Should I Write for Free? Is There a Justification Why?

Being expected to create art or write for free to “get seen” is a slippery slope.

Many years ago, a local magazine in the town I worked in asked me to write an article for them.

Since I was looking for any opportunity to get published and get out there, I took it. I wrote the article, and the editor expressed her appreciation for my work.

What was I paid? Nothing. But seeing my work in print – at the time – was reward enough.

Then, she wanted another article. Traction is good, right? I wrote another article. Again, there it was in print – the pay was zero dollars.

One more article – this time, I was not just the writer, but a subject of the article (the business I worked for and some charitable work we were doing was the topic.) Not only was this the cover story – but I was literally in the picture on the cover.

This was a longer story. And it was the featured, cover story. Great exposure – and I appreciated that.

But I told the editor – that’s the last freebie. Going forward, want more articles from me? Please pay me.

Guess what? That was the last article I wrote for that magazine. This was not a surprise.

Before that, in their initial incarnation, I got to write for Patch dot com. They started as a hyper-local news and information source. And I got to write some super interesting articles about local happenings, local theatre, and the like. It was a great paid gig, frankly.

But then, they decided to change direction. Why not use bloggers instead of paid writers? The gigs for Patch dried up.

The question, years later, is unchanged. Should I write for free?

Artists and their value

Part of the problem here is that lots of people see the arts as a hobby rather than a career.

In addition to being a writer, I’ve been an actor, singer, director, and radio station DJ. And for every one of those choices, I have gotten the same question – How do you expect to make money from that?

Sure, some people asking that question were doing so out of care and concern. But that doesn’t lessen the impact of the question. And it shows the overall attitude of our society towards arts, artists, and how they should be paid.

Every one of these career options is difficult to get into. It’s often a matter of either being in the right place at the right time, knowing someone, and/or random happenstance. However, that doesn’t lessen the value of the arts.

Yet artists tend to be undervalued. Some more than others.

I can’t tell you how many paid writing gigs I have come across that are, frankly, insulting. Super-low word-count offerings that add up to – if you’re productive – maybe $10 an hour.

It is 2021. Nobody can live on $10 an hour.

But that’s a problem across all industries. However, with the arts, it’s accepted as a reality – because “recognition” is leveraged for pay.

That’s how many are now abusing artists and undervaluing them. Because for every one of us who seeks a decent salary, there are 10 or more happily willing to write for naught but a byline.

However – you get what you pay for. And now we’re inundated with crap stories and fake news passed off as real. Not to mention unedited, crappy self-published books competing for eyes and reads with more polished self-published works.

Is it any wonder so many people avoid pursuing a passion for the arts?

Choose when to write for free

As a writer, I get a tremendous amount of joy from doing my work. The ideas I come up with for mindfulness, conscious reality creation, positivity, and my writing process blogs are just as empowering as the ideas for my sci-fi and fantasy novels.

Writing, to me, is like breathing. It’s just something I do.

Sometimes, I do it only for myself. That’s where journaling comes in. Taking the time to write in my journal every weekday empowers me to put my thoughts and feelings somewhere tangible. That gets them out of my head and puts them out to the world. Even when I alone read them.

I began blogging and sharing my writing for free sporadically in 2010 (arguably earlier, but I can’t recall when I began to use LiveJournal before that). In 2012, I started to write weekly. That became bi-weekly, then tri-weekly, and a regular practice.

Those blogs, three times a week, were written for free. I tried some affiliate marketing – with zero success.

Then I discovered Medium. I could write and publish AND earn some income.

I still offer many of my blogs for free. But now I also get to offer them to a site where I can earn some money from them.

And why shouldn’t I? I am worthy and deserving of getting paid for this.

Bullsh*t justifications to create art or write for free

Art is work. Artists, as such, should be paid. Sure, there are lots of justifications why exposure is payment enough. But would you expect a doctor, lawyer, or teacher to practice their art for free? Hell no.

Art – be it writing, painting, sculpting, acting, or what-have-you – is just as much a skill as medicine, finance, construction, or any other conventional job. The more I write, the more I hone my craft and improve my skillset. Just like any other vocation.

I’ve accepted exposure to pay for my work. But then, I reached a point where I realized that was me undervaluing myself.

Am I worth zero dollars? No.

Yet artists are constantly asked to work for next to nothing or free. You’ll be seen – isn’t that enough? How many times, do you think, will being seen need to happen before pay can be expected? That’s part of the problem – nobody has an answer or a justification.

I have been very fortunate to work with artists who have accepted my small budget and reasonable pay for their work. They could charge more – and that wouldn’t be unfair. But I appreciate that I can afford them – and will gladly pay what they ask. Because negotiating a lower fee for this work is bullshit.

I can’t ask my doctor, dentist, or accountant to charge me less, can I? How come artists don’t receive the same courtesy?

That’s why the justifications to get art for free tend to be bullshit.

There are times to write for free, give art away to charity, and offer slight friend and family discounts, of course. But never undervalue your work. Don’t accept the bullshit justifications not to get paid what you are worth.

And you are worthy and deserving of decent pay for your art.

You – and your creative work – are worthy and deserving

Being expected to create art or write for free to “get seen” is a slippery slope. If it feels like you’re being used – you probably are.

Lots of underpaid workers have been going on strike lately for proper living wages. Independent writers and freelance artists tend to come in lots of different sizes, shapes, and capabilities. But when more of us value our own worth and recognize we are deserving to get paid – we empower ourselves.

When businesses in need of decent, skilled, professional writers can’t get any – they might just recognize the value we offer them. The magazine I wrote about at the start of this article? They don’t exist anymore.

Artists are worthy and deserving of being paid – and paid decently – for our work. Maybe we don’t provide an “essential” service – but the world still needs us to tell the stories, explain the inexplicable, create diversions, and inspire and empower.

While there are times and reasons to write for free – there is no justification why we shouldn’t get paid. I work just as hard as anyone else on my craft – and I am worthy and deserving of getting decently compensated to do it. And so are you.

Recognize your value and worth. Then, know that you are worth and deserving of getting paid for the creative work you do. No justification necessary.