space-writer

A space-writer submits their article to the newspaper editor.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A journalist or writer who is paid according to the length (in lines or column space) of their written material. This term is historically specific to newspaper and periodical work, where compensation was calculated based on the physical space the text occupied in print.

Usage Examples

• (A writer paid by the column inch or line count.)
• (Writers compensated based on printed space.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a space-writer": to write for payment strictly based on the amount of space the text fills in a publication.
  • He was a space-writer for the city's evening paper, churning out short news items. (He wrote articles paid by column length.)

Variants and Related Words

• Space (n): the physical area or dimension of a page or column in print.
  • The editor allocated more space to the feature story. (More column inches for the article.)
• Writer (n): a person who composes text for publication.
  • She is a writer for a national magazine. (A professional author.)

Synonyms

• Piece-worker: a worker paid by the amount of output (in this case, text length).
• Line-rate writer: a writer paid per line of text.

Related Idioms

• By the column inch: paid according to the measured length of printed text.
  • He was paid by the column inch, so he made sure every article was long. (Compensated based on space used.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Write up: to compose or expand a piece of writing (often for payment).
  • The space-writer had to write up several short items quickly. (To produce written content.)