Finally for our new members...
A big thank you for joining 26.
We started meeting as a group in 2002. We were eight individuals in search of others involved in the daily business of working with words. We simply wanted to share our experiences and ideas, and learn from one another. You can find out more about us at
http://www.26.org.uk/who.htmNews spread of our meetings, and it soon became clear that 26 could be, should be, something much bigger than just us. So we decided to open up the organisation to other writers, editors, language experts and anyone else with a love of language. We launched 26 formally in September 2003...
...And here you are. We’re delighted you’ve become one of 26. We hope we’ll get to explore and enjoy language together in all sorts of interesting and unexpected ways.
26 is open to new ideas from any of its members. We would be especially pleased to hear from you if you'd like to be involved in 26 talks, publications, seminars or other initiatives – even in a small way. You can reach us on 0870 121 13 26 or at
talktous@26.org.ukAs for your 26 quid... thank you very much. The funds we’re raising with your annual subscriptions will go towards running events (most of which will be free to members), developing our web site, creating an online message board for members, and bringing to life a whole range of other initiatives we haven’t even imagined yet.
A number of members have asked whether they can refer to 26 on their business card or in their emails, web site, autobiography or whatever. We think this is a great idea as it helps to raise awareness. We just ask that you use the phrase One of 26, followed by the web site address www.26.org.uk.
In the meantime, your friends and colleagues can find out more about 26 and join at
http://www.26.org.uk , so spread the word.
New members May 2006
Just the one this month, so an extra warm welcome to
Fraser Southey. And may we take this opportunity to remind everyone of the joys of
renewing your membership – indeed, the outright necessity. It’s a simple matter of posting your £26 cheque to
Julie Potts, PO Box 8260, Nottingham NG9 7WY. In the past year, members have enjoyed a host of 26 talks, events and special offers – as well as the chance to take part in several high-profile 26 projects. With the new website just around the corner, you’ll also have privileged access to the members’ area. Most importantly, of course, you get to read this newsletter. If you have any queries about membership, drop Julie a line at twiggy.peasticks@virgin.net (And don't forget to let her know if your email address changes – we do like a clean database.)
So, what are words worth? By Sarah McCartney
Our Wordsworth survey was completed by 63 members, which goes to show that it can't have been that hard. Thanks to all of you for making it statistically significant. (Note to the unscientific: this means that we can safely assume that it represents the views and situation of writers around and about the UK at the moment.)
Who are we and how do we work?57% spend all their working hours writing.
30% spend most of their time writing.
Another 13% spend less that half their time in the wordsmithery trade.
Two thirds earn 100% of their income writing.
Another 20% earn 50-80% of their income from writing.
Which means that 10% do a load of work which isn't writing but don't earn any money from it.
Other sources of income include music, marketing, PR, consultancy, going to meetings, teaching yoga (that would be me), managing events, education, coaching, training, brand consultancy and
“runing a business”. (We're guessing that this was supposed to be running not ruining).
70% of us who responded are self-employed. This probably indicates that people who have to decide what to charge have a greater interest in taking part in the survey than those whose employers decide for them. 27% are in full-time employment and there was one solitary part-timer.
50% of us said we've been wordsmiths
“for ages” and a further 25% for 5-10 years.
How did we get here?60 people told us how they got into this line of work. Three stumbled, one moved, one fell, one jumped and one jostled. One met someone at a party. Many started as journalists. Some of my favourites:
“Tea making led to work experience, work experience led to paid work, paid work led to freelancing, freelancing led to full-time employment, full-time employment led to setting up own company.”“Took a chance after my previous business was sold. No experience but plenty of self-belief.”Fewer than 10% did relevant training at the very beginning of their careers.
40% of respondents subcontract or employ writers. Of these, just over half pay on a daily basis, 19% pay per 1000 words, 24% by the hour and 24% by project.
What do we say we do?20% of us say we are copywriters.
20% say we are writers.
Here are some of the others:
“My card says ‘Poet and Wordsmith’”“‘Writer’ (if I'm brave), or long-drawn-out explanation about marketing background, now specialising in written comms (if I'm not brave)”“It changes. At the moment, ‘writer, editor, web consultant’”"Poetry activist"Now the big one: what do we earn?Highest: £100,000-200,000 a year
Lowest: £15,000 (We're ignoring the smarty pants who claimed to earn 32p.)
Mean: £44,500
Take this figure and take off the percentage you added on to make yourself feel better and you'll have the real average.
Our rates (these are not mutually exclusive categories so they aren't supposed to add up to 100%)93% of freelances charge by the day.
High: £1,500
Low: £50 (not including the free work)
Mean: £373.50
60% charge by the hour.
High: £150
Low: £20
Mean: £60
32% charge by the thousand words (standard for the press).
High: £1,000
Low: £200
Mean: £444
(One respondent wrote
"Never – it undermines the value of words", which is great in theory but tricky when you're negotiating with
The Independent.)
35% charge by project.
Generally estimated by calculating how many hours or days it will take and grossing up those rates. One person gives a 5-10% discount on projects of 10 or more days.
15% charge by other means.
Including half days, translation fees, Equity standard rates.
How do we decide what to charge?Only one respondent reported that he or she never varies the rate for individual clients. Of the other 44 who answered the question, a typical answer would be:
"Horses for courses – top rate for banks etc, much less for small companies, nothing at all for some charity projects."Things which influence our decision include:
"We consider what the value of the project is to them. So, strategy and branding we charge more for than copywriting.""A long-term contract will get a discount. Crisis management will be charged at a premium.""The less I want the job, the more I charge.""The rate on which I base a price depends on how long I've known the client. The oldest clients are on £500 a day because that's what I was charging when they came on board. Now I don't take on new clients for less than £750 – unless it's a job I really want to do.""Complex combination of time (mostly how much time and effort it takes to gather the relevant material), value added (ie, how bad the source material is), and client's perceptions or expectations of cost." As a self-employed writer struggling to pay a mortgage on my West London flat, I take exception to this one:
"I research the market by devious means. I also have a caller display phone. If it's an 020 number, I charge more."Charging according to how much fun the work will be seems to be an emerging theme.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your viewsI've found it genuinely useful and I hope you do too. For a full version of the results, line by line, email sarah@littlemax.co.uk.
If you'd like a survey designed, I charge according to how much fun it is.
We're planning to meet again for Wordsworth 2: the follow-up in autumn.
I'd like to give the last word to respondent number 11. The survey was anonymous – except for Julie who signed all her contributions – but you know who you are.
"I don't think price is an issue with copywriting. If clients like what you do, they'll pay for it. I set out to charge above the average because high rates send out a marketing message about quality. Quote with confidence and people believe you're worth it. I never haggle over prices. There's always going to be someone cheaper than you, so it's a waste of time trying to compete on that level. If someone doesn't want to pay, I suggest they find a cheaper writer. Sometimes I even suggest a few names."Finally, you can follow this link to see the topline results as a fancy barchart:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/Report.asp?U=147278571407
In our humble...
A chance for members of 26 to hold forth on the burning issues of the day. This month...
The new Economist ads: inspired continuation of a legendary campaign, or a load of increasingly tired old puns?
Jim Davies, WriterThe Economist poster campaign is from the ‘if it ain’t broke’ school of advertising – it’s been ploughing the same old furrow since 1984. The early ones, masterminded by David Abbott, deserved all the acclaim that came their way – they were distinctive, intelligent and succinct.
'"I never read The Economist." Management trainee. Aged 42' is probably the strongest. At a time when the glossy advertising image held sway, they bucked the trend, demonstrating the power of a few well-chosen words. The figures speak for themselves: worldwide sales doubled between 1988 and 2000; advertising revenue increased by 250%. Now, they seem to be trying a bit too hard. The puns are a bit laboured, and intrusive graphic devices detract from the elegant simplicity that once set them apart. Working on a campaign this famous is a double-edged sword – there’s a great heritage to draw on, but you have a lot to live up to. Perhaps it’s time to move on.
Roger Horberry, Alp AssociatesI’m a fan. Simple is hard, as anyone who’s ever tried to do something similar knows. Only the most curmudgeonly creative could fail to be impressed by the variety, wit and sheer economy displayed in these ads. Their authors make the minimum amount of content deliver the maximum impact without recourse to the usual visual gimcrackery. OK, the occasional execution misses the mark but the overall hit ratio is envy-inducingly high. Basically, I wish I’d thought of them.
Tim Rich, WriterRather like the economy, long-running campaigns have highs and lows. I still like '"I never read The Economist.” Management trainee. Aged 42.' And the poster placed on a double-decker bus's roof that said 'Hello to our friends in high places'. Cue a mild depression. Did the latest creative team base their conception of business phrases on a stuffy text book from 1985? 'White collar' is now applied to everything from CEOs to administrative drones – which do they mean? 'Fold', 'Still busking' and 'bigger picture' are weak puns. 'Sparks & Mensa' is a recycled line about M&S from the 70s. But I'm more thrown by the references to marketing and communications here – is the idea of a 'rough' something most business people understand? Why a self-conscious headline about headlines? 'Free Seeds' manages to lower the
brand to the level of tactical sniping at other publications while delivering a rather feeble play on seeds of knowledge. Or do they mean seeds of growth? This lot seem laboured. But I bet the campaign bounces back.
Neil Taylor, Creative Director, The WriterCome on! 'Sparks & Mensa', that's genius, isn't it?
Anyone who's serious about writing in business should jump for joy just that The Economist ads exist. They say two things which I want to hammer into the head of every senior business type in the country. First, that you don't (always) need pictures to make your point; good writing can do the job all on its own. Second, you don't need to be po-faced to sound clever.
Obviously, some of them are better than others (I mean, 'Is your indecision final?'? My dad used to say that, for goodness' sake). But how many of us are funny all the time?
Mike Reed, Reed WordsIt is the best of briefs; it is the worst of briefs. Such a huge opportunity – either to look wonderful or to screw up very publicly. And I have to say, this latest crop seem to be woefully below par.
‘Sparks & Mensa’ is not only a real groaner (it ought to say ‘Geddit?’ on the end), it’s too ‘on the nose’, as screenwriters say. The classic Economist ads compliment the audience in elegantly oblique fashion. This one says ‘You’re really clever if you read The Economist’, and sticks an Eric Idlean elbow in your ribs. (And what has Marks & Spencer got to do with The Economist anyway?)
‘Is your indecision final?’ seems to strike a sour note. Rather than congratulating its audience on their taste (and implying that non-readers had better join the club), it says very clearly, ‘You’re really struggling, aren’t you? Better read The Economist.’ Economist readers (in the world of the campaign) don’t read it because they’re struggling – they read it precisely because they’re not.
It’s easy to knock, though, isn’t it? I know this is the point where someone says, "Have you got any better ideas?" To which I can only reply, "I'd be more than happy to provide an estimate."
David Hughes, David and AssociatesEven the best orchestras strike a bum note from time to time. Even so, they don't usually happen all in the same bar. Without doubt creating new ads for the Economist is a tough gig. This long running campaign has been a brilliant example of brevity, restraint, wit and style. I've enjoyed each new expression of the core idea 'You're smart if you read the Economist'. Part of that enjoyment has been the amazement that the agency has managed to keep the thing fresh for 22 years. This latest crop may not stand up when compared to the whole of the back catalogue - very little could. I'm sure it's a blip and normal service will resume.
Dark Angels – Creative Writing in Business
Fancy a week honing your writing skills in the wilds of Scotland or the late summer sun of Andalucia? Bookings are now being taken for the next round of
Dark Angels ‘Creative Writing in Business’ courses – tutored by 26-ers Jamie Jauncey, Stuart Delves and John Simmons.
The advanced course takes place from 22 – 26 September in the Sierra de Aracena, one of the most stunning national parks in Spain, while the main course takes place from 30 October – 4 November 2006 at the Arvon Foundation centre at Moniack Mhor, near Inverness.
Dark Angels is an adventure that seems to be gathering momentum – and plaudits. "One of the most rewarding and inspirational weeks I've spent anywhere, ever," said Rob Williams of Penguin Books recently. You'll find all the information about the course (and more plaudits) at
www.jauncey.co.uk/courses
From Here to D&AD
There has been more welcome recognition for From Here to Here, last year’s epic 26 project, which was recently shortlisted for a prestigious Arts & Business award. The yellow-framed exhibition of the book has found its way into this year’s D&AD annual, sitting alongside such multi-million undertakings as the Churchill Museum – not bad for a few hundred quid.
Sue Rogers and
Nick Asbury were the creative team responsible, with a little help from the many writers involved, all of whose carefully chosen words formed the centrepiece of the exhibition. If you didn’t get to see the result, you can view some photos at
www.suerogers.co.uk – or wait for the annual to come out in September.
26 members recommend for May
‘Never Mind The Full Stops’, BBC4, Thursdays 10.30pmOr ‘Eats Shoots And Leaves’ gets the televisual treatment. Renaissance snob Julian Fellowes – apparently the only man left in the UK who knows how to hold a knife and fork or tie a Windsor knot – hosts a new show
taking a “humorous look at bad grammar, appalling spelling and the misuse of our rich and textured language”. Smug grammarian guests for the first show were Janet Street-Porter, Ned Sherrin, David Aaronovitch and Carol Thatcher. Get your red pens out, this is going to get messy. JD
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'In Business' Radio 4Presenter Peter Day makes business issues interesting for non-businessy people, analysing companies and issues in a warm, wry and thoroughly insightful manner. Complacent shibboleths and flabby performance are flattened as Day moves unflinchingly to the facts and the true character of the organisations and people in question. Business writing at its best, delivered in wonderfully calmative tones.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/inbusinessTR......................................
'Persian Fire' by Tom Holland, published by Little, Brown, £20.00 or £8.57 paperback on AmazonTom Holland's book 'Rubicon', about the development of Rome up to Julius Caesar, was a great example of storytelling based on facts. Real history made very readable. He's done something similar in Persian Fire, the story of the Persian Empire. The history is less familiar than that of the Romans, but the storytelling is equally compelling. And there are all sorts of relevant parallels with the modern world.
JS......................................
'Undercover Surrealism: Picasso, Miro, Masson and the vision of Georges Bataille'
Hayward Gallery, London; until 30 July 2006A slightly misleading title for this excellent new show: it is surrealism but from a differing, skewed angle, rather than 'undercover'. And Bataille, as editor, archivist, collector and visionary, emerges as the key figure. The exhibition explores the influential 'Documents' magazine he put together in the late 1920s, and the power of unexpected juxtapositions of subject matter it covered: rituals of violence, jazz, coins, primitive culture to name just a few – the first modern 'mash-ups', perhaps. The real delight comes not only from the various Picassos and Miros that adorn the walls, but also from the moment you realise that you're walking through a magazine, deconstructed and brought to life – real-life objects next to the page spreads where they are featured.
RD......................................
'Apex Hides The Hurt' by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday, $22.95) Published in the UK by Alma Books,pre-order at Amazon for £8.57Not yet published in the UK but well worth an Amazon trip, Whitehead has crafted a short but punchy tale about a 'nomenclature consultant' recovering from a breakdown, and his hesitant attempts to get back into the branding game with a job to rename an American town. Themes of memory and identity are treated lightly, and while the ending might be a wee bit telegraphed, 'Apex' is worth the price of entry for some of the confections - on the evidence, Whitehead would be a priceless addition for any naming brainstorm.
RD......................................
‘Blink’ by Malcolm Gladwell, Penguin £8.99 or £5.39 on AmazonOne of the most fascinating books I've ever read. It's about how we make very quick, split-second decisions about people and situations, but often don't trust them. Gladwell shows how powerful the unconscious is in making these decisions, and why they're very often extremely accurate. But he also shows how they can be skewed by environmental, social and cultural influences, and how we can be aware of the prejudices that may influence us. It's packed with incredible stories, from how one man beat the entire US military in a wargame, by refusing to behave predictably, to the psychologists who spent seven years mapping 10,000 combinations of facial muscle combinations to show how our expressions express (and even create) our feelings more than we may like to believe. ‘Blink’ is both an eye-opener and a jaw-dropper, and I can't recommend it enough.
MR
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This month’s plugs by Jim Davies, Tim Rich, John Simmons, Rishi Dastidar and Mike Reed. These are not necessarily the views of 26, but we hope they’re not far off the mark. Any contributions gratefully received.
