After the meeting told him we had a California MTBE Coverage on our web site. The gentlemen were freelancers and the ladies were from publications. Dean Clarke, president, is at the podium. A Panel discussion on the relationships and differences in staff and freelance writers was conducted. It was pretty animated as many people present had strong feelings on some of the issues raised.
Staff writers get the perks, are involved in decisions and planning, plus get paid regularly.
Freelancers must supply whatever materials are needed, when they are needed, in the format they are needed in and hope they get paid someday. Freelancers also must pay their own way to trade shows and industry events, be their own collections department, shoot photos in multiple formats, cultivate connections, and be able to generate material from wherever they may be when someone calls. Submissions must be on time, word count, in the style they want, and in the format they want. You are the seller - they are the buyer. Numerous comments were related to receiving payment.