How much should an editor of an online publication be paid?
August 20, 2013 6:38 PM Subscribe
If I want to hire an editor to manage the blog for my ad-driven website, how much should the pay be if it's full-time? What about part-time? Other than creating and managing content, managing writers (and bringing on new ones), and promoting the blog and the site on social media, is there anything else I should list in a online editor's duties?
My ad-driven website has become relatively well-known in my field, with over 12,000 registered members. I want to make my site a hub of knowledge, which includes improving my site's blog content. Currently I pay contributing writers $20 - $50 depending on what type of blog post. It's really kind of open to anyone who wants to add their two cents. I don't really have the time to filter out, assign topics, or edit writing.
Anyway, that's where an online editor would come in. I just want them to find interesting topics to cover or to assign to writers, manage a team of writers, and to do the editing. I'd also want them to do some site promotion/content promotion to increase web traffic. I'd like the posts to be picture-heavy and probably no longer than 500-600 words each, with the exception of a few more in-depth pieces.
Sad to say but most of the pros in my field aren't very good at writing. I don't think I need to hire someone who is the cream of the crop. Just someone who's kind of interested in the field, has a pretty decent grasp of the English language and has some history in writing. Fresh out of college is fine as long as they have some experience.
So when I advertise the position, how much should I be offering? I'd probably be hiring them as an independent contractor. What would full-time rates be? And what about part-time? (I might be able to do half the stuff myself).
What else should I be listing in the position requirements/description besides what I said above? Any ideas on what else a web editor should bring to the table to increase site traffic?
My ad-driven website has become relatively well-known in my field, with over 12,000 registered members. I want to make my site a hub of knowledge, which includes improving my site's blog content. Currently I pay contributing writers $20 - $50 depending on what type of blog post. It's really kind of open to anyone who wants to add their two cents. I don't really have the time to filter out, assign topics, or edit writing.
Anyway, that's where an online editor would come in. I just want them to find interesting topics to cover or to assign to writers, manage a team of writers, and to do the editing. I'd also want them to do some site promotion/content promotion to increase web traffic. I'd like the posts to be picture-heavy and probably no longer than 500-600 words each, with the exception of a few more in-depth pieces.
Sad to say but most of the pros in my field aren't very good at writing. I don't think I need to hire someone who is the cream of the crop. Just someone who's kind of interested in the field, has a pretty decent grasp of the English language and has some history in writing. Fresh out of college is fine as long as they have some experience.
So when I advertise the position, how much should I be offering? I'd probably be hiring them as an independent contractor. What would full-time rates be? And what about part-time? (I might be able to do half the stuff myself).
What else should I be listing in the position requirements/description besides what I said above? Any ideas on what else a web editor should bring to the table to increase site traffic?
I'd probably be hiring them as an independent contractor.
If you're at the point where you're thinking about the cost of a full-time independent contractor, you can afford a consultation with a local employment attorney to figure out whether this person really would be an independent contractor. Should only cost a few hundred bucks, but it could save you tens of thousands of dollars in taxes and fees when you get audited, so it's definitely worth the expense.
Also note that independent contractors are not--or at least shouldn't be--cheaper than employees in many instances. Maybe just a little. A quality independent contractor is going to demand a significant premium on the hourly wage (or salary equivalent) of an employee because they're paying for a lot of things that employers would pay as part of benefits packages. Self-employment taxes, insurance equipment, licensing, etc.
As to how much you should pay this guy, I think most of your details aren't actually as important as how much time you expect them to spend on this site. Pick an hourly wage--I'd say $20 an hour would be a decent wage for the level of skill you're talking about--and you'll know pretty quickly how much this is going to cost you. $40k + taxes/benefits at 40 hours a week, half that at 20 hours a week, etc. You can then decide whether you want this to be a salaried or hourly position. Again, consult with your attorney.
You might even consider messaging the mods. The MetaFilter Network, Inc. has half-a-dozen or so staff, scattered around the country (and world), all of whom get paid. They're doing slightly different work than your editor would be, but it's in the same general genre of managing a website that other people write for. It would be impolite to ask about compensation or specific financial numbers, but mathowie might be willing to talk with you about the general shape of their labor arrangements.
posted by valkyryn at 7:50 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you're at the point where you're thinking about the cost of a full-time independent contractor, you can afford a consultation with a local employment attorney to figure out whether this person really would be an independent contractor. Should only cost a few hundred bucks, but it could save you tens of thousands of dollars in taxes and fees when you get audited, so it's definitely worth the expense.
Also note that independent contractors are not--or at least shouldn't be--cheaper than employees in many instances. Maybe just a little. A quality independent contractor is going to demand a significant premium on the hourly wage (or salary equivalent) of an employee because they're paying for a lot of things that employers would pay as part of benefits packages. Self-employment taxes, insurance equipment, licensing, etc.
As to how much you should pay this guy, I think most of your details aren't actually as important as how much time you expect them to spend on this site. Pick an hourly wage--I'd say $20 an hour would be a decent wage for the level of skill you're talking about--and you'll know pretty quickly how much this is going to cost you. $40k + taxes/benefits at 40 hours a week, half that at 20 hours a week, etc. You can then decide whether you want this to be a salaried or hourly position. Again, consult with your attorney.
You might even consider messaging the mods. The MetaFilter Network, Inc. has half-a-dozen or so staff, scattered around the country (and world), all of whom get paid. They're doing slightly different work than your editor would be, but it's in the same general genre of managing a website that other people write for. It would be impolite to ask about compensation or specific financial numbers, but mathowie might be willing to talk with you about the general shape of their labor arrangements.
posted by valkyryn at 7:50 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Honestly, journalism is a tough industry right now and a lot of people do stuff for free just to build their portfolio. Editing is different because there's no by-line to show off and because this person will be managing other people. But I'd say you should look at what you can afford and what can get you the quality of candidates you want. You could try advertising on a website like journalismjobs(dot)com if you want people with journalism backgrounds and see what sort of interest you get. I'm not encouraging you to low-ball, but I'd really see if what you offer gets the quality of candidates you want, and if not, you can start offering a bit more.
I would think this may be a part-time gig for someone who has another job. So in that sense, it would be supplementing an income and wouldn't need to be huge. I have contributed to and edited some websites for free because they are about subjects I am passionate about, but I don't devote too much of my time because it's free. For a paid gig, I'd be able to fit it into my current work schedule on a more dedicated basis, and you might want someone like that because then you could get someone with more experience. On the other hand, you could pay an inexperienced person to do it full-time and they probably wouldn't be expecting high pay. Since it's an independent contractor situation, if they weren't doing a good job you could just end it pretty easily.
posted by AppleTurnover at 10:22 AM on August 21, 2013
I would think this may be a part-time gig for someone who has another job. So in that sense, it would be supplementing an income and wouldn't need to be huge. I have contributed to and edited some websites for free because they are about subjects I am passionate about, but I don't devote too much of my time because it's free. For a paid gig, I'd be able to fit it into my current work schedule on a more dedicated basis, and you might want someone like that because then you could get someone with more experience. On the other hand, you could pay an inexperienced person to do it full-time and they probably wouldn't be expecting high pay. Since it's an independent contractor situation, if they weren't doing a good job you could just end it pretty easily.
posted by AppleTurnover at 10:22 AM on August 21, 2013
Valkyryn's got the right idea about contractors, and you really do get what you pay for.
When I started doing freelance writing work, I set my rate at about $15 an hour and guesstimated job quotes based on that as a benchmark. At half time, that's about $600 a month; full time, $1200.
I've also done significant amounts of work on volunteer projects, and managed other writers. If you lowball, you'll have no problem getting desperate folks to tell you yes, but you'll have a hard time getting even decent quality work turned in on a regular basis. If you want this to be someone's job, treat it like a job and take them seriously.
Finally, I'll put on my publisher hat and say that in order to get decent folks, it's worthwhile to think through how much money this person is going to make for you. If you have more traffic and more readers, what kind of increase in profit are you likely to see? What are reasonable goals? From there, it's easier to think of what a fair offer is without cutting into your business, and if you can't afford to pay someone a decent rate, then you're probably not going to be making enough from the venture to justify adding them.
posted by klangklangston at 7:17 PM on August 22, 2013
When I started doing freelance writing work, I set my rate at about $15 an hour and guesstimated job quotes based on that as a benchmark. At half time, that's about $600 a month; full time, $1200.
I've also done significant amounts of work on volunteer projects, and managed other writers. If you lowball, you'll have no problem getting desperate folks to tell you yes, but you'll have a hard time getting even decent quality work turned in on a regular basis. If you want this to be someone's job, treat it like a job and take them seriously.
Finally, I'll put on my publisher hat and say that in order to get decent folks, it's worthwhile to think through how much money this person is going to make for you. If you have more traffic and more readers, what kind of increase in profit are you likely to see? What are reasonable goals? From there, it's easier to think of what a fair offer is without cutting into your business, and if you can't afford to pay someone a decent rate, then you're probably not going to be making enough from the venture to justify adding them.
posted by klangklangston at 7:17 PM on August 22, 2013
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posted by Shoggoth at 6:46 AM on August 21, 2013