Here's an actual thing that happened:

"Wheelerguy" (wheelerguy)
06/15/2020 at 09:46 • Filed to: writing, DriveTribe, journalismism

That is real. I’m now officially part of DriveTribe’s Creators Group, so there’s a high chance that I’ll get paid MONEY for writing long-form stuff.

But of course, there are standards I must hold myself towards, including upload frequency and quality. So no silly quick-fire posts or one-shots: I have got to deliver not just on my bread-n-butter die-cast write-ups, but wider automotive topics as well. Fortunately, I already have drafts ready to deploy, so I reckon I can fulfil this mandate to me for the coming months at least.

You have no idea of how happy I am to qualify, especially after I sat on the fence regarding this decision. Heck, up until almost two weeks ago, I didn’t have a PayPal. But there it is, some level of official authorship.

Now to go back to my den and finish a review feature...

DISCUSSION (32)

ttyymmnn > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 09:52

Congrats! Now, get to work.

Wheelerguy > ttyymmnn
06/15/2020 at 09:59

Already at it! I’m 4/5ths on my upcoming article (though I am showing my Kinja-based draft here as that’s wh ere the original-size photos are saved) , with drafts on my folders ready to finish in time for a weekly upload sch edule.

Kinja'd!!!

TheRealBicycleBuck > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 10:11

Congratulations!

Wheelerguy > TheRealBicycleBuck
06/15/2020 at 10:16

Omedeto, Wheelerguy-kun.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 10:17

Very nice! What do they pay per article?

ttyymmnn > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 10:20

Back when I was just starting out with my twice-weekly aviation history pots, I learned just how hard it was to produce content on a schedule. Now, three years after I started, it’s more a matter of editing and reposting. I’ve got tons of ideas for stuff I’d like to write, but it’s hard to justify the time when there’s no money involved. Of course, these days, I’m not making any money at all so I might as well be writing.

Good luck, and have fun!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 10:35

That’s awesome! Maybe I should give Drive tribe a go again...I joined way back when, but wasn’t a fan of the interface...

A Boy and His Longtail > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 10:40

Why do that when you could do the same here and get paid absolutely nothing?

In all seriousness, congratulations! You consider posting a link to your first couple articles here, we can drum up some traffic for you

Wheelerguy > ttyymmnn
06/15/2020 at 10:41

Valid point. Thanks for the insight!

W ay, way back before I even knew of DriveTribe, I was shooting and writing just for the heck of it. Once I started university I took every subsequent feature as writing and photography exercises. Thing is, I’m not as well-off as other collectors, so it’s not like I can just review EVERYTHING that comes out of the brands I collect, and I recognize at some point that my mileage on LaLD can only go so far.

So I’ve been researching on select (yet broader) automo ti ve and transport-related news and topics local to me so I can diversify my writing, as well as cooking up flash fiction shorts that let me use my collection in more ways than one — as characters.

In the end, the one thing I cannot lose sight of is why I do this: not exactly to get paid or show off, but to be a little better than the last time I wrote, and maybe even uncover something the world can definitely read about.

Wheelerguy > A Boy and His Longtail
06/15/2020 at 10:45

Why do that when you could do the same here and get paid absolutely nothing?

I do. I simul-post the same write-up here and on DriveTribe, mostly because Kinja i s still a more powerful editing suite and can retain the quality of photo uploads (whereas Drivetribe compresses photos — to a respectable size but the detail does tank sometimes).

Thing is, I’ve already posted stuff way before I even learned of the programme , and have cross-posted the Kinja stuff here a few times. Either way, thanks for having my back.

AlienProbe > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 10:48

Nice! Congrats dude. Looking forward to your posts and I hope it all goes great for you!

Wheelerguy > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
06/15/2020 at 10:49

That I have yet to ask, but I suppose it’s got to be “enough” relative to Philippine currency. Converting one British pound sterling (DT is mostly British-run) nets me Php63, a Euro is Php56, and a dollar is Php50, and they pay by interaction — so pageviews, likes and comments have weight (but no idea how much).

Gertman2000 > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 10:51

yeah I looked at that while it was in draft, it’s looking pretty good.

Wheelerguy > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/15/2020 at 10:51

And not a fan of where the quality of posts went on LaLD. Frequency went up, sure, but the long-form, high-quality features are becoming a less stable sight, and there are more “self” posts and one-shots than even leaked diecast discussion. That said, it is still the best place for die-cast talk, so I reckon it’s still okay.

Wheelerguy > AlienProbe
06/15/2020 at 10:53

Yours is a comment I look forward to once my features go live. As one fo the better 1/6x photographers on the site, I kind of pegged my standards on you. Thanks a lot!

Wheelerguy > Gertman2000
06/15/2020 at 10:54

Oh. Oh dear. What else can you see in the LaLD draft bin?

ttyymmnn > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 10:55

In the end, the one thing I cannot lose sight of is why I do this: not exactly to get paid or show off, but to be a little better than the last time I wrote

This is the essence of writing, IMO. And I believe that the secret to writing is rewriting. I read Tyler et al at the Warzone over on The Drive daily , and while they all have great things to say, they are all in desperate need of a good editor. Too many typos, too much poor grammar, just too damned many words. Never underestimate the power of a short sentence.

When I repost my aviation stuff from last year, I reread every single word, and sometimes I wonder what possessed me to write a particular sentence when there was a much better way to do it.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 11:06

Please report back after you get a few articles in - I’m sure there are a number here that would be interested.

Wheelerguy > ttyymmnn
06/15/2020 at 11:21

True. Of course, I do have help — my classmates in creative writing and friends in journalism courses help edit my words once Grammarly and I are done with initial tuning (not only is it powerful at detecting errors, it actually helps me write better — mostly because I can’t afford the premium version so I have to learn about the error so I can fix them myself), and give pointers when it comes to taking and editing photos.

It also probably helps that I’m the family copy-editor, being I’m the one who’s fluent in English. Back when my older brother was a fresh hire, he made me translate some of his reports for the ad agency he worked for (he’d hav e bits of his report in Filipino, and I translate them to English) and often I’m the editor for my cousins’ theses. That’s how I learned more about advertising and thesis writing, and eventually, editing and writing as a whole. Because what use we re my translations if I did n’t un derstand what my brother was working on?

Editing does eat away at my writing time, but I’ve since learned to just spit them all out then revise later, but never go live until it’s all clean and up to spec. Maybe that’s why DT let me in, even if I write exclusively diecast-related features. That if this kid from the Philippines can ascribe himself to this standard, he has some chops.

SHARPSPEED > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 13:48

Kinja'd!!!

Congrats, my man. Hopefully this is the start of something big for you.

Spaceball-Two > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 16:01

Whoa! That’s super cool! Congrats!

A Boy and His Longtail > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 19:06

I gotcha. And that’s what Oppo is for

shop-teacher > Wheelerguy
06/15/2020 at 19:10

Congratulations! That's freaking awesome!

Jim Spanfeller > Wheelerguy
06/16/2020 at 00:19

Yeah... In my experience, it’s just plain harder to do long, in-depth articles on DT. I still can’t figure out how to pu t multiple pictures in one article, and the fact that you can’t copy and paste photos from the internet is an inconvenience.

Wheelerguy > shop-teacher
06/16/2020 at 00:49

It slaps. But now QA and Grammarly will be paying closer, keener attention to everything I write and shoot.

Wheelerguy > Spaceball-Two
06/16/2020 at 00:58

Honestly I’m prouder that my past posts were enough of a portfolio for them.

Wheelerguy > SHARPSPEED
06/16/2020 at 00:59

The goal: not waste this opportunity.

SHARPSPEED > Wheelerguy
06/16/2020 at 01:33

Just don’t forget your friends when you hit big, especially after everything they’ve done for you.

(Obviously fucking around. Reach for the stars, you magnificent bastard)