For $40.....

My primary gig is at a daily paper. This other publication is only weekly and only sports. Sure there is crossover in teams, but I don’t think our paper will ever lose subscribers because of this startup. And frankly, I don’t think my job as a page designer should be in jeopardy for writing somewhere else.

 

End well, this will not.
Unless you want to be fired, I guess.

 

Seriously? Not trying to be disrespectful, but how long have you been in the business?

This seems to be a pretty base level expectation, that you don't do work for the competition. If you do ask permission, seriously do not be surprised if things don't work out for you at all, like you don't have any job anymore.

Losing subscribers probably isn't as big of an issue as losing advertisers to this startup.

 

10 years ago it would a billion percent be a no no.

Today? I’ve seen a lot of shit slide that would’ve been a cardinal sin back when. So who knows. These guys are right, tho, letter of the law or as they teach in J-school there’s no way

 

Frankly, you're dead wrong ... years ago, at one of my previous newspaper stops, I worked with a part-timer on weekends (she was formerly full time who wanted to focus on her family) doing layout and copy editing ... well, one day we found out that she was also doing feature stories (without a byline) for a regional publication put out by our biggest competitor ... she was fired that same day ...

In other words -- pick one (and it better be your current, full-time job) ...

 

It will be. Run far from this opportunity.

 

It's amazing how many writers there are, and also how few writers there are.

 

And how few editors there are.

 

Circling back to my original comment ... OF COURSE you need to get an OK from your current shop to do this side hustle.

This goes without saying, but if you run it by your bosses and they try to twist it into, "Well, if you're going be doing that stuff anyway for them, can you tweak it a bit for our readership so we can use it?" ... that's a non-starter (unless they're going to pay you beyond your current salary).

 

Whatever you end up doing and how it turns out, MN, please come back and let us know.

I'm genuinely curious.

 

Was told by my publisher that he and the managing editor “don’t see a problem with me pursuing this opportunity” as long as it “doesn’t conflict with work here.”

 

Wow. Surprised, but good for you.