Testy Copy Editors :: View topic - Citizen Kane [post-apocalyptic version]

With fuel prices topping four dollars per gallon in some states, many Americans want to keep their paychecks in their pockets and out of their gas tanks. Thanks to cheap Internet access and fast computers, some workers can perform their jobs just as well from home as they can in the office. Government analysts recently identified ten fast-growing jobs that combine higher-than-average hourly wages with the benefits of working from home.

#8: Desktop Publisher

Just as small businesses rely on public relations professionals to tell their stories, company owners look to desktop publishing professionals to make their stories look good in print. Advanced publishing tools now make it possible for desktop publishers to work from home, often earning over $20 as freelancers or in staff positions. Advanced training courses in graphic design and desktop publishing help these specialists retain the cutting-edge skills that help build strong client rosters.

Author:	J Kaufman [ Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:13 am ]
Post subject:	Citizen Kane [post-apocalyptic version]
From the "I hope that's a typo, but it probably isn't" file: Stop Pumping Gas: Ten Hot Home Office Jobs Quote: With fuel prices topping four dollars per gallon in some states, many Americans want to keep their paychecks in their pockets and out of their gas tanks. Thanks to cheap Internet access and fast computers, some workers can perform their jobs just as well from home as they can in the office. Government analysts recently identified ten fast-growing jobs that combine higher-than-average hourly wages with the benefits of working from home. * * * Quote: #8: Desktop Publisher Just as small businesses rely on public relations professionals to tell their stories, company owners look to desktop publishing professionals to make their stories look good in print. Advanced publishing tools now make it possible for desktop publishers to work from home, often earning over $20 as freelancers or in staff positions. Advanced training courses in graphic design and desktop publishing help these specialists retain the cutting-edge skills that help build strong client rosters.

Author:	Editer [ Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:20 pm ]
Post subject:
Might be "per hour" was meant. (That might also be after taxes. I wouldn't cross the street for that amount in gross.)

Author:	trimtofit [ Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:33 pm ]
Post subject:
I'm sure that's supposed to be $20 per hour. But even still, that doesn't sound like a lot of money for a freelancer. Figuring that, in a competitive market, you'll spend half of your time chasing down clients and negotiating jobs -- not to mention covering your own health insurance, retirement, and operating overhead -- I would think you'd need to charge at least double your hourly "working for The Man" rate to make it on your own. And you'll want substantial cash reserves to weather the inevitable dips in business. Somebody with design and editing skills, and the stomach for "customer service," should be able to earn at least $20 an hour in a reputable production shop. (I know it's less than that at a lot of newspapers.) I would think that if you couldn't bill yourself out at a minimum of $40 hourly, it wouldn't be worth doing. Of course, you might be willing to take a pay cut if you didn't have to commute or wear clothes to work. It's hard to put a price on such freedoms.

Author:	Bumfketeer [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:16 pm ]
Post subject:
trimtofit wrote: Of course, you might be willing to take a pay cut if you didn't have to commute or wear clothes to work. Not to mention not having to put up with stoopid jackasses, which I hear happens in some places.

Author:	Redaktor [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:56 pm ]
Post subject:
Saying you charge $20 an hour is another way of saying "I married rich."

Testy Copy Editors http://www.testycopyeditors.org/phpBB3/

Citizen Kane [post-apocalyptic version] http://www.testycopyeditors.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9425	Page 1 of 1

Author:	vtuss [ Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:31 pm ]
Post subject:
A salary of $20 an hour used to be the badge of the middle class. Or so I read.

Author:	paulwiggins [ Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:44 am ]
Post subject:
One charges for freelance work ... (about 95Ac to US dollar) Per day $813.00 Per half day (2/3 day rate) $542.00 Per hour $203.00

Author:	Powderhorn [ Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:36 am ]
Post subject:
paulwiggins wrote: One charges for freelance work ... (about 95Ac to US dollar) Per day $813.00 Per half day (2/3 day rate) $542.00 Per hour $203.00 Come, now, Wiggins ... the USD is still stronger than the AUD, and I will guarantee that to be the case for roughly 20 minutes. That said, ~US$190 per hour sounds appealing. I won't take freelance work for under $60/hour, which I thought was high. (But that's design, not editing -- "desktop publishing", as it were.)

Author:	paulwiggins [ Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:35 am ]
Post subject:
Quite right, other way round. Prices quoted assume one is using own gear. We all know what we are; we are just negotiating our prices .....

Author:	majorbabs [ Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:04 pm ]
Post subject:
Before you really make fun of that $20/hr figure -- ever tried getting a free-lance job in a university town filled with journalism undergrads who would be happy to do that free-lance job for nothing, to put it on their resume? $20/hr is not that far off, my friends, if you want to be in competition with them. One wishes clients would pay more for experience, but that's not often the case. Everybody wants it cheap and will gladly cheapen their standards to get the "right" price.

Page 1 of 1	All times are UTC - 5 hours
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/