I crave your distinguished indulgence (and all your cash)

Question: What kind of writing pays best?

Answer: Ransom notes.



I first heard that joke in the movie Get Shorty and have always attributed it to Elmore Leonard. It presents some perspective on the art of writing and how we get paid for it. As I was researching Nigerian 419 scams to explain something to my bride, I came across a delicious article by Douglas Cruickshank, editor of Salon.com People. In this web article he examines the spare beauty of the letters he has received from scammers in Nigeria. He delights in the creativity of the authors whilst entirely separating himself from their crimes. His thoughts on these letters might just change your mind about what kind of writing pays best.



qv: Salon.com



About Phil Yanov

Phil Yanov is a Technologist, Columnist and Public Radio Commentator.

He is the founder of Tech After Five as well as the founder and President of the GSA Technology Council and the IT Leadership Council.

His personal technology column appears in Greenville Business Magazine and the Columbia Business Journal.

He co-hosts the Your Day technology shows heard on NPR radio stations across South Carolina and is a frequent contributor to technology stories appearing on radio and television.