stringer rates

[BillyT]

The major metro I string for pays $55 for high school football for two or three paragraphs and a box score.

$55 for two or three graphs is the dumbest thing I've heard in a long time.

Angola: I know the reason some papers staff is to get complete, accurate stats for their web pages. The agate monkey cannot do that, and then you are dependent on the school.

No wonder papers are going under.

The major metro you string for would be better served hiring an agate monkey and writing up two or three paragraphs off of a phone call.

 

[BillyT]

Small dailies can go as low as $30 here in upstate New York.

To me, that's a Saturday watching a ballgame, then the money for food and a couple of beers. Not a real income.

 

[daytonadan1983]

It was $75 for a break-out game -- 8-10 graphs

 

[ColbertNation]

I used to get $25 a story at my rinky-dink first paper. I freelanced for a mid-size, which offered me $50 and a major metro, which offered $100 per. Of course, neither of those last two places ever paid up (I wrote 1 story for the mid-size, and 3 for the major).

 

[JakeandElwood]

I got $45 per story from the suburban daily I strung for over the summer.

 

[luckyducky]

Local metros (100k x2, 200ish?k): 65-80, depending on who the stringer is.

Local AP: $100 for minor league baseball

the WWL: Good money if you know people

 

[clutchcargo]

DMN: $55

FWST: $45

The DMN has been at $55 for a decade now. But going higher than that over a 10-game season means the total goes over $600, they send you a 1099, and the income has to be reported.

You should be reporting all your income, even all those small pieces that fall below the 1099 threshhold. That's what Quicken is for---to keep track of all that stuff for you.

 

[SixToe]

OK, so how about payment for a nice profile story that takes time for the interviews, development and writing?

You're going to take $50 or $75 for a story that might have taken you a full day or two of calls, visits? Or would you expect $150 or so for a 20- or 25-inch feature?

You time investment and your experience should be compensated in some cases. It's not just about typing words on a keyboard or a few graphs from the Podunk-Slapout hoops game.

 

[hockeybeat]

For a major metro, I cleared $175 for a 30 inch feature.

For another metro, I just banked $250 for gamer, notes, info box and an off day story.

 

[Mark2010]

OK, so how about payment for a nice profile story that takes time for the interviews, development and writing?

You're going to take $50 or $75 for a story that might have taken you a full day or two of calls, visits? Or would you expect $150 or so for a 20- or 25-inch feature?

You time investment and your experience should be compensated in some cases. It's not just about typing words on a keyboard or a few graphs from the Podunk-Slapout hoops game.

True. I generally charge more for a feature than a routine gamer.

 

[Flip Wilson]

OK, so how about payment for a nice profile story that takes time for the interviews, development and writing?

You're going to take $50 or $75 for a story that might have taken you a full day or two of calls, visits? Or would you expect $150 or so for a 20- or 25-inch feature?

You time investment and your experience should be compensated in some cases. It's not just about typing words on a keyboard or a few graphs from the Podunk-Slapout hoops game.

I made $125 for a lenghty, well-researched article for a small niche publication. For a local magazine, I make $300 for stories that don't take near as long and aren't near as much work. The first story was a better piece of journalism, but the second type sure do pay the bills.

 

[ringer]

Just fyi... do you realize that if you're making $50 or less for a game-day story, you could probably make just as much money - if not more - babysitting for a night?

A competent journalist should make more per gig than a 7th grader, no?

 

[PeterGibbons]

Just fyi... do you realize that if you're making $50 or less for a game-day story, you could probably make just as much money - if not more - babysitting for a night?

A competent journalist should make more per gig than a 7th grader, no?

you make a good point, but I'd ratther get paid to watch a ballgame than some snot-nosed little brat screaming all night!