Do I look like a bottom feeder?

I’ve bitten the bullet and started applying to gigs wherever I see them. I have created a professional website outlining my areas of expertise, experience, samples and fees. I even joined a couple of forums that constantly look for writers.

Unfortunately, I am too high priced.

I’m beginning to feel a little like some of my other favorite bloggers who commiserate about low paying gigs, weird requests and just flat out freaky clients (you know who you all are)… and I used to laugh when I read the blogs… but not anymore.

I just got turned down for possibly one of the lowest paying gigs I have ever applied for.

Why?

Budget’s not big enough apparently. If I came down anymore in my fees I could pay him to let me write the content.

Over the last couple of months, I have steadily declined in work. At first I was willing to blame school because my schedule just isn’t what it used to be and that somewhat limits me on how much I can take on.

However, I think I may have found a schedule I can work with. Unfortunately I don’t have the clients to test the schedule.

It’s frustrating. I guess my fortune at the Chinese buffet (yummy) was wrong when it suggested that it would be "good to grow your business".

Many of the writer forums that I visit talk about creating a website to showcase your work and apparently those that have done so are keeping quite busy… the only reason I can see for keeping so busy is the low fees that they are offering. A couple have said that they tried raising the fees but that didn’t help them.

At this point, I want to lower my fees. I want to shake the writers that are getting the bites and scream "SHARE WITH ME!" But I know that won’t work and I will look like a loon.

Back to pounding the virtual pavement I go. Let’s hope I don’t run into the person who wrote the fortune I got the other night though… Them I might shake.


2 Responses to Do I look like a bottom feeder?
  1. IrreverentFreelancer
    February 14, 2008 | 8:17 pm

    Oh, yeah, this ranting blogger knows who she is (LOL), but you’re not alone. I’ve just made a post about how slow my week has been.

  2. Lori
    February 15, 2008 | 2:25 pm

    Nikki, it IS good to grow your business, but you can’t do it via the Internet, for as you’ve seen, there are nothing but low-paying jobs from hyper-demanding people. Look to companies – big ones – who need writers to ghostwrite articles for their execs. Look for copywriting work, website writing work, etc. It’s out there. It just takes some digging.

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