To think I could make extra money doing stories for newspapers

[Whenisithometime]

Hi all,

I’m looking for a bit of extra cash to pay for some work I need done on my house and I am looking for ways to do it.

Call me ridiculous, but could I sell stories to the likes of tabloids like The Sun? I have their page liked on Facebook and they’re always posting the most ridiculous content that ordinary people like me must send into them.

AIBU to think I could make a little extra cash as a one off through this? What story could I even write about? Could I make stories up?

I know someone who used to make extra cash writing for a tabloid. He got the gig through a connection. I doubt they’d be interested if you just wrote in.

What’s the most interesting thing about you? Have you ever found a rat’s tail in your macaroni cheese ready meal? Do you breastfeed your cat?

If you’re ready to throw away any dignity, have a sad face photo taken and the value of your house printed then go for it

@ShirleyPhallus that does sound bad. Is there no way you can be anonymous?

Well it's not as if you need any journalistic training these days, and SPAG isn't considered vital either. Just steal stuff from online forums such as MN and publish it. If you can find interesting stuff I'd give it a go.

This has got to be a joke. Make stuff up?

By your use of the words “need done”, probably not.

Journalists are trained professionals.

@Massivetree I can’t think of anything to talk about. I need the money. lol

@Whenishometime

As someone who works in the industry, I wouldn't count your chickens.

There is WAAAAAY too much competition. Everyone thinks they can be a journalist, everyone thinks their stories are going to be interesting, and everyone who writes stories, thinks they are special and unique. Also, everyone thinks they can write. Many people can't write as well as they think.

We even got someone contacting us a while back asking if they could make up crosswords and word searches. Like it was a special skill.

Also, as a pp said, the people who do this for a living are trained, qualified, and experienced professionals. Some random amateur sending stuff in is just going to get their stuff thrown in the shredder.

Do you have an NCTJ diploma? Are you a trained journalist? I'm guessing not because you clearly don't have a clue what you're interested on about. It's a profession FFS. Stick to offering your services to your nearest neurosurgeon.

My ex boyfriend used to write the reader’s letters for a porn magazine. He did work on the magazine though, and was a published author. I expect his mum was very proud 🤣

Journalism is a serious profession. For most it is ill paid and tenuous work. No, journalists don't make stories up even if you think the Sun does. There is something called libel if you're caugnt out, you know?

You want more money, be a cleaner, go stack shelves in a supermarket

There are far easier ways to make money...

If you want to sell stories, you need to find something "exclusive" that the paper can't do themselves eg you can't rehash something you've seen on MN or in the local paper because the paper can do that themselves without paying you.

Are you taking the piss? Are you asking if you can make some extra cash as a journalist, making stories up for The Sun?

Do you have a degree or equivalent in journalism and NCTJ industry qualifications, then?

While it’s admittedly a grotty red-top tabloid, it is written for by trained journalists. They don’t ‘make stuff up’. You make stuff up, you get (rightly) sued. And no one can run a business getting routinely sued. They have a robust approach to defamation law but while I don’t like it, it’s a cleverly run paper. It is good at keep sales and clicks high. Much like the rancid Daily Mail.

I don’t know if this is supposed to be goady or if it’s just shockingly ignorant.

@Winterwoolies but you can submit stories for cash?? I’m not talking about being a journalist for them !!

@Whenisithometime but you can submit stories for cash??

But you still have to have a story to sell that they are interested in! You can't just make something up. They will expect some kind of verification. They can get plenty of unverified stories for free on the Internet Mumsnet. I guess if you are willing to do a sad face photo and are prepared to be made a laughing stock by the paper, they do publish unverified stories of the "Mum of 16 Claims She Uses Cuttlefish as a Contraceptive" type.

Your story doesn't even have to be the truth. Exh had an article full of absolute lies printed and received a cheque..
When I contacted them for an apology printed they said sorry they took the public's word things were the truth..
Disgusting.

So you want to make up stories and sell them to newspapers with you as the subject? Do you not think they might check them out? Especially if you’re libelling a third party.

There’s a more honest way to make money, no?

I mean, you could try pitching a load of nonsense to the Sunday Sport but don’t think for one second they will let you get away without being photographed. If you want to have your mug associated with that, try it...

I've worked with journos from The Sun, they've been seriously talented, the pace is relentless and it is exhausting.

@Winterwoollies no I don’t mean stories regarding people

Write a day by day account of your Coronavirus infection, your self isolation and near death experience. Live - as it’s happening.

It’s kind of laughable that people are telling you you need to be a “serious journalist” to “write” for a red top.

You don’t need to be able to do anything other than trawl sites like this one and lift posts for “stories”, the more froth-worthy the better.

Especially for their online shite!

I’m not sure how you’d go about applying though. I’d rather shit in my hands and clap than do something like that.

why don't you just go the whole hog and write a best seller..?

oh that's right, you cant think of anything to write about... bummer. maybe just think of a more realistic way of making money... maybe you should even consider doing something that you can actually do..

That’s an mental image I could have done without!

Professional journalists working for The Shun has cheered me up immensely, diolch yn fawr for that at least.