Web Editors - how can we earn more?

Web Editors - how can we earn more?

Hate to tell you, but you are not really in I.T. to most people. You are to most people a writer/desk top publisher who use's I.T. Small but critical difference.

The guy who makes (designed and coded) your CMS is the IT profesional
You are a user

As to how to earn more? Honestly? Try to get out of the UK and go State side, for some reason content presentation seems to be more important to them than over here and thus they pay higher rates. But even then don't be susprised if you can never reach IT profesional rates (when of equal experience in each relevent field) as with content editing it is very much an intangable and in a lot of ways matter of opinion which is "better", not only that but it's something anyone can do it (by anyone mean you do it without any training/tangable learning)

So to answer your question on how to earn more, get out of web editing, actually would go one further and say get out of web work totally. It's too crowded of a market place, far to easyly outsourced to countrys you cannot even begin to compeate with rate wise.

Which really leaves only jobs over with crap rates, asking for stupid amounts of skill sets and with 100 applicants per job

But if you do this realise one thing, you will probably have to go permie for a few years, days of people reading a "how to book" or take a 3 day trianing class and then going contracting are years gone.

A brilliant idea...

... has just occurred to me...

You could teach thom how to change backup tapes and he could offer his professional opinion on your website

"Web Editors - how can we earn more",

get a proper skill ?

Milan.

how about graphic design/website design, J2EE and all other code monkey work is going to India !!!

Well as far as I'm aware journalism isn't paid that well, not the firends I have that do it on a part time basis for local newspapers.

One alternative would be to combine it with translation, but this is also less well paid; I don't know how it compares to journalism.

If you want high rates, you need to get into the server development behind the websites; the front end stuff doesn't get high rates, not from what I've seen. I did do some web front end stuff a while back, but I also did Unix development at the same time. When I look at the rates for web frontend stuff, rates are not too good, so I didn't bother to chase them up.

J2EE does pay well, so that would be an option.

Definately HTML and CSS, take a look also at XSLT and XML as these are IMO halfway between programming and presentation and in demand. Surprising how few very good JavaScripters out there.

Take a look at www.w3schools.com for tutorials and further ideas.

See what takes your fancy and see how many jobs came in today on JobServe + rates

Thanks privateeye. I'd like to develop some basic techie skills but don't want to be a fully-fledged developer - that's the bit I don't really like - much as you don't like the editing side of it ;-)

Java and .net would be v. useful skills but I'm guessing that a) it'd take tons of training and b) coming from a non-programming b/ground would make it very diff.

Are there any skills that are a halfway house? Perhaps scripting like Perl? Something that a semi-technical person could pick up in a reasonable amount of time. And a skill that would naturally complement an editor (something like HTML and CSS would be another option).

Web Editors - how can we earn more?

I've never heard of a web editor and thats probably because wherever I've been that role has been integrated with Java Programming and/or Web Development - I wish it were a seperate job as it is the bit I don't like.

Taking the above into account I think it would be better to boost your skillset with what would make use of the skills you already have ie learn some of the development side either java or .net specifically frameworks for web development such as Struts.

Much as I enjoy contracting - both the flexibility and the financial side - I'm finding that I've reached a ceiling in the rates I can charge.

I've been web editing for 4 years with some big clients so I know my stuff, but I find that few roles pay above £250, with the avergae being about £200 and some...well, some offering as low as £5 hour!

What surprises me is that often these roles ask for graduates with a relevant degree (journalism, english), a fair bit of experience and often some technical skills. Yet the salaries are way behind, say, developer roles. Of course, there's a shortage of developers, but equally, how many people know how to write proper these days?

I find that the web editors I work with are a mixed bunch. Some are great writers but don't really get the technical side fo it: i.e, deconstructing documents so they can be managed in a CMS, writing for search engine optimisation, splitting content from presentation, etc. Others are pretty adept at managing content, but only really competent writers who struggle to write good marketing copy.

Problem is, that seems to satisfy most clients. Few clients seem really committed to making the most of their content - and paying accordingly for skilled editors. I've seen some ads for roles in the US that ask for that range of skills, but they don't seem to exist in the UK. Some companies don't even have Web Eds, choosing to let the marketing ppl write the content.

So, what can I do to get those skills recognised and rewarded? Do I need to re-train as a web developer (or at least add some of those skills to my bow) and keep the writing side of it as a hobby? Or maybe I hone up on HTML and CSS and go for those Web Producer roles I occasionally see (a strange mix of technical and editorial skills)?

Any thoughts?