December 2009

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Talk Back: December 2009

December 16, 2009 in Talk Back by AWcom Staff | No comments

Re: High Gear Media

Though many internet sites do not yet have much of a budget to hire professional writers,  some do and it’s worthwhile to search those publications out instead of giving away your talent for free to those online publications who don’t value your talent enough to pay for them. 

It’s the old saying ”why buy the milk if the cow is free”  scenario in automotive journalism these days.  It may be tempting to give your articles free to internet publications  (looking for “publicity” ) but as long as they can get them for free they will never pay.  There are some publication that do pay for articles and those are the ones we should be seeking as a place to send work.

maryann@hotrodhotline.com

High Gear Media calls itself “ . . . a next generation media company that publishes more automotive content than anyone in the world through websites targeting key buyer and vehicle segments . . .”

Having gone to the trouble of reading through the rules of their “writing contest” and visiting several of their websites, I believe I can clearly describe their business model: Prostitution.

High Gear’s use of the term “open content platform” is a loosely disguised way of saying, “You write for free.”

I’d call it what it is: Journalistic slavery.

They have no respect for editorial and they have no respect for writers, automotive or otherwise.

But, hey, they give you a byline . . . and that must be worth something.

Not to me it isn’t.  And I hope it isn’t to anyone else with professional writing credentials.

I, for one, will never visit any of their websites again.  In this arena the eyeballs have it. And without “eyes” High Gear will quickly meet its demise.

I would also hope that any legitimate advertiser would see through this scam for what it is and not advertise on any High Gear site.  Let your ad dollars do the talking . . . and the walking.

I am also disappointed that an organization such as Tesla would have allowed itself to be sucked into participating in this “writing contest sham.”  Did anyone at Tesla read the rules?

The best thing that could happen would be for no one to submit anything to High Gear.  Those non words will get your message across loud and clear. And leave High Gear idling in neutral with a real mess on their hands.

John Dinkel

High Gear Media Win a Tesla test?  What planet are we on?  Oh, I get it send in your boxtops and you too can be a journalist.

Kate McLeod
girldriverusa@gmail.com

Re: November Road Ahead

As an automotive technical writer, I see so much misinformation, disinformation and nonsense on the internet it makes me wonder how anybody gets accurate information. 

The problem with mob-sourced media is that the blind are often leading the blind.  And those who shout the loudest and longest garner most of the attention whether they are right or wrong.

If a website is going to provide accurate information or informative reviews, you need informed writers and editors creating the copy. 

As for allowing reader comments following an article or dialogue, I think it distracts from the content unless the article is controversial or is open to opinion.  Many follow-up comments are off the subject, are posted to  promote a product or another website, or are of minimal value in my opinion.  Consequently, you waste a lot of time deleting junk comments and responding to silly questions that don’t really deserve a response.

Larry Carley
Lcarley256@aol.com

The Road Ahead – Pay Walls

December 15, 2009 in Road Ahead by Glenn Campbell | 1 comment

The push for pay walls guarding publishers’ content is gaining momentum world wide. Springer, publisher of Bild, Europe’s largest daily paper, joins Rupert Murdoch who promises to start charging to access his outlets around the globe. The $15 billon, 44% drop, in U.S, newspaper advertising over the first three quarters of 2009, as compared with the same period in 2006, has many large U.S. newspapers evaluating ways to charge for their digital offerings. (The trade Variety put up a pay wall this week).

Autowriters.com: The Road Ahead: December 2009: Pay Walls are starting to go up to access news sites.

Photo By: Zsuzsanna Kiliani

Springer’s plan, as described by New York Times writer Eric Pfanner, would have publishers and internet companies working together to create a “one-click marketplace solution” where Google and other Internet gateways would display links to content as they do now, but some of the items would include something new, a price tag.” Conditioning consumers to an online newsstand could mean a return to glory for digital auto magazines and their writers. Those that sell, prosper, those that don’t won’t.

A hitch in that plan is the amount of “free” information available provided by Google or other aggregators. The Germans would expand copyright laws to include excerpts as well as complete articles. To charges that it is “stealing content” Google has responded with what www.Eweek.com writer Clint Boulton describes as “an olive branch to newspaper publishers” – letting them limit the number of articles readers can view for free on Google News to five per day.” As to its search engine and excerpts, Google notes that publishers are free to de-list from its search engine if they are willing to forgo their take from link traffic generated by Google searches, currently at 100,000 clicks per minute. And, the sales boost for their advertisers from articles consumers read. Read the rest of this entry »

The Tom-Tom: Terry Parkhurst: Internet Scammers

December 15, 2009 in The Tom-Tom by AWcom Staff | 9 comments

 Terry Parkhurst is contributing editor/auctions for Collector Car Market Review. Additionally, he is a contributor to American Rider and Nissan Sport magazine. He has over 30 years writing about automobiles, trucks and motorcycles. His work has also appeared in AutoWeek, Sports Car Market and Old Cars Weekly. You can reach him directly at tparkhurst@hotmail.com

Internet Scammers

Back when animated films were produced using what were called “cells” a character named Wimpy was a stable of the old “Popeye” cartoons. Wimpy was a big fan of hamburgers but never seemed to have much money. His ongoing mantra was, “I will gladly pay you tomorrow for a hamburger today.”

Autowriters.com: Tom-Tom: Terry Parkhurst

Terry Parkhurst

That’s similar to what a lot of automotive websites are offering these days: something for nothing, or at the most, a promise of something for something. Of course, to hear some of them tell it, by asking for something as tangible as money, an automotive journalist is being short-sighted.

Consider the response I received when I asked why only certain “select” contributors would get paid, from one well-known automotive website.

“While I can understand the frustration that someone is willing to provide for free, something that you have been paid for in the past, I don’t appreciate the allegation,” he wrote in an e-mail, adding, “We never promised that we would ever want to hire you or anyone else or pay a penny.”

“We have over 100 contributors out of which a dozen or so are paid contributors, who were brought on board despite not being promised anything, at anytime, until the point at which we decided to ‘upgrade’ our relationship. We are all working very hard to build a great company and would never compromise our values for the sake of making a buck.” Read the rest of this entry »

Autowriters Spotlight: Jil McIntosh

December 15, 2009 in Autowriters Spotlight by AWcom Staff | No comments

In a belated tip of the hat to the many fine professional auto writers in Canada this month’s spotlight is on one of their own, Jil McIntosh, who sketches her own auto writing career.

“It’s hard for me to believe – gray hair aside – that I’ve been writing professionally about cars for 25 years. I’d churned out stories since I was a child, and during an early-1980s stint as a taxi driver in Toronto, I met a driver who collected antique cars. I had no interest in vehicles, but when I saw them, I wanted one. I bought a 1948 Chevrolet, and later, the two vehicles I still own, a 1947 Cadillac and 1949 Studebaker pickup truck. (And an antique tractor. Every woman wants an antique tractor.)

Autowriters.com Autowriters Spotlight:Jil McIntosh

Jil McIntosh

I had no formal journalism education, but I started writing for a couple of local publications, Canadian Street Rodder and Old Autos. Along the way, I queried to every car magazine I could find. It wasn’t easy to break in; one editor told me he didn’t publish women because they only wrote about shopping while their husbands were at car shows. I submitted a story anyway, and became their columnist for several years. If anything’s changed the most in 25 years, it’s that women are now taken seriously in this business.

When Canada’s largest daily paper, the Toronto Star, started its weekly Wheels section, I was determined to be part of it. They took my first piece in 1987 – the cover story! – about a hot rod show. I was a semi-regular contributor over the next ten years, until the old-car writer left and I took over his column. Shortly after, I asked why, if women made half of all new-car purchases, there weren’t any women reviewing cars. A week later, I was in a press car, notebook in hand.

Reviewers had specific segments, and mine was entry-level. I endured a lot of teasing from colleagues, asking when I was going to drive “real” cars. It wore thin, until one said, “Think of your readers. Someone spending $70,000 doesn’t care what you think. But someone who only has $18,000 is hanging on your every word.” I’ve never forgotten that. Read the rest of this entry »

In Praise of Press Fleets

December 15, 2009 in Miscellaneous by AWcom Staff | 4 comments

Holiday Thanks

by Josh Max

No matter how serious things got this year, they still kept us rolling through rain, snow, sleet and gridlock. There isn’t a boldface name in any newspaper or magazine or website for these sweaty (or shivering) heroes of the road. Their mothers neither hang their work on fridges nor email published links to friends and relatives.  A leisurely drive in a $60,000 sports car with their significant other on a lazy Sunday spring afternoon isn’t in their job description. The gig is to deliver and pick up the goods, and you can count on these guys like the sun rising and setting.

I’m talking about those unsung, coffee-soaked, iron-assed pros—the press fleet delivery people.

“Good morning, Mr. Max. Your vehicle is downstairs.”  How sweet the sound.

Photo By: Ralph Morris

Alone after drop-off—unless a chaser car’s involved—they trudge off into the day or the night to the bus, subway or train.  Their reward is another car to be delivered to another journalist, who may or may not be in a good mood that day or may criticize a car’s maker or car color straight off instead of looking in the driver’s eye for the briefest of greetings and perhaps ask how the trip was. Read the rest of this entry »

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