Has anybody ever sold a story to a newspaper?

[2020namechanger]

Wasn't sure where to put it?

How do you go about this?
Who pays the most?

I've got a really good one!

No but a friend of mine did a long time ago and it blew back horribly onto her. It concerned her (brief) affair with the ex husband of someone who is now mega famous.

She got about ten grand for it and ended up looking seriously grubby and it impacted her subsequent relationship for a long time.

Unless its life-changing money (I'm talking half a million quid) its not worth it. You won't come out of it well.

@notapizzaeater, what prompted you to sell the story?

[quote TheMaven]@notapizzaeater, what prompted you to sell the story?[/quote]
Wasn’t a story as such - they’d ask for unusual proposals (which DH had done) so just sent it in - I think they paid about £200 at the time

I knew the sex of a PM’s baby before they did.
I knew a very famous film director (now deceased) who had a sexual relationship with his own son.
I know of a famous female singer who is HIV+.

I would not sell any story to the newspapers in spite of being in precarious need. But that said, if it was a story about myself that didn’t hurt anybody else, I would definitely do it.

I sold a story (in the 1980s) to the Daily Mail - Nigel Dempster gossip column. It was sort of revenge (I was 17) as a long lost relative had screwed my Dad over, taken lots of money and then had a high profile celebrity type wedding and didn't invite him. I got £175

My sister sold a story too about 10 years ago. Got £35k for a sex, drugs etc story about a public figure (not a politician but think sort of establishment and in a position where morals would be expected). He had screwed her over by leaving her to plan their wedding while he secretly married someone else. She was most put out to find it was taxed!

I knew the sex of a PM’s baby before they did.
I knew a very famous film director (now deceased) who had a sexual relationship with his own son.
I know of a famous female singer who is HIV+

I think numbers 1 and 3 aren't that much of a scandal TBH. Number 2 certainly involves abuse, and I hope the son got some help.

I got approached by Chat, Take a Break and other gossip rags about 20 years ago. Turns out I had the same name and lived in the same town as someone who had something interesting happen to me. They obviously just contacted everyone with that name in the phone book.

As a cash strapped student, I was tempted to make up a load of nonsense and sell it for a few quid. Glad I didn't now.

@HermioneMakepeace

I knew the sex of a PM’s baby before they did. I knew a very famous film director (now deceased) who had a sexual relationship with his own son. I know of a famous female singer who is HIV+.

I would not sell any story to the newspapers in spite of being in precarious need. But that said, if it was a story about myself that didn’t hurt anybody else, I would definitely do it.

Two of those things are incredibly personal and one of those two things involves abuse of some sort so I hope you've been discrete about them in real life.

1. Everybody in the world knows.
2. Everybody in my parents’ group of friends knows. And the son is in his 40s now.
3. Most of my friends from the same industry know but NO ONE talks about it outside of our circle. And then I don’t think it’s been mentioned for about 10 years at least.

@Cismyfatarse

As the story has been published and your sister got 35K you needn't beat about the bush, you can say the names that were involved now.

I worked in a hospital where there was a horrific incident.

The papers reported on it and got the name of the bloody hospital wrong. Then the names and relationships of those involved. It was just wrong on so many levels. Awful for the family concerned and such a rushed job. Since then I have never trusted anything I've read in the newspapers.

@SquirtleSquad

I mean unless you are confessing that you were the one who leaked Colleen Rooneys false news from.. Rebecca Vardys account.. or patient zero who ate the sodding bat or have a magic vagina that can reverse Brexit then I doubt you'll be front page news right now.

Anyone else now fantasising that they have a magic vagina that can reverse Brexit?

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles But then I would be outed on here and U do love my user name.

You won't know any of them.

The story I sold was part of a 80s posh crowd of Hoorays.

The one my sister sold had no famous people but more that the person was in a position where it was not appropriate (Dr, Professor - that kind of thing.).

I love my user name. Not sure where the U came from.

You might.....

Was invited to sell a story about a celeb
who lived next door - up to hanky panky with someone not his wife. Refused, but meant I got to see the tactics used to get stuff out of people - cash, encouragement, sent multiple people round etc

I was slightly regretful about the cash offer but just couldn’t do it!

The Sun pays the most for newspapers but magazines pay more in general. Probably Take a Break pays most but it's been a while since I was a journalist. You can have an exclusive with each (newspaper first then the next day/issue for the magazine). If you just want publicity and not money go with an agency like SWNS and they can send it to everyone for you (or negotiate an exclusive for a cut if you're feeling lazy)

@HermioneMakepeace

I knew the sex of a PM’s baby before they did. I knew a very famous film director (now deceased) who had a sexual relationship with his own son. I know of a famous female singer who is HIV+.

I would not sell any story to the newspapers in spite of being in precarious need. But that said, if it was a story about myself that didn’t hurt anybody else, I would definitely do it.

Don’t forget the famous female singer’s ingrowing toenail 🤷‍♀️

@notapizzaeater

Just make sure you can check what they've wrote, I sent a story in to take a break 15 + years ago, if they hadn't published the photos I wouldn't have known I was reading about me and my DH

Oh wow. Did you have any comeback? If it’s your story then surely you own it?