Yes, you are quite correct. A professional writer who submits a good story deserves to be paid well.
But this offer wasn't aimed at you and shouldn't be dismissed. It was an up front offer open to all. If you wish to submit a story and receive £150 for your effort, then it's a fair deal. If you think it's a rip off, ignore it.
I see your point, the magazines might be seen as trying to control the market and capitalising on cheaper contracts, but isn't that business? Everyone looks to save a few quid now and then. I won't take my bikes to the dealer to get them serviced and when my plumbing packs in, I call Joe from the Co-op. He isn't Corgi registered but he knows his way around my pipes! I can't fault his work and he's never let me down. Any professional plumbers, please join the debate....if my house floods then I'll get in the boat with TWO magazine.
I thought TWO were right, and brave it seems, to offer this opportunity and I wish success to those who are willing to take it.

As expected, there are many who STILL have their heads stuck in the sand on this topic and cannot (for some peculiar reason) understand the basics of what I have said.

Let me put it like this...............
When we plan our bike trips it is because we want to do the trip itself and enjoy or endure the many experiences we have along the way. End of story.

Yet there are those who talk about percentages of what "real" writers get and how they are automatically entitled to x% or y% just because they rode a bike somewhere. Get it into your heads folks.......YOU RODE THE BIKE WHEREVER YOU RODE IT BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO DO IT!! However for those of you who reckoned you were onto a money-spinner...... go and sell your story and your world-beating photos to a publisher. I can tell you now that there will be a long queue of people wanting to sell and not too many people wanting to buy.

If you don't like the offers being made by TWO or similar publishers then don't do it, don't sell your priceless work of art, don't share your unique photos. Keep them at home in a box under the bed, take them out from time to time and revel in your own brilliance, stick two fingers up to the world because you are the "superwriter" they will never have the joy of experiencing. And keep telling yourselves that all of nothing is better than a bit of something. Because some of you are exactly the type of people who would actually believe that!

For those who you who replied to the initial posting by TWO with a degree of common sense......it's a big thumbs up from me because I suspect you are the real adventurers and travellers.

Chris

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"Life is too short to drink cheap wine!"

About time someone wrote without all the whining how they never would submit something for less than (insert amount). For the whiners--Don't submit a story, then, and get on with your life!! (yes, the fact that I have responded to this thread means I need to get going, too!! LOL)

I would never submit anything to a magazine without a guarantee that I would get....



.... a copy of the magazine to put somewhere safe (and them possibly lose).

I know I'm no writer, but I like to share the chances I get in life with others, give a little back maybe, maybe give a little inspiration. So money? Well that's great and £150 would buy me a nice jacket, or new tyres, but it's not why I do it.

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