Comments on: Yes, We ARE Worth It

By: Gabriella F.

Gabriella F. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:15:11 +0000

Hi Krista.

Yep, that explains it. Makes sense, too. Never mind my earlier comments!

By: Krista

Krista — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:53:46 +0000

@ Gabriella
I still get most of my work from Craigslist. In the bottom section, there's a space for compensation. If the person forgets to put something in, it reverts to "no pay." Often, you'll see ads that ask for quotes or state the actual payment, but in the actual compensation blank it actually says "no pay." Usually, it is just an oversight on the poster's part. He did not specifically say no pay in the actual ad, just that he needed a page edited. Hopefully that explains why I made the assumption I did.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:58:07 +0000

A great example is the Drudge Report – it's not much to look at (literally a page full of links and pics scattered haphazardly), but one of the most popular news sites around.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:54:44 +0000

Gabriella, you have just been voted the voice of reason. :)

I can say from Krista's situation that I've been in cases where they state no pay but actually allude to pay in the ad. And yes, they do end up having a salary, but don't want to put that. Okay, lousy way of stating it, but it's happened to me a number of times.

I'm not sure what Nikki's particular situation is, so I can't speak to that. But you're right - free is never a good deal.

By: Gabriella F.

Gabriella F. — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:41:24 +0000

Hey, everybody. I know I'm going to get stoned for saying this, but I'm really not trying to beat up on people. My guess is that some others are also thinking what I'm about to say:

Krista, the dude was an idiot, no question. But I can't understand what made you think "no pay" meant anything other than that. Don't even engage these idiots! It's a waste of your time, which you can be using to create better content for paying clients or better market yourself.

Nikki, I don't see how it could "look good" for you to continue at no pay for a previously paying client. There's no circumstance that should make you agree to work for free. That's what we've been harping on for ages--doing so devalues everyone's skills. Again, your time is much better spent marketing yourself to someone who will pay.

Sorry, guys. I mean no offense, but why did we have Writers' Worth Day a few weeks ago if not to get those messages across to both clients and other writers?

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:10:10 +0000

Christina, you know already what I think of the independent contractor situation you described on your blog. The Google thing is totally unsettling. I think I see where he was going with the suggestion that you pay even a stipend, but a penny? That's laughable.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:02:47 +0000

Nikki, that's just nuts! Right there he said your services weren't valued. That's when I'd have thanked him for his input and hung up. The choice words would've come at home in private, but believe me - they would have come.

Krista, he be wantin' you! LOL It would be funny, but it was pretty clear the dude's a pig. Anyone who walks over boundaries that early in the WORKING relationship isn't going to respect anyone.

That video's legend, Christina. I posted it here a week or so ago after seeing it on another writer's site - hysterical! And damn if it's not true.

Know why they get away with it? Because foolish writers let them. It irks me no end. If it hurt only those writers, fine. But it doesn't. It's slowly decimating our entire field.

By: Nikki

Nikki — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:19:10 +0000

I've been there, done that and have the scars to prove it. Late last year I started working with a company that seemed to be wonderful. They paid promptly and the relationship was wonderful. Then, I get a phone call with the founders of the company. It turns out they won't be able to pay me anymore because they invested all of their money in programming, design and IT. For months, I urged them to start spending money in promotion but to no avail. They asked me to stay on as a volunteer basis. Because I knew it would look good for me, I said yes but when it became apparent that my "consulting" weighed no more than a feather with them (as they never followed through on a recommendation I gave), I had to say good bye. Because they accounted for 1/2 of my income at the time, I'm still catching up on getting my bills up to date.

I ended the relationship in May, on good terms but still felt a little like a doormat for the unpaid time I put in (even though it was the bare minimum I would ALLOW myself to give).

I don't do that anymore. The moment they stop paying, I stop providing service.

By: Krista

Krista — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:16:37 +0000

Yeah, I had to force myself to just delete the emails and forget it. I was fuming! The best part is that about an hour later I got a MySpace friend request from him. WOW!

And I'm sure I'll get a trip to FIJI for editing a single page. I'm also wondering what kind of "video" he's talking about. He will NOT be getting my photo.

By: Christina Gleason @ Phenomenal Content

Christina Gleason @ Phenomenal Content — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:15:22 +0000

Synchronicity here... I've recently posted two articles I'd love your comments on: Google Says Quality is Dirt Cheap, Don’t Hire Copywriters and The Exploitation of Independent Contractors.

It's ridiculous what people try to get away with when "hiring" writers. (Sadly, they DO get away with it sometimes.)

There's also a really hysterical video about the vendor-client relationship in real world situations. Hilarious! If you haven't seen it, it shows people trying to tell the waiter of a fine dining restaurant the bill isn't in their budget, a woman saying she can only pay for a trim but wants highlights in her hair, and a guy trying to haggle with a video store clerk.