You Need to Value Content Creators

Selling products is not selling out

While I love being a content creator, there are certain ways that people treat content creators that are simply not right. Many of these mistreatments stem from the idea that content creators should create content because they love it and not to make money. While there are some truths to this statement, it leads to the idea that content creators should not ask for money or sell products.

Additionally, it discourages people from valuing creators or their time. As a result, I regularly deal with disrespectful comments and emails from my audience, which need to stop.

Two Types of Communication That Should Stop

In the last two weeks, I have received a vast number of emails and comments that were either rude or demanding. These comments clearly derived from others not valuing my time or even me as a person. So, there were two main categories that these comments fell into: (1) demands and (2) issues with selling products.

Demands

Since I have started my YouTube channel and website, I have received demands to help people that clearly do not value me or my time. Some examples include demanding that I give them research topics in their field, have meetings with them to edit and assist with their proposal, and writing and editing papers for people.

While many of these demands are difficult to do anyways, people expected that they should be completed for free. My coaching services, where I help students with similar things, are around $100/hr. When you are demanding a content creator to complete specific tasks for you, especially for free, you tell that person that they are not valuable and are not providing anything of value to you. If that was the case, why would you care for their help?

As a caveat, I believe it is perfectly okay to ask questions or request certain content types. I receive comments with simple questions or future content requests that I am happy to answer or consider. As a tip — if you want your questions answered — be respectful instead of demanding.

Negative comments about selling products

For a content creator to continue producing content, they need to be supported in some way. Many content creators build products — such as online courses or merchandise — to help support their brand. Content creation takes a lot of time. Trust me. It takes longer than you think it does. Additionally, content creators incur expenses to make their content accessible to you. As a result, if content creators do not receive support, they will have to stop producing content.

Your comments about how everything we make should be free will not convince us to make anything free. Instead, these comments only show us who you are and that you only value yourself and not the content creator. In fact, receiving these comments almost made me decide to stop producing free content as well.

As long as the product a creator sells provides value, then it is not selling out to sell products.

In case it is hard for you to recognize how to value creators, here is an easy exercise you can use. Think about the information a person creates content on. If there were no content creators, there would be no free content online. Therefore, how would you find this information?

There may be some courses you could take at a college that would cost you thousands of dollars. In some cases — like what I teach — the only way to learn it is through years of trial and error.

When you compare a creator's product to the alternatives, you should realize the value you receive from the creator, generally at a much lower cost. Suggesting that a creator should not offer anything paid is simply saying you do not want that creator's content. If you are thinking this, then keep it to yourself and stop consuming that creator’s content.

Stop Assuming Creator’s Situations

In the flood of comments I received, one comment suggested that I needed to recognize my privilege and offer my products for free to those who are less privileged. What this person doesn’t know is that I have paid thousands of dollars to provide them with free content, with nothing in return.

Currently, I am dealing with the financial stress of debt and living paycheck to paycheck with my partner. This is after receiving my Ph.D. and the student debt that comes along with that. I work over 60 hours a week in producing content and currently have not made any profit from it.

This comment made me the most infuriated because of my own financial stressors. Also, I purposely offer my products at a lower cost to make them more accessible. I understand there will always be people who cannot afford my products or to support me, but demanding that I do not charge for my products is simply disrespectful.

Value Content Creators as People and Experts

While this should be evident, content creators are people. Therefore, you should respect them as people. Furthermore, if you have a content creator you like, they are generally an expert in their field. Instead of being demanding, recognize that it is incredible that we can now access the advice of experts easily through the internet. This access does not make their expertise less valuable.

Ultimately — if you want to keep having easy access to free and inexpensive content — you have to respect and value the creators and support creators you love if you are able.