Earning by selling stories

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   Andrew Szeklerposted 2 years ago

   Hey there people, just recently I have been contacted by YouTubers who would want me to buy some of my stories here. My problem is that I have not sold any of my writings so far, and I have no idea how much should I charge for them. If anyone has done it before I would appreciate a some feedback how much you charged for your work, or how much you think is an acceptable sum.

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      SerenityHaloposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      My first thought is to make sure you verify their identity and don't discern anything sketchy. YouTubers asking for stories makes my "scam" alert go off in my head.
      
      Put some legal tape on what you're doing to protect yourself. Come up with a contract, don't give out anything too personal early, and be careful when it comes to accepting or giving money. People are always coming up with ways to steal someone's identity. That's why getting a lawyer involved or someone like that to help build a contract is a good idea. . . LegalShield is a thing.
      
      As for the going rate, I think it depends on a lot of things. You could sell it for as much as $5 or $1,000 depending on the quality. They have sought you out, so there is a demand, but if you're not really a known author or the likes, I think selling a story for $1,000 is pretty steep. A lot of journals and magazines will pay authors about $5-$35, and sometimes... $0. Really big outlets that are impossible to get into could rack up to $500.
      
      I think this also depends on your buyer. If they seem like they're looking to burn some cash and want to really blow up your story... bump up the price of your story. Might be smart to start high and negotiate down.

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      1. 74

         Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the advice. Its worth noteing.

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      2. 92

         Andrew Szeklerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the advice.
         
         I mean the full story was a bit more complicated, I contacted some pretty big pages, all have over 500k subscribers, about becoming a scriptwriter for them. One is interested in it, and some of my works, the others are full of writers, but would be interested to buy some of my stuff. So right now I am at half a mind to trust them, but you are right, better safe than sorry.
         
         I've done law school myself and I know the intellectual property law of my country pretty well, and in theory, even I start work and leave it in my desk afterwards, it is under the protection of the intellectual property law, but you are right, a contract that certifies the sale is always helpful.

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   2. 66

      OldRosesposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      The problem with selling your stories is that you receive a one time payment while the YouTuber will receive ongoing revenue for months or even years.  If I were you, I would ask for a percentage of their earnings rather than a one time payment.  I think that you will find that they will say no because it is cheaper for them to purchase content created by others rather than sharing their revenue.

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         Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

         This also I've took note of. Thanks.

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2. 77

   psycheskinnerposted 2 years ago

   Generally when a writer is recruited the buyer will explain what compensating and conditions they are offering rather than leaving it wide open.  My first response is usually to look at their terms and see if it arrives at a reasonable hourly rate.  If they want full copyright, add a zero to the price.

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3. 93

   Kenna McHughposted 2 years ago

   Just a heads up. It's legit, great. Enjoy the opportunity.
   Here is a warning.
   There is a scam where you get contact to write for a person or company. They offer a high and almost unbelievable rate and writing situation. Too good to be true!
   The person asks for your mailing address to send you a cashier's check via FedEx. It's overnighted and arrives at 8 AM.
   You think this guy is serious. The check is way over the amount promised of the work. You're like what!!?
   The person then tells you that he plans to have you do more work, deposit the check, and we'll discuss it later. 
   You deposit the check. Then he says the check was supposed to be only such and such amount. His sponsor overpaid you. Then, he tries to get you to wire him the overpayment or some of the overpayment. You're now on to him, so you don't wire the money to him. You're smarter than that.
   Then, you have this cashier's check that is fraudulent, sitting in your account, waiting to bounce, including a check return fee. It creates a lot of extra time and effort.
   Banks have fraudulent departments to handle these crimes because, I suspect, it happens a lot.
   Also, they use a stolen cellphone number via Google numbers, which means you have to call them first before calling you. The cashier's check comes from a legit company that doesn't even know you. It's all fraud.

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   1. 74

      Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      OMG! What a monkey business!

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