Hope's Rant

An interesting editorial on whether writers should work for free by C. Hope Clark of The Shy Writer.

HOPE'S HOPELESS RANT...

What is the difference in not getting paid for your writing versus almost getting paid? I'm talking about publications that pay pennies a word...paper publications, mainly. I'm fussing about those who gloriously flaunt the fact they pay you $10 or $5 or, better yet, three copies of the book or magazine, and tell you to be happy you received compensation. They tell you to take that check, frame it on the wall and be proud.

In the meantime, the printer, the cover artist, and the distributor, get paid. In most cases, the editor, too. The excuses range far and wide...

- we're a nonprofit (my favorite)
- we're a fledgling publication, but once we're on our feet...
- the cost of publication is too much to pay the writers.

My question? Why are they publishing in the first place? For publicity? For recognition? First of all, who is flipping through these no-pay publications looking for writers to snatch up, offer contracts and pay big money? Secondly, if the only credits a writer has is in nonpaying publications, then what are those credits worth?

Every other entity involved with the book/magazine receives compensation for their time and talent. The writer is the last person on the list to be considered, and most times, isn't given the courtesy of a consideration. After all, since writers are supposed to struggle, and since they're a dime a dozen, why should an editor go out of his/her way to pay them when nonpayment is a viable option?

A thousand words for $5 or $10 is a joke. Payment in copies is an insult. No payment ought to be a crime called stealing.

Writers can be cannibals. Editors used to be, or still consider themselves, writers. They know they can find a higher income editing. They are higher on the pecking order. You'll probably find that the friggin' interns get paid more than the writers in an anthology. Don't you love that concept? Get paid to intern to learn how to write for nothing.

If you sell a commodity, you are in business. Businesses are supposed to make a buck, or quit operating. The term nonprofit doesn't mean you aren't supposed to make ends meet. Nonprofits are supposed to be self-sustaining, or they can be considered defunct entities. They have an obligation to make sound business decisions, and if they cannot publish, pay the writers and make a profit, then they need to quit publishing until they find enough financial means to pay the worker-bees who provide the honey in the editor's honeycomb.

I could take this rant into ten pages, if I allowed my fussing to gain momentum. My husband has already listened to it, poor thing. The vicious cycle never seems to end, and I see it gaining ground, gobbling up more newbie writers in its spin. Hell, it eats up mid-list writers much of the time, all in the name of exposure.

If you write for free, fine. Don't ever complain about not making enough money. I don't want to hear it. There are a few reasons to write for free, and I know them well. But if you choose to exercise your right to pen words for no money, then you lose your voice to seek higher pay.

For those who are in the business of writing and publishing, and like a writer's work, for goodness sake, pay him or her a respectable income. Otherwise, write the dang stories yourself. There's no prestige in making less than minimum wage...and I'm not talking about the new wage increase, either.