Why Writers Should Be Paid For Their Work
Exposure is great, but it won’t buy toilet paper!
“Thank you for allowing me to prepare your taxes. In lieu of a cash payment, all I ask is that you like me. And please tell your friends about my accounting services.”
“Now that your nerves aren’t exposed anymore, you should be feeling better. I’m pleased you allowed me to work on your teeth for free. Unlike you, I love the exposure.”
“Thank you for snaking my drain, Mr. Rooter. You saved my day. I can’t pay you, but I’ll happily wear smiley emoticons all week for you.”
How many times have you heard conversations such as these? Never.
Hard-working individuals expect and need to be paid for their services. So, why should it be any different for writers? Especially when words are one of the most powerful tools on this planet.
Words have the ability to change the way people think. They carry the reader to different and exciting worlds. They show us we are not alone in our experiences, our desires, or our needs. They have the power to make us laugh when we need it most. To allow us to cry, knowing we are not alone. To heal a broken soul. To inspire. To illicit action. To make us feel alive.
Creating something with so much influence is hard, solitary work. With more and more competition, getting published can be nearly impossible. When a writer is published by a reputable online site, they should be compensated.
The site is most likely deriving income from ads. Those ads are viewed by the readers. A reader who is drawn to the site because of the content. And who created the content? The writer: a talented, driven individual who often has to seek employment elsewhere in order to pay the bills. This “other” job takes away from the creativity bursting within the writer’s soul. And to me that is a great loss to the community.
Granted, I have written for some literary magazines that only paid me with copies, but everyone has to pay their dues. After a few freebies I moved on. And I sometimes write for editors who are friends. But isn’t that what friends are for? We help each other.
But before there was this need to accumulate friends, before the Internet and social media, writers were paid for magazine and newspaper articles. A piece was turned in. The magazine went to print. And the writer moved on to the next project. He didn’t count how many likes he received or how many times his article was shared.
A strong social media presence is great, and of course, we can’t turn back time, but no amount of “likes” is going to pay the mortgage. Sharing and tweets and exposure should just be the icing on the cake.
Because without the money earned for her hard work, the writer won’t be able to buy the cake in the first place.
Don’t sell yourself short.
Thanks for reading.
Stay determined!
