Newspaper Design

I was doing some photojournalism work for a local newspaper which was spotted by their big boss APN Newspapers. He rang me and asked to meet me and offered me the job of editing a fashion magazine they produced. Imagining the possibility of a regular decent income, I was tempted to say yes however I loathe fashion and everything connected with it with a passion so I thought about it and turned it down. I presented them instead with another idea much more truthful to my ethics and interests. Sick of the usual boring advertisement filled newspaper, I decided to design a new rural one. They were very interested. They loved everything I showed them and were going to back it, printing it every 3 months in A3 full gloss!

After about 3 months went by where I put together the start of the paper as I saw it - designing, photographing and illustrating and writing it and everyone got very excited about it. We had the final meeting with the salespeople and various others and I finally got around to asking about my reimbursement.

I was handed a slip of paper with something like 1840 written on it.

"What's this?" I aked
"That's what you would be getting each time we go to print"
"Once every 3 months??"
"Er, yes".
"Um, let me get this straight, for doing everything from designing, writing, photographing, editing, putting it together and illustrating your magazine, I would earn one thousand eight hundred dollars every three months?"
"Er, yes"
"Is there a couple of naught's missing?"

There wasn't. I was being offered less than $3 an hour to produce a magazine for a major newspaper. To say I was insulted was to understate the truth. I spat the dummy.

If there is anyone with a realistic idea of how much that sort of work of this sort of calibre is worth who would like a sponsor a terrific new newspaper, I'd like to hear from you. OR if you would like me to design and produce your company newsletter I'd be interested too.

In the mean time here is the newspaper I designed that was not printed...