news-fatigue.html
In February, I wrote about a viral tweet of mine for The Mighty. This paid $50 USD. https://themighty.com/2020/02/mental-health-services-college-campuses-viral-thread/
In April, I wrote about online forms of sex work for the New York Times's Style section. They pay $1 USD/word, which I believe worked out to be $1,200 USD. This was SIGNIFICANTLY more than I'd ever made for an article!!!! https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/style/camsoda-onlyfans-streaming-sex-coronavirus.html
In April, I published this humour piece in the New Yorker! They paid $400 USD.
I was really excited about this one because I'd submitted to them A LOT. It's always a gamble to put work into something without knowing if you'll get paid for it. https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/your-twenties-as-video-game-achievements
I was really excited about this one because I'd submitted to them A LOT. It's always a gamble to put work into something without knowing if you'll get paid for it. https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/your-twenties-as-video-game-achievements
In June, I was back in the New York Times with a piece about how sex toy retailers made it through the pandemic. Again, the rate was $1 USD/word! https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/style/sex-toys-online-coronavirus.html
Then I was working a summer customer service job, which was really exhausting! I was feeling uninspired and all of my pitches kept getting rejected, so I hit a loooooong dry spell.
My next piece came out in NOVEMBER!! (I commissioned it in August, but it was a long editorial process.)
This is one of my favourite things I wrote this year. I'm so proud of it, and the team at The Walrus was such a joy to work with. This paid $600 CAD! https://thewalrus.ca/the-mental-health-toll-of-a-pandemic-winter/
This is one of my favourite things I wrote this year. I'm so proud of it, and the team at The Walrus was such a joy to work with. This paid $600 CAD! https://thewalrus.ca/the-mental-health-toll-of-a-pandemic-winter/
Finally, this illustrated humour piece with the CBC! This was so so much fun to work on, and I hope I get to do more projects like it in the new year. It paid $560 CAD. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/tarot-for-today-2020-1.5813887
I have a few things in the pipeline (one for the NYT, one for the Walrus). It's veeery worth noting that freelancing is NOT my only source of income. I work full-time customer service jobs every the summer! This year, I was also really lucky to receive scholastic grants.
I'm so glad that freelancer transparency and rate transparency are becoming more of a ~thing~, because when I started I had no idea what to expect or what my work was worth.
As always, my DMs are open if any writers have Qs
As always, my DMs are open if any writers have Qs
I'll wrap up by saying that freelancing is really hard! Even though I landed a few big pieces this year, there were so many points when I felt really discouraged. It's hard when you're putting a lot of time into pitches and submissions and none of them land.
IF YOU'RE AN EDITOR WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMISSION ME........... hello :)