"OK. You guys are gonna be flabbergasted; I am NOT AT ALL successful without Demand Media Studios." -- Phony Kathy Kindred
"P.S. Whew! Admitting that I'm a complete failure without DMS *WAS* liberating." -- Phony Kathy Kindred
Don't they wish? Most of the people that are driven to gripe on the DSS forums had DMS as their main, or sole, client. Heaven forbid that someone among them isn't in the same boat as they are. The woman they're attacking apparently is able to take on travel writing assignments.
"I googled "Kathy Kindred travel" to see what all the hype is about. Her non-DMS writing doesn't appear until the third or fourth page. From what I can tell, Kathy Kindred is to travel writing what Sarah Pike is to technology writing. To wit, if she hadn't poisoned the well, she'd be the top candidate for DMS's travel writing consultant position." -- JUST ANOTHER SOCKPUPPET
This poster acknowledges that Kathy Kindred does travel writing. I also agree with his assessment of her writing. A look at her travel articles shows her to be a pack runner, toward the end of the pack. Her quality of writing, and storytelling, isn't the norm for what you'd find in International Travel, Conde Nast, or a similar quality publication.
Sock Puppet missed the point behind his/her own statement on Kathy's writing. If Kathy could do something like that, then certainly, so could the woman behind "Sock Puppet." I remember, at a writing conference, where marketers and publishers showed examples of query letters. Many of the letters they showed fit the Demand Media Studios "zombie writing" style that the DSS posters criticize.
Some of these zombie-writing-style letters earned the writer a written assignment. What does that say about "Sock Puppet" and some of the other DSS posters?
Instead of turning a website into an adult version of the recess playground, these people should be following Kathy Kindred's footsteps. If they feel that they're writers, they too could get into travel writing, or some other writing niche. They have to work for that though.
"Don't forget to send me money via PayPal (PM me for my account info.)." -- Phony Kathy Kindred
The phony was trying to be funny. Behind the phony humor, there's a point that the faker joker misses.
Perhaps if these trolls offered to pay Kathy Kindred for her advice on how to navigate the travel writing world, she might help them out. She can't possibly do all the travel writing articles in the world that need to be done.
Many of the Demand Sucks posters had a hair up their hind ends when they assumed that I wanted money from them. There's a possibility that other writers had offered to mentor them... for a decent fee.
These writers worked hard to build their writing business. They got to a point to where they got steady business and income. Why should they just give that away for free? Time they spend helping a writer is time they could be spending writing for paying clients.
These real writers would be happy to mentor a DSS poster. Their getting paid for that time would only be fair.
There's a lot of writing to do, for real clients. Unfortunately, clients aren't waiting by the phone in case a writer needs an assignment.
Kathy Kindred's articles showed the possibility that she may have travelled for her clients. This travel resulted in articles that her clients needed.
There's a process involved with getting writing assignments and projects. A Demand Studios Sucks poster could learn this process; instead of just bashing someone that knows that process. Perhaps these trolls could swallow their pride and talk to Kathy Kindred. If they're willing to pay her, perhaps she could give them some mentoring.
A woman with Kathy's track record could get herself some killer deals at the places that she travels too. A friendly query letter to an innkeeper, or a hotel/motel manager, could get her a nice discount... or a complementary stay.
Here's a cold hard reality for many of the DSS trolls that reply to the Demand Studios Sucks blog posts. They could become successful freelance writers, as in earn a decent living doing it, via two routes. They could take the hard route, by going nowhere or through trial and error. They could also cut all that down, and speed their way through this, by paying someone to mentor them.
Many DSS posters are spoiled with the idea of writing online, and getting a regular paycheck. For freelance writing, this isn't the norm. This is an arrangement you'd normally find in the Virtual Assistant profession. Freelance writers constantly have to network and market their skills if they're to keep a constant flow of work... and receive a "steady" paycheck.
Demand Media Studios was a fool's paradise for the freelance writing world.
If they want a future where writing gives them plenty of work, and plenty of money, they have to follow the path other writers have followed. They could spin their wheels and go nowhere; they could go through trial and error; or they could hire a mentor. They can't just sit around and expect someone to hand something to them for "free."
What good does it do the writer to give free assignments, and provide coaching behind that? Especially when that effort takes away from their own money making activities?
But again, many of the Demand Studios Sucks posters have an impressive immunity to the facts. They'll overlook the facts thinking that the DMS arrangement is common, and will always be available.
[quote]Kathy Kindred
February 12, 2012 at 9:21 am * Reply
"Just for the record, I don't jet around the world. I stick to the tropical climates, if given the choice. I hate cold weather." Get your facts straight before you start spouting off where you think I've been traveling.[/quote]
DSS posters are too lazy to get the facts straight before flapping their lips. Speaking nonsense is too easy for them. Ignoring the facts is easier on their arrogance. Getting their facts straight would require them to see other people for who they really are. Facts get in the way of the world that many DSS posters want to see.
Heaven forbid that others have a track record, and are getting somewhere. These DSS trolls don't care about proof unless it portrays others as failures.