Get aload fo this person who calls herself a publsiher. Another request to work for free! :roll:

Dear Kenna,

We are just starting a newspaper from a scratch. I am very interested in hiring a person like u on a regular basis, but unfortunately i can't because of the budget restraints. I can however assure you, that you will be started to receive a hansome pay per article only after 5th copy of the publication (based on a revenue model our marketing and finance team has developed after a thorough research). I would appreciate if you would lend your support in our building n setting stages. If you can do this, please mail me an original copy of your article along with a signed letter claiming that this is indeed your original work at the following address at your earliest convenience.:

Nidhi Kathuria, 211, Hidden Valley Drive, Edison, New Jersey-08820

I am indeed curious abt alternative medicines n also different careers a woman can opt for, something which you cant figure in books already available. do u have anything that different?

hah, yeah I got an email like that to. It was amusing for a bit, at least.

_________________
Selenia's Cavern
http://selenia.shadow-moon.com

If that's copied directly, the mistakes are more entertaining than the request for free work.

Yeah Jenny, that's the email they sent out, mine is almost exactly the same (mistakes and all)

_________________
Selenia's Cavern
http://selenia.shadow-moon.com

I received a letter from them as well. They must have posted an ad on Craigslist or something similar, because I sent them links to my writing. After I received the letter (pasted below) I opted to pass. Here's the letter, from Mamta Gupta:

Dear Deborah,
I saw your website and read your article on parenting.
Very interesting and well phrased.
following is the list of guidelines if you decide to
write for us:
*the paper will be bi-monthly, will be launched in
October.
*it will be a free paper.
*it will be published in NY/ NJ initially
*it would be great if you could send your
article(s)(along with a letter stating that it is your
original work; no publication has bought the rights
from you where it might have been published before) in
next 10 days to
Nidhi Kathuria, 211, Hidden Valley Drive, Edison,
NJ-08820
*word-limit-500 w.
*You can include photographs too, simply send
your/photographer's 'No Objection' letter stating that
he/she has no objection in letting Mamta Gupta-the
editor use them for her publication.
*You need to volunteer 5 articles, from 6th article
you will get 25cents per word.
*columns are fine. do propose your idea first though.
*Please write original/unpublished articles. You shall
retain the copyright.
*the target reader is 18+ woman-South-Asian/ American/
or from any part of the earth
*make your article very entertaining, interesting and
informative at the same time.

_________________
Looking for Work?
http://freelancewritinggigs.com

Community Manager
BlogTalkRadio
http://blogtalkradio.com

So 25 cents per word is the "handsome pay"? Why, if they have money, do they expect ANY free work?

I wanted to share with you the note sent to me by one of these women. In the email to the writer above, they claim they have a marketing and finance team. But, in the note they sent to me, she claims they're two housewives surviving on their husbands' salaries. I guess their marketing and finance team are...themselves? If they truly have no team, then her solicitation of writers appears misleading about the resources at the firm. My opinion is that this is dishonest, plain and simple.

Angela Hoy
WritersWeekly.com

From: Nidhi
To: angelahoy
Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 7:53 am
Subject: I AM SHOCKED!!
Dear Sir,
It's with absolute displeasure that I have to report that a certain Ms. Kenna has posted a message on my name and my friend Mamta Gupta/Duggal in an attempt to put us in bad light. We are house-wives who sustain on our husband's salaries. We have no money to start a paper but we asked for support and contributions from people who want to make a difference. We believe in the power of pen and we have the most genuine intentions in our hearts to take forward people who respect their work, are passionate and conscientious. Infact when I started reading the reply from Ms. Kenna, I felt terrible because she wrote she has children to take care of and bills to pay. Even if her life revolves around Craig's list, a site on the web to fetch her money to support herself and her family, I am not judging her. It is just sad that being a writer as she claims she is, she has so much bitterness, a lack of empathy and failure to understand human psychology. I have no personal grudge against Ms. Kenna, I wish her all the best in her life. We haven't even started anything and are spirits are already dampened. We are writers but we don't claim to be better than the writers who have contributed. Infact we are indebted to them for believing in us. People take ages to perfect being editors...our mission is not to gloat in any false vanity. We just want to put a paper together which people have high regards for and that would make all writers' families and our families proud. We are not making any false promises. We started by saying we can't pay for now, it doesn't mean we are exploiting them. We are not saving the money to party or plan publicity stunts, we really don't have money. At this point, we are not even registered and few friends who have certain skills have gotten together to put up a quality substantial paper together, like in creating graphics, making a layout or creating a marketing team. In the end, it won't be our paper, it would be everybody's paper who has supported it.
I am requesting you to please immediately remove all messages posted on your site by Ms. Kenna and her friends on our names Nidhi Kathuria, Mamta Duggal/ Gupta.
I am copy-pasting few responses from our writers for you to see and weigh the situation:
You can contact these people so that you are totally clear in your mind that we are kind-hearted, honest people who will never step on anybody to feel false high. Please support us.