It's not you, it's Static Media

If you're currently working for a Static Media publication or have in the past, and are struggling with your self-confidence, self-worth, or simply sense of sanity, I just wanted to post this. So many of the other reddit posts about working for them helped me through the past three years or so of doubts and frustration.

I knew going into the job that Static Media properties are content mills. What I did not know, among many other things, is that I would be asked to do immense amounts of work, including writing, researching, and sourcing images for articles that would then be "edited" by someone who'd frequently and incredibly ADD typos and mistakes. I had one post where I had interviewed two prestigious sources and found out that the editor tampered with it to the point that it didn't even make sense. I was mortified when it came to thanking these sources.

The way that articles about even basic subjects had to have sources cited for even simple or generally known information was also insane. I had a friend laugh when I sounded stressed about writing an article on a frivolous, fun-sounding topic, but when I explained that this type of article would take me three times longer to write than it would for a publication that followed standard rules and practices regarding things like citations, attributions, links, etc., they quickly understood.

The one good thing about this is that, now, whenever I write for other freelance clients, no matter how complex or complicated the subject matter, it's felt like a breeze, being able to responsibly cite sources (not just the ones you're allowed to) and not having to "prove" things like the fact that some people like to put cheese on their sandwich (I kid you not).

The time spent sourcing images was also excruciatingly long, especially if Static's image bank didn't have what was needed and I had to pull clips from YouTube or other platforms and format them for the article. Static Media writers aren't paid for the time this takes, and it can take A LOT of time. Time you could be working on other projects or articles, for instance.

My personal story about getting fired seems to follow a pattern I've seen in many other posts about this. I worked for Static Media for about 3 years. For most of that time, I was left alone or even praised for my work. Then, one day, I got the dreaded email that I was being terminated immediately for quality issues. I honestly cannot think of any reason why the quality of what I was working on would have changed. But to add some additional details....

A few months prior, an editor who didn't normally work for the publication I wrote for, edited my piece and made a snarky comment about "Being sure I did my best." I was offended, but then figured, "Hey, maybe this guy won a Pulitzer or something and has fixed up my piece and will show me how great it could have been. Maybe I was just fooling myself that I was a competent writer." (The latter sentence shows how much working for Static Media can mess with your self worth and sense of self as a writer.) But then, the piece was published, with nothing changed EXCEPT SEVERAL TYPOS ADDED. Huge WTF. I spoke to our head editor, who I had a good relationship with. He'd even requested me to cover certain articles previously. He asked a few questions about the issue, acknowledged that there were now typos in the article, and I thought that was that...until I submitted my next article and was told by him that it wasn't up to Static Media's standards.

I was perplexed. When I got the editor's feedback, it was incredibly, strangely picky -- like, things like, "You didn't mention this sandwich I like," or "I love sweet potatoes, why weren't they a recipe upgrade option?" (Mind you, he had approved my outline, which had not included sweet potatoes, or his sandwich, and had never suggested adding these.) I worked and worked to make the article "better". I was then sent an email informing me that I was essentially on probation, that my articles would only be edited by the head editor or a specific other editor until the quality went up. The second one I turned in was picked apart, only less. Then, things quieted down, so it seemed like all was well. As with all Static Media properties, we had some turnaround and the head editor abruptly left. The new head editor seemed to like my articles and all was well...until my last one, when I was berated for things like not saying why mayonnaise tastes good on a sandwich, or for daring to include a few examples of different kinds of pickles. (Details that in the years I'd worked for them would never have caused a problem or even been questioned - and if they had, an editor would have just taken them out if they seemed unnecessary or asked me to fix them.) I took back the article, made the suggested changes...and after days of waiting, received this email, about my firing, effective immediately.

I think what happens is that the company's goals and requirements evolve so quickly and they never tell writers, so for a long while you're fine or even great, and then suddenly they hate what you do and you're crap to them.

Again, I wanted to share this to let anyone who is involved in Static Media to know they're not alone. I've been a freelance writer for a long-ass time and have worked on some prestigious projects that I'm really proud of, so it's not like this was my first writing job or that I'd been consistently writing junk. It's just Static Media -- a fickle mindfuck of a company, and I say that without anger, just stating facts.

Working for them will make you seem impressive for some reason, to certain people, so at least it's good on your resume/for your portfolio. And I did get to research and learn some really interesting things. But the experience overall was an emotional roller coaster that often left me questioning so much about myself as a writer. If you're feeling this way, you are not alone.

Another benefit of working for them is that they do pay -- although I have a feeling that that last article, which I completed but was not officially approved, will probably go unpaid. As will an extensively researched outline I submitted for what was supposed to be my next article.

All that said, if you're short on cash or even if you just want to beef up your writing credits a little, I can understand writing for Static Media. But try to remember who you are and what you're really capable of, and don't let them wear you down. And don't get comfortable -- no matter how friendly you are with the head editor, no matter how much praise you've gotten, even recently, for your work, keep in mind that you could be fired at any time.