Okay, here's the thing. I belong to several listservs and I am on many mailing lists - all in the quest for the next market. You never know when the next opportunity will present itself.
So, I checked my e-mail earlier this week and lo and behold, an opportunity.
A local newspaper that publishes every couple of months announced that it is changing its focus and will be concentrating on health, diet, nutrition, and fitness and welcomed contributions from authors specializing in health and medical-related fields.
Fantastic! Or so I thought [you know this isn't going to end well, right?].
So, I dashed off a response showcasing my experience and asking for more information.
And, oh, by the way, what did they pay per article?
The response came back quickly with more information as well as the little tidbit "we do not pay for articles".
You're kidding me, right? You want me to research and write articles that you are going to use to sell your paper and you are not going to pay me?
I quickly hit the delete button but I fumed. I toyed with sending a terse reply but after thinking about it, I doubt it will make a difference.
The only way to fight that mentality is to refuse to deal with it. And other writers need to join me.
Why is it considered to be okay to not pay a writer for their services? What other industry considers that to be an acceptable norm?
Would you ask your surgeon to operate for free? Your plumber? Heaven forbid, your politician?
I know there are writers hungry for a byline to give them credibility and I have to admit, I have written the free article in my day but no more. I know now I did a disservice to my fellow writers by doing that.
No, from now on, I write, I get paid. I deliver a valued product and I expect value in return. If you don't like my work, reject it or even pay a kill fee. But do not say "We don't pay for articles".
Because I will hit delete every time.

Amazing.
Amazon has given an ultimatum to small publishers. These are the publishing companies that use print on demand - called POD in the industry - to print their books. They are small independent presses or those companies that are labeled as publishers allowing authors to self-publish [my book falls into this targeted group].The reason these POD companies are attractive [and are probably the wave of the future] is that they allow a company to offer books without having to stockpile an inventory. The book is ordered; it's printed; it's shipped. The quality is the same as a book on a Barnes and Noble brick and mortar shelf. The advantage is the small company is able to make a living without a warehouse. Many of them do not publish themselves anyway. They have subcontracted this job out to companies that they have investigated and met their requirements. The deal they offer to their authors is that their book is for sale just like any other book in places like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com, etc.
Enter Amazon. They now have their own printing/publishing company called BookSurge. They have now gone to all the small presses and told them "Use our printer or we will not sell your book." Period. No negotiation. End of story. Refuse and the "Buy book" icon goes away.
Is this a good idea? Will companies go out of business? Will Amazon succeed?
Only time will tell.