Writing for Money, Writer's Market and an email RANT

So the wife wanted to watch some inane show and I decided to blog and Stumble tonight. With my increasing success with PayPerPost, I have become more interested in finding ways to make a few bucks writing on the side-particularly during my winter hiatus from the Hot Dog Truck. I Stumbled on this article about Unasked-For Advice to New Writers About Money and I read the whole thing-Stumbled it too. The author doles out some sound advice, even though he sounds like my mother!

After reading it, I scrolled back to a link for Writer's Market, a publication that lists just about every legitimate writing gig in the known universe. It was a link to buy the book on Amazon.com and I almost bought it. I decided to see if there was an online version first. Lo and behold there was! Writer's Market dot com features all the listings the print publication does with the advantage of frequent updates and changes. A subscription costs about the same as buying the publication every year and it's online. I'm thinking "Sign me up," so I go to register and pay. One problem; they don't take PayPal. Bummer.

So I wrote them THIS EMAIL:

Dear Writer's Market dot Com-

I was excited to hear about your site. I have purchased your books several times in the past and I am finally at a point in my life where I can honestly dedicate some time and energy to try to make some money writing.

When I read about the constant updating and other features available by putting Writer's Market online, I was eager to sign up. The internet has indeed allowed many people to operate without being "constrained by physical limitations," but your website has put a physical limitation on me.

I am physically unable to subscribe to your service. Several years ago, I decided to get rid of ALL my credit cards. I have become a strictly cash operator, no longer will I give money to banks for the privilege of buying things with my own money. It's a complex personal decision that I won't go into here, let's just say I don't have a credit card.

I DO have a PayPal account. I am a verified member and I use PayPal to buy all sorts of things online. I bought the computer I'm sending this email with online-with PayPal. I just can't buy a subscription to Writer's Market dot Com. Because you don't take PayPal.

I'd like to think that the folks at Writer's Market are smart. You've been around for nearly a hundred years, you organize an immense amount of information on a constant basis and I'm willing to bet the company makes piles of money. You're obviously smart enough to understand the power of the internet to disperse the undulating sources of information you provide; it's a far more fluid medium than a semi annual soft cover book.

If you were smart enough do do all these things (and probably many more I haven't touched upon), why is it you would not accept PayPal? It's the complete no-brainer way to pay and be paid online. I accept PayPal for crying out loud! There are a few other "little" companies that accept PayPal too, maybe you've heard of some of them: South West Air, Dell Computers, Amazon.com etc. I would be willing to bet some fresh faced college intern on your staff could set your website up to accept PayPal in a day or two.

Why don't you have them get right on that? When you get it figured out, let me know. I want a two year subscription and instead of perusing your listings, I'm firing off this email. I'm wasting time and you guys are out $44.99.

What a shame.

Very truly yours,

the Hotdogman

And so it goes.....