Work for F(r)ee

Why is it that people who hire freelancers always think they can get a bargain? There is not a day that goes by that I do not receive some sort of email offering me some great "work at home" job opportunity. Or see job postings on Craig's list and other journalistic web sites offering opportunities to get in on the ground floor (translation: work for little or nothing) in a new exciting, publishing venture.

Or even get hauled into doing projects that I no longer take because the pay is just not worth it because they catch me in a weak moment.

The bottom line is when someone offers you exposure, you need to remember that exposure never bought groceries. Which is all fine and well when you are starting out and trying to build a portfolio of clippings, but which must come to an end when that portfolio is overflowing.

The problem is no one seems to take freelancers seriously. No one seems to understand that it often takes me the same amount of time to craft that "little, tiny story" you ordered than it does to write the longer ones. Interviews are interviews. Legwork is legwork. Research is research, regardless of how many words I actually write. Sometimes, in fact, it takes longer to do those tight pieces than it does to put together magazine features.

And in my business, time is money, but no one seems to want to pay for it.

So please don't offer me exposure. I'd rather get paid in cash. On time. Without having to submit six bills and then call you to bring them to your attention.

Being a freelancer, does not mean I work for free.