Would you ask a plumber to fix your toilet for free, just for the honor of coming into your house and being able to tell his friends that he worked for you? No. So why do so many people feel it’s fine to ask writers to write content for free? It’s not OK, and writers need to ask for, and receive, payment for their work.

One of my favorite writers, Naomi Hirahara, just posed a great FB post about why she does not write for free. She quotes another writer, Alexander Chee, who has written about this too. Both make such great points.

Chee says that a discussion about money must take place between the editor and the writer. And no matter what is offered, the writer must ask for more. No one should be embarrassed or insecure about talking about the terms of payment. Writers need to earn a living, and editors need to not take writers for granted, ever.

Another point that distresses me badly writers are getting paid less these days than in decades past. It’s just inexcusable. When budgets got slashed in publishing, fees for writers were the first to be reduced or cut. And except for rare instances, they have not been raised again. And that’s another reason why all writers (and I’m lecturing myself, here) need to ask for more money — not just for ourselves, but for all writers.