Ten of Thirty: Freelancers are underpaid and undervalued

I, and many friends and colleagues, eke out a subsistence living as freelance writers and/or photographers. For those of us who supply content to various publications, the rates of pay (per word, per piece or per photograph) haven't changed in LITERALLY decades. Many publications, especially niche ones like equine magazines, frequently pay as little as 15-20 CENTS per word or $150 per article. They also pay anywhere from $10 to $25 per photograph.

Yet, these same publications charge THOUSANDS of dollars to their advertisers for space to promote their goods and services to the readers of the magazines.

Think about this. Why do YOU buy a magazine? Is it to peruse the ads? I think not. Most of us buy magazines in order to read interesting or informative articles about topics of interest to us - such as hobby related, home decorating, cooking, animals, sports, history, religion, and other special interest publications.

Publishers cry about diminishing returns, higher production costs, fewer advertisers, competition from other sources such as websites, e-zines and so forth. Yet, they never stop to consider the quality and quantity of the content in their magazines. Yes, ms. editor, you DO get what you pay for. Good, well educated and experienced writers, do their homework. We research our content for accuracy and authenticity. We write well. We know grammar and punctuation and will provide finished pieces that require minimal editing time.

Good photographers deliver high quality images that will augment articles.

But instead, many editors now seek out inexperienced (read 'cheap') writers and photographers, offering them a pittance in remuneration and the 'glory' of 'exposure' in a regional or national publication. Exposure doesn't pay the bills, folks.

But, as long as there are people out there willing to provide articles and photographs in exchange for ethereal rewards, publications will be happy to use the material, driving more and more professionals (i.e. people who make a LIVING from their craft) out of business and into other lines of work.

I find it laughable today when someone says to me, "you're so lucky. You work for yourself and can take time off whenever you want", etc. What that person doesn't realize is that, if you are a freelancer, you work 24/7. When you don't work, you don't get paid. If the level of compensation is too low, you can never afford to set aside money for a vacation, sick days, or even a normal couple of days off a week. There are times when working for someone else really appeals. Oh, and benefits? Whazzat? Medical insurance? Employment insurance? Not bloody likely.

So, being a freelancer is not for the faint of heart. Only the brave will go into the abyss hoping to survive and thrive.