So you wanna get into automotive journalism?

When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was to work in the automotive industry. First it was design. Then it was the business end of it. When it came to actually getting a job in the industry, I didn’t work in design or run a car company, but I did have many other jobs.

The one that most people are intrigued by is automotive journalism. I’ve written for a few magazines and even had photographs published. But I’ve never actually worked day-to-day for a consumer automotive magazine…otherwise known as a “buff book.”

And it wasn’t for lack of trying…or even for a lack of job offers. The actual reason was more financial.

American automotive magazines are primarily based in three areas: New York, Los Angeles, and, of course, Detroit. Even though Detroit does not match those of New York and LA, the cost of living in these areas is not cheap. Which leads to the number one point: income.

A basic knowledge of supply and demand will tell you that the pay scale in the automotive journalism realm is not good. There are many, MANY people in the car hobby and most of them would like the “cushy” job of testing cars all day and “simply” writing about it. On the other hand, there are relatively few full-time positions in the field.

I found this to be true whenever someone accepted my resume. A major magazine editor (or their human resources person, in the case of MAJOR magazines) would call and run through my background. After all of the key points were covered, they would discuss the current opening. That would typically end with a discussion of the salary range, which was always just above the basic cost of living.

Ask anyone who’s started a magazine and they’ll tell you that the risks are EXTREMELY high. Go to a newsstand and you’ll see hundreds of titles of the thousands of magazines published at any one time. After two years, only a fraction of those titles will still be available. And the automotive magazine world turns them over quickly. With all of that risk, they’re not going to pay for anyone other than a known talent any significant salary.

My favorite story came from my editor of the trade magazine where I worked. He aspired to work for a car magazine. Before I came to the trucking magazine that he headed, he had applied for a sister automotive magazine; a big name in the industry at the time. His interview went very well and led to the salary discussion. He changed his mind about the magazine when he found that the person who would be his boss made LESS than he made at the magazine he was attempting to leave.

Working for a newspaper as the automotive reporter is even worse. There are hundreds of local and regional newspapers that carry an automotive section. These sections typically fall under the marketing department and not the editorial department. The automotive editor needs to cater to his sponsors, which are typically the local new car dealers. If you want to write an honestly downbeat review of a vehicle, you had better check to see if that vehicle is carried by one of your sponsors first. And even if you can write the article, you have to contend with the manufacturer who may not want to provide you with free test vehicles in the future.

And then there’s the cost of testing these free vehicles. A famous story comes from a local newspaper automotive writer in New England. In the 1990s, one of the major automobile manufacturers had a clause in their loan contract that held the car reviewer responsible for any problems that occur with the vehicle while it is in their possession, due to any reason even neglect from the previous car reviewers. While I have not heard of anyone actually being held for something that was not their fault, it was in the contract.

Many reviewers stopped testing vehicles from this company, for a number of years. Readers noticed and asked this one writer why he never reviewed their products. He wrote an article stating the exact reasons…that he could not afford the insurance necessary to cover these loaned vehicles and his newspaper most certainly would not cover him.

Shortly after the article ran, the newspaper let the writer go. The writer complained about not having proper notice of termination, so the newspaper reluctantly paid him for a month’s notice, which, as I recall, was less than $50.

Then we have the possibility of freelancing. Having no set job gives you the freedom to pick and choose the jobs you want. It also provides no health care benefits or regular paycheck. And even if you do it part-time, it’s tough to get into an established publication.

I have been fortunate to stumble into the right crowds at the right times. And I can’t think of many things I would do differently. I don’t believe I would have been better off effectively taking a pay cut to move to Detroit or New York to get my foot into the door with a regular job at a magazine. There are many people who have done this and make a living at it. There are relatively few that make a “good” living at it, and you can name most of them off the top of your head.

With the rise of the internet, there are even more people doing this kind of work for little or no money at all, further increasing the supply of writers and lowering the industry’s salary range. Groups like the Motor Press Guild and the International Motor Press Association (as well as many manufacturers) do not take kindly to these Johnny-come-latelys. In another era, they would probably be called “hacks” and be shunned by the people who work for “legitimate” media, but these outlets are quickly becoming “legitimate” media.

If you choose to take a path to automotive journalism, more power to you and good luck with it. Be prepared for the pitfalls and the competition among the few people who actually do this for a living. And they’ll fight to keep their low pay from going any lower.

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