Re: > Freelance Humor Column?
One-off humor items can be sold on a freelance basis. It's also possible to sell columns regularly to newspapers on a contract basis. It's called self-syndication.
There's a discussion group devoted strictly to the business and craft of humor writing. Feel free to join us at Laughter Crafters
miles111 New friend
Posts: 33
(12/15/04 11:10 am) Reply
re: humor column
I worked for several years with a small senior newspaper. During that time we had a writer who contributed a humor column every month (the paper was a monthly). It was one of the most popular columns we carried. The paper didn’t pay much, about $25 or $30 per article, but we had a lot of local writers contributing a variety of articles of interest to seniors.
We also had someone who sold us crossword puzzles, and a retired couple traveling in their RV who had a monthly RV Travel column. These items were also sold, by the authors, to senior newspapers in other cities.
Our publisher was always willing to look at the work of new writers.
re: humor column
You can search for pub websites and read their writer's guidelines. There are hundreds of opportunities out there--just don't submit to the editors with invoices enclosed.
maestrowork Resident Bug Chef
Posts: 5098
(12/15/04 11:50 am) Reply
Re: re: humor column
Erase, the same old "show me yours and I'll show you mine" trick, eh? I ain't going for it again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me again, well, fool me again... we are all fools.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. -- MLK
Do you generally sell to mainstream papers or alternative weeklies?
aka eraser A fishy character and Mod Squad agent
Posts: 1873
(12/16/04 9:50 am) Reply
Re: RE: Humor Column
Mostly magazines these days. I tried self-syndicating to papers for a while but gave up. It's a tough nut to crack. The "names" have their own syndication with the bigger papers and many, if not most, smaller pubs have a local humourist writing for them.
Maybe it's excessive rationalization but I'm kind of glad a paper or two didn't pick me up. Then I'd be locked into a certain #words each week and wouldn't be able to deviate much on either length or content. As it is now, with my freebie emailed column, I can write 600-900+ words as the spirit moves, and I also occasionally break out of the strictly-humour mould now and again.
Then, depending on subject matter, length etc. I try to find a paying home for some of them. Eventually, maybe as soon as next year, I'll probably compile a "best of" and see if I can get a book publisher to take a sniff.
Re: RE: Humor Column
[this response is available upon receipt of $10 in cash. It will be good, I promise. Leave me a message in my inbox for payment procedures]
maestrowork Resident Bug Chef
Posts: 5138
(12/16/04 12:40 pm) Reply
Re: RE: Humor Column
[Will send $10 to your mbox pronto]
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. -- MLK
aka eraser A fishy character and Mod Squad agent
Posts: 1877
(12/16/04 2:34 pm) Reply
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