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.