This is an updated version of an article I published on this website in 2015. In my experience, it absolutely applies to artists, teachers and other creatives as well as writers or consultants.
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payment
On this day: Getting paid is nice too
in On this day
One of the occupational hazards of trying to earn money from writing (or any other "creative" pursuit) is that many people display a marked disinclination to pay for the service they require.
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Earnings spreadsheet, by Terry Freedman
The key criterion of a writer’s success (Updated)
How do you know if you are, objectively speaking, a success as a writer?
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Notebook and Pencil, by Terry Freedman
The professional writer: a matter of respect
Why writers should ask for payment — even if they don’t need it.
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Picture from Mohamed Hassan, Pixabay. Licence: CCO
No way to treat freelancers
in News & views
If you're feeling frustrated or angry at not being paid for your work, you might take solace from the fact that you're not alone, according to recent research.
Read MoreGetting paid is nice too!
When it comes to being paid for your work, it's good to know when payment is expected. You can achieve this quite simply.
Read MoreMoney, Money, Money
This article is not about writing or related matters as such; it's more about my experience of attitudes to paying for work. It's worth reading, I think, if any of the following applies to you:
- you're thinking of asking a writer to do some work
- you have some students who are hoping to earn money from writing
- you are thinking of writing yourself.
Should you write for free? 8 considerations.
On the whole, I am against the idea of writing in return for no money. We all of us have to eat, and find the money to pay the rent or mortgage. Moreover, the more people who are willing to write for nothing, the less likely it is for editors to pay for work. Unfortunately, the usual law of supply and demand prevails, which is to say that the greater the supply relative to demand, the lower the price in the marketplace. Even though the products being offered are not likely to be the same, if an editor needs an article, or is on a tight budget, price may well be the deciding factor.
Read MoreThe key criterion of a writer’s success
How do you know if you are, objectively speaking, a success as a writer?
Although I may be accused of taking too simplistic an approach to this question, I really do think that it comes down to just one thing.
Well, in practice, of course, there are many potential indications of success. For example, people telling you they like what you write. People asking when your next book is coming out. That sort of thing.
However, nice as such accolades are, they don’t pay the rent, and talk is, or can be, cheap.
10 attributes of professional writers – #1: Get paid!
Image by Terry Freedman via Flickr
What makes a professional writer professional? I believe 10 characteristics to be essential. The most fundamental of these is pretty simple, and has nothing whatsoever to do with technology, writing style or how good a tan you have. It’s…