So I wanted to post a little about the above.
I know I am a writer. I’ve had some very good successes this last year. Which I’ve been very pleased with.
But I’ve found that even these successes come with a different tag.
I’ve always been a reader. I used to get request after request to look over people’s work. Which I did, and yes, it took up a lot of my time.
In any sense time is money. This last year, I haven’t had as much time at all. With writing for Best Friends, and then having very sick fish.
So my time has been even more important to me.
I’ve had two very different experiences today. (Bar the hangover)
The first, I was contacted by a random person… I’d never had a message an email or even a chat with. Directing me to a website and his script.
I’m still a nice person, I like to help others. So, I went over for a nosey.
It was an instant put off. The website okayish, but the work, not so good. I like to think I am nice most of the time. But this guy had a price tag on his script of 1 million dollars. For a 32 page script. I couldn’t help but point out that his price tag was the very top end of the pay scale for any writer (even an established one)
He quickly retracted the 1 mill and asked for 200k.
Yikes, not any sort of way to conduct business.
So the second encounter was a slightly different shock.
Again contacted by someone I’d never met, wrote too or spoken too.
The difference was he ‘actually’ asked did I have time to talk.
That one tiny question made all the difference. : )
I do believe in some professional etiquette, I’d never dream of asking a pro writer or producer to look over my work without building a relationship first. Better to be asked to submit work, than to hound someone that you don’t know and put them off for life.
The article ‘no I won’t read your f’in script’ is one of the most truthful pieces written. See Casey’s message below for the link… Thanks Casey. 🙂
What do you think?
Dawn
Kanundra's Blog 
I don’t know is my honest answer.I went on one visitors website to find that he blog said along the lines of “I am a published author so that makes me a Writer” I put a dry wit comment of “I have had a few poems published so I guess that makes me a poet”.He told me to eff off…said I was taking the piss out of him.I wasn’t. I was puncturing a self important balloon..
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2009/09/i_will_not_read.php
Josh Olsen
Yes, that’s the one. 🙂 thanks. Will edit my post…
P.S. Kanundra, do you have time to read my f*#%ing script? :]
(jk)
There is always time… 🙂
Certainly true. A little respectful conduct goes a long way!
And I can sympathize with that article on the point of how much of a lose-lose situation giving critique can be. Maybe not so much with his “you can’t possibly appreciate how much an artist’s time and skill are worth” sentiment, though (he equates a critique request with asking your painter friend to paint your house, but the more sensible correlation would be asking your painter friend to inspect your own paint-job to see if you did it right).
I’ve seen many echo this notion, but I’ve been very grateful for mechanic friends who’ve taken a look at my car, or doctor friends who’ve answered medical questions, and in turn I’ve offered plenty of advice on writing and music, or fixed friends’ computers. There’s nothing wrong with folks sharing the benefits of their hard-earned skills with each other; if you don’t have the time, then that itself is a perfectly valid excuse, but to snub it with artistic elitism is just pretentious and silly.
Oh I agree, I love to help out and often do to many people of varying skills. At the end of the day none of us improve without critique. But there is indeed a time and a place to ask for that help. 🙂
And, to be sure, an appropriate manner. (>^-‘)>
Exactly. 🙂 Just today I got a lovely message from a newer writer on a site I mod about the review I left her yesterday. Those thoughtful message are what makes me want to help people. After all, as a writer I love to read. 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful day…
Indeed!
Have a happy new year, yourself!