My answer is always the same: if you're silly enough to give it away, why wouldn't they ask?
The other question I pose to writers and other creatives starting out - or in a mid-career crises - is if people don't believe your work, your copyrights have value, why do so many people want them?
The only way it gets better is when everyone learns to value themselves and their colleagues and say no to these invitations.
Maybe the action is that the next time you're asked to work for free you contact that person's/publications biggest competitor and contribute to them - for a modest fee. How better to get the attention of non-payers than to help their competition build a better product that everyone (readers and advertisers) want?
I think he says it all correctly and not without a sense of dark humor. I also mourn the loss of the things that Mr. Kreider mourns. In centuries gone by, it was a matter of "publish or perish", but in our own time it's become a matter of "publish and perish". Bleak indeed.
P.S. Please - don't anyone bother to lecture me about "embracing change". The type of change involved here to "embrace" is nothing short of a creative Hari Kiri.
Funny you should post this Ed - a friend emailed this morning saying "You have to read the piece in NYT... it's about you.."
Yes, the internet and those who write for free - including all those who wrote for Huffington at no pay - have ruined us.
My income has declined 75% after 30 years as a freelance writer and author (and occasional photography sales) - and i don't see it getting any better. I feel terribly bad for the young one's coming out of university - one of my former interns now works in clothing sales, another was an au pair, another back at home and working for her father - - i feel almost worse for them than myself. At least i was able to earn a living, buy a home, keep up a good credit rating and put food on the table - on top of that, my pen was like a magic carpet that took me all over the planet on assignment.
BUT ....If the nuclear rods aren't taken care of at Fukishima (not to get off point) it won't matter anyway.... they are saying the clean up is like "nuclear pick up sticks". UGH.
Replies
My answer is always the same: if you're silly enough to give it away, why wouldn't they ask?
The other question I pose to writers and other creatives starting out - or in a mid-career crises - is if people don't believe your work, your copyrights have value, why do so many people want them?
The only way it gets better is when everyone learns to value themselves and their colleagues and say no to these invitations.
Maybe the action is that the next time you're asked to work for free you contact that person's/publications biggest competitor and contribute to them - for a modest fee. How better to get the attention of non-payers than to help their competition build a better product that everyone (readers and advertisers) want?
I think he says it all correctly and not without a sense of dark humor. I also mourn the loss of the things that Mr. Kreider mourns. In centuries gone by, it was a matter of "publish or perish", but in our own time it's become a matter of "publish and perish". Bleak indeed.
P.S. Please - don't anyone bother to lecture me about "embracing change". The type of change involved here to "embrace" is nothing short of a creative Hari Kiri.
Funny you should post this Ed - a friend emailed this morning saying "You have to read the piece in NYT... it's about you.."
Yes, the internet and those who write for free - including all those who wrote for Huffington at no pay - have ruined us.
My income has declined 75% after 30 years as a freelance writer and author (and occasional photography sales) - and i don't see it getting any better. I feel terribly bad for the young one's coming out of university - one of my former interns now works in clothing sales, another was an au pair, another back at home and working for her father - - i feel almost worse for them than myself. At least i was able to earn a living, buy a home, keep up a good credit rating and put food on the table - on top of that, my pen was like a magic carpet that took me all over the planet on assignment.
BUT ....If the nuclear rods aren't taken care of at Fukishima (not to get off point) it won't matter anyway.... they are saying the clean up is like "nuclear pick up sticks". UGH.
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