It sucks to be a writer these days, yet another writer confirmed today. Best-selling author Joe McGinniss, author of The Selling of the President, is soliciting book ideas on Facebook, because he can't come up with anything people actually want to buy. Furthermore, freelancing sucks:

"Some of you may have seen my cover story on Sarah Palin and the Alaska gas pipeline for Portfolio . . . At least they paid well, which not many places do any more. Among those that don't is The Daily Beast. I recently wrote a short piece for them . . . They said they'd pay $250. But then they said they'd only pay if I signed an agreement that is the nuttiest, most onerous, restrictive contract I've seen in 40 years . . . I said I couldn't sign it . . . and, of course, never got paid."

A successful, celebrated writer, kids.