Comments on: An Open Letter To My Fellow Automotive Journalists http://autowriters.com/blog/an-open-letter-to-my-fellow-automotive-journalists/ The right info to the right writers who write about cars. Sun, 08 Apr 2012 18:34:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joe Casvin http://autowriters.com/blog/an-open-letter-to-my-fellow-automotive-journalists/comment-page-1/#comment-142 Joe Casvin Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:05:08 +0000 http://autowriters.com/blog/?p=143#comment-142 I feel the same way about the shriveling industry that we automotive journalists dedicate ourselves to. For the most part, it's a total joke. I mean you have some lackey who hasn’t the faintest clue about passion or what cars mean to our culture. Then the douche bag has enough balls to ask if we will work for 2 cents per word, or worst, free. That’s why I see crap writing, crap photography, and most of all, crap ideas in the first place. The industry panders to those who have no self-respect and will work for nothing. My advice, widespread firebombing. Ahh, just kidding. Use your knowledge and passion to break into TV. That’s where the money is at anyway. I feel the same way about the shriveling industry that we automotive journalists dedicate ourselves to. For the most part, it’s a total joke. I mean you have some lackey who hasn’t the faintest clue about passion or what cars mean to our culture. Then the douche bag has enough balls to ask if we will work for 2 cents per word, or worst, free. That’s why I see crap writing, crap photography, and most of all, crap ideas in the first place. The industry panders to those who have no self-respect and will work for nothing. My advice, widespread firebombing. Ahh, just kidding. Use your knowledge and passion to break into TV. That’s where the money is at anyway.

]]> By: Gary Grant http://autowriters.com/blog/an-open-letter-to-my-fellow-automotive-journalists/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Gary Grant Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:13:44 +0000 http://autowriters.com/blog/?p=143#comment-8 Jan, first off, I have to say I feel your pain. But.... I'm not even sure where to start here. Up here in Canada, the automotive media scene is exclusive to the point of being exclusionary. Of course, I understand that there are few jobs and all a newcomer is going to do is take away work from someone else. Again...I get it. The problem is that when a newcomer with a true automotive background tries to break in, he or she doesn't stand a chance. My personal experience around racing spans a full 40 years. I have 21 years of industry experience. I can string together a few sentences and I'm looking for a way to exit my chosen career path in a graceful manner. 6 or 7 years ago, I guest hosted on a local automotive radio show (for free) which led to a few requests to write articles for car club newsletters. Bingo, I thought I had found a way to put my experience to good use. A few naive letters to local editors went unanswered. As did the follow up phone calls. During that time, I discovered blogging and in the spring of 05, the seed was planted that would become TheGarageBlog.com The learning curve was steep and the growth curve has been rocky to say the least. Joining IMPA was a definite factor in the local media seeing me as legitimate. Due to potential conflict of interest, I can't join AJAC until I no longer work in the industry. While I disagree with it personally, I also understand it. By creating The Garage, I had in essence created my own online automotive outlet that had the potential to generate income. Not only that, but I own my own content. Me, and nobody else! We have had a rotating team of writers who have worked on a volunteer basis, usually to strengthen their own personal brand online. Have I been able to create a full time income from it? Well, not yet, but it isn't too far off as the numbers increase monthly. Traditional media moved at a snail's pace when it came to the internet and in many cases, the traditional media outlets were left in the dust as some of the new media grew exponentially. There are many, many reasons here that we don't need to go into right now, but suffice it to say that traditional media were asleep at the switch. It is very true that most bloggers/online journalists do not answer to an editor. I'm sorry folks, but I read traditional media daily and if the quality of crap that is published in print is any indication of what having an editor does, then I'm not impressed. Hmmm....would that be a run on sentence :) There is no question that there are a lot of hacks online who have portrayed themselves as automotive experts whose opinion isn't worth the keyboard they are typing on. Then again, who says that someone who graduated from journalism school but has never worked with cars or raced cars has an opinion that is worth anything more? I agree that many of you are going to have your work cut out for you in redefining your career and I truly sympathize. Where I object is when traditional print types discredit all online types as being the root of all their problems. Some of us are just like you, trying hard to create our own niche and earn a living. Jan, first off, I have to say I feel your pain. But….

I’m not even sure where to start here.

Up here in Canada, the automotive media scene is exclusive to the point of being exclusionary. Of course, I understand that there are few jobs and all a newcomer is going to do is take away work from someone else. Again…I get it.

The problem is that when a newcomer with a true automotive background tries to break in, he or she doesn’t stand a chance.

My personal experience around racing spans a full 40 years. I have 21 years of industry experience. I can string together a few sentences and I’m looking for a way to exit my chosen career path in a graceful manner.

6 or 7 years ago, I guest hosted on a local automotive radio show (for free) which led to a few requests to write articles for car club newsletters. Bingo, I thought I had found a way to put my experience to good use. A few naive letters to local editors went unanswered. As did the follow up phone calls.

During that time, I discovered blogging and in the spring of 05, the seed was planted that would become TheGarageBlog.com

The learning curve was steep and the growth curve has been rocky to say the least. Joining IMPA was a definite factor in the local media seeing me as legitimate. Due to potential conflict of interest, I can’t join AJAC until I no longer work in the industry. While I disagree with it personally, I also understand it.

By creating The Garage, I had in essence created my own online automotive outlet that had the potential to generate income. Not only that, but I own my own content. Me, and nobody else! We have had a rotating team of writers who have worked on a volunteer basis, usually to strengthen their own personal brand online.

Have I been able to create a full time income from it? Well, not yet, but it isn’t too far off as the numbers increase monthly.

Traditional media moved at a snail’s pace when it came to the internet and in many cases, the traditional media outlets were left in the dust as some of the new media grew exponentially. There are many, many reasons here that we don’t need to go into right now, but suffice it to say that traditional media were asleep at the switch.

It is very true that most bloggers/online journalists do not answer to an editor. I’m sorry folks, but I read traditional media daily and if the quality of crap that is published in print is any indication of what having an editor does, then I’m not impressed. Hmmm….would that be a run on sentence :)

There is no question that there are a lot of hacks online who have portrayed themselves as automotive experts whose opinion isn’t worth the keyboard they are typing on. Then again, who says that someone who graduated from journalism school but has never worked with cars or raced cars has an opinion that is worth anything more?

I agree that many of you are going to have your work cut out for you in redefining your career and I truly sympathize. Where I object is when traditional print types discredit all online types as being the root of all their problems. Some of us are just like you, trying hard to create our own niche and earn a living.

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