Feature Writers are paid 8 cents per word. That doesn't include the time it takes to fill out a Trello card with slide ideas, the time it takes to collect links for sources, or the time it takes to write a few sentences explaining what each slide will be about. The Trello card work alone can take up to 30 minutes, and none of that is paid for or accounted for. Adding pictures through the Shutterstock system is simple enough, but with certain titles, writers have to seek out screenshotted images on Instagram or TikTok. The time it takes to track down usable images isn't paid for or accounted for, either. Photo search time can be excessive when the topic is more challenging. All we earn is the base pay of 8 cents per word, but we're not paid for any of the research we do OR any of the time it takes to actually pull an entire 2600-word article together. To make matters worse, we are not paid for rewrites. Many nitpicky editors (who get off on criticizing writers) will send articles back for revision multiple times. Writers aren't paid for any rewrites we do. We'll be forced to reconfigure our wording multiple times, but we still only get paid the flat 8-cent per word rate. I've been with Static Media for well over a year and not a single soul said a word to me about my one-year work anniversary. I thought I'd get at least one "congrats," but it was radio silent from all the higher-ups. Conversations about potential full-time opportunities, pay raises, or promotions that you'd expect to hear about around your one-year mark will likely never happen. Proving loyalty to this company means absolutely nothing. Sometimes, the Trello boards are barren. I write for multiple Static sites, and this has been an ongoing issue. If there are no titles to claim, there's no way to make money. It's very frustrating. And when this happens, there's never a heads-up.
