Harlan Ellison: Pay the Writer
June 11, 2008 by Deb
Filed under Freelance Writing
Love this rant from Harlan Ellison. The language is a little harsh so put your headphones on if the kids or co-workers are around but all aspiring (and even some of the pros) writers are well advised to give it a listen.
Can I get an Amen?
A summary or transcript, pretty please?
AMEN!!!
AMEN!
I’ve seen this one before and it always makes me laugh. I do agree you have to stand up for yourself otherwise some might walk all over you.
Alright, love it.
Woohoo! Testify!
That was great.
AMEN!!!
Recently I was contacted by a company to start work on a project. The conference call with the project manager went well until I asked the question “When should I expect an email or package regarding a contract?” The PM said she was not over that and directed me to her supervisor. The supervisor emails a reply that they like to have writers “get their feet wet in the project” before discussing contracts and compensation. WHAT?! I had already seen examples of the product needed and felt comfortable producing it. How could they expect me to write without knowing due dates or rates?
I immediately emailed the PM to thank her for the assignment and let her know work would not begin without a contract. Then the flood gates opened! I received a CALL from the supervisor discussing contract terms. She seemed a little upset but remained professional. I then receive an email from the PM saying she’s never had payment issues with the company.
After I received, signed, and returned the contract (almost a week later!) the harassment started. “Can you have something for us by [next day]?” Didn’t I say I start work AFTER contracts have been signed? I usually go with a working contract (verbal or email) to speed up delivery, but after the “get your feet wet” email I was wary of the entire deal.
How can people expect a product from you without even DISCUSSING compensation? I have been nearly burned too many times to HOPE for the best. I need it in writing and even then folks can act crazy. I am still in shock!
AMEN!
sometimes we devalue our work, and just figure anyone can do it, but guess what most can’t! Yes, I can churn out ten to fifteen articles a day but that doesn’t mean it should be the norm !
Thank you so much for posting this! I hadn’t seen it yet, and after recently turning down a job because I felt the pay was disrespectful, I now feel justified.
I have established my “bare minimum” for work on different kinds of projects, and even though my freelancing jobs are more sparse than they were a few months ago, there are just times when you have to hold your ground.
Let them get what they pay for, I say. And nothing for nothing is a fair trade.
AMEN! Great stuff!
From the time I was a child watching Star Trek, Harlan Ellison has been an idol of mine. Initially, it was due to his penning of “The City on the Edge of Forever” 2-Part Star Trek episode, in my view the only Star Trek episode with any real substance; and what a substance it was. Probably the best thing ever written for TV.
Then when I was a teenager I picked up his “New York Stories”, or rather was lent it by a friend. This anthology of short stories took my breath away. Those of you who marvel at Neil Gaiman – Neil Gaiman has a daddy, and his name is Harlan Ellison. Amazing stuff.
Then there was Babylon 5. Even though I still can’t get my guy to watch it, despite owning the DVD, I’ve decided that is because he saw the first season and hated it (like I did), and just isn’t willing to give it the chance I did to redeem itself. The continuity and the story arc that Ellison advised on are arguably the best foundation for a series ever conceived. If Babylon 5 had only had Stargate: Atlantis’ effects, it would have been the best sci-fi series ever.
This rant has just canonized him in my view.
Thanks!
will have to listen when the baby’s done napping. sounds like it’s going to be great.
Ooooh man. Good stuff. Good, good stuff. Thanks for the link!
um would you guys accept writing an article as a trial so to see and if that goes well gete a written contract?
@ Karen Putz / DeafMom:
He is complaining that he was asked by Warner Brothers to work for free, and that there are too many amateur writers who work for free that make it hard for professionals to make a living.
Of course, he’s a little more passionate about it than my summary!
Wow! To sink into netspeak…
Harlan is teh awesome!!
/ignorance
Funny you posted this today, I think I may have blown a job because of the rate I was asking. It seemed reasonable and was around the standard for the type of work, but I haven’t heard back. It’s a bummer, but it seemed appropriate at the time. I think Harlan would support it.
I have never seen this before but I completely agree with him. I have lost my share of contracts in the last year and a half simply because I wasn’t going to go low (and I’m not even that expensive but neither am I cheap.)
A few months ago, I had a guy call me to see if I would work for him. He was a very smooth talker and had me believing that what he was offering was worth the work. I hung up and then stressed about it for a few days while I waited for the files. Finally I smacked myself upside the head, called him back and said that there was no way that I could work for the rate he wanted and I couldn’t go lower than the rate I had given him in the first place.
Needless to say, I didn’t get the contract. Yippee for me.
I will have to save that email and send it to clients that want me to work for free or next to nothing.
)
Maryam, don’t do it unless they’re planning to pay you!
@Adam
Thanks for the summary, Adam!
Amen. Everyone gets paid but the writers. I’m so fed up with hearing sob stories as to why “I” should wait to get paid. How many of you have heard: “We have to wait until our client pays us and they didn’t pay us on time so…”
If I were to get my car fixed, the mechanic wouldn’t take “oh, well, my client has paid me yet so…” as a reason for not paying the bill. Instead, he would keep the car. Same goes for insurance, credit card, cable, telephone…et cetera.
I guess I am a bit more of a pessimist than I thought because I caught a completely different angle from the rant.
While I was certainly entertained by the video and I agree 100% with the fact that writers are often unfairly asked to write for free, I felt as if part of the rant was directed toward some of the very people that visit this blog. Mr. Ellison ranted that part of the reason for this expectation is because so many “amateurs” are willing to do the work for free. I am willing to bet that, in his book, some of the “low pay” we take for our work would fall in that same “amateur” category. As such, we would be equally to blame for his anger – not just the people asking for the free work.
I am not saying that I see us as amateurs. I know I think of myself and everyone on this board as a professional. But, from his position, he likely sees things differently. Just a thought.
*Elizabeth shields her head as she waits for tomatoes to be thrown at her*
@Elizabeth: Not throwing tomatoes
You’re right. I won’t call myself an amateur, but a novice (it just sounds nicer). I haven’t taken everything that comes along, but I have taken some low paying work as long as it is something I really want to do. When I started freelancing, I had it in my head that I wanted to do the work ‘that I love to do and would do for free.’ My blog is very low paying, but it’s a topic that I was writing about for months for nothing and one very important to me. But if I build it, I’ll make more, so there’s a decent bit of potential there. We all have to do what feels right for us as individuals, but yeah, we should remember that there’s a larger community that gets effected (affected?) by our choices.
Oh, man, that’s vintage Ellison. I know quite a few people who know and/or have met the man in person, and by all accounts he’s just as much of an angry, ranting trip in real life as he is in this clip.
Not incidentally, I’ll second his rant above with a hearty “Amen!” Pass the ammunition, brother. The Web in particular has fostered a Universal Amateur Hour in every area of business and public life (see Andrew Keen’s THE CULT OF THE AMATEUR: HOW TODAY’S INTERNET IS KILLING OUR CULTURE for a perceptive critique of Web 2.0’s effects) that is catastrophically undercutting professionalism, quality, and decent payment for services rendered, including in our beloved area of writing for profit.
Love it!
Thanks
@Bertha – I actually used that with my electricity company a few months back. I was waiting for $300 from one company and payment was two months late. Our power company wants payment within 10 days of receipt of the bill or they slap on late fees. If you haven’t paid by the 15th of the month, they send a disconnection notice. I called them and told them that I was waiting for payment from my employer. The woman laughed at me, serious LAUGHED and said “This affects us how?”
Oh my gosh, I LOVE this! Thank you for sharing it.
This business cracks me up with the number of people who want great writing done for practically nothing. One guy had me write a press release regarding a safety issue, payable for a certain amount if it got published. It appeared on some websites, but he refused to pay, saying he wanted it in print (which the ad never specified and which he touched extremely briefly–almost as an afterthought) and that he had to use my fee to pay to get it web-published. Besides, knowing you contributed to a safety issue should be payment enough.
Well, that doesn’t pay my rent, utilities, or gas. Needless to say, I won’t be working for this snake oil salesman again.
Fantastic!
I was just having a conversation yesterday about how it’s easy to devalue your work because you think it’s easy. This is a nice little wake up call!
I see quite a few ads when I’m looking for leads where people are expected to write for exposure. I just shake my head…it would be one thing if exposure bought groceries or paid the mortgage, but it doesn’t.
The legends that float around Ohio State about Harlan Ellison are amazing.
Go Harlan!
Hey, if you guys haven’t read it, I heartily recommend his award-winning short story “Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman” – you can get it out of the library or buy it online. It’s all about rights and freedom, something I’m delighted to see he still rants about
Me again. Since we’re talking about payment, I have a question for you guys.
In the last week, I’ve had 3 perspective employers (web content) ask for articles for free. Then, if they like them, they will pay for subsequent articles. I’m not a new writer, and I’ve provided clips, so I’m confused by this. Am I being unreasonable to expect to be paid for everything I write?
Is this common for web writing? Or are these guys more in the category of a Harlan rant?
I’d appreciate your insight! Thanks!
@ Cadence: You are not being unreasonable. This looks like someone trying to grab free content to me.
If these people went to the gas station, filled up and then explained to the attendant that they will use this gas and if they like it that they will pay for any subsequent fill-ups at that station, how well do you think that would go over?
There are people who are looking for content who will pay for each and every article. Please keep looking.
@ Jodee: Thank you so much – I was starting think maybe it was me. It helps so much to have the insight of other writers. Being isolated as we are, the kind of feedback I get here is invaluable!
By the way, I just recently landed a lovely assignment from something I found here. Thank you for all you do. And congrats on the new position.
@ Cadence: Thanks! I’m glad to hear you got a gig from here!
I just tried to watch the video and got a message that it is no longer available. I found another copy on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE
Amen! I was actually thinking of writing an article for a company the other day that pays much lower than I normally would consider. It was on a topic that I’d like to break into, so I thought it might be worth the lower than usual payment. I sent in the idea to the editor w/an image of the finished project, and after humming and hawing, she comes back with an even lower offer than what I had expected! I figured, crap, I could put that up on my own blog and at least get page view out of that are worth more than what she asked me to take.
Well, he is being unreasonable. You get paid for your work (your writing work.) An interview is not work. It’s actually unethical to be paid for an interview because then your employer can require you to say anything. What makes it authentic is that you don’t get paid for it. I’m surprised so many people agree with this video. Journalism 101…
I was asked to play on a community softball team this summer. So I told the guy, “Sure. All you gotta do is pay me.” I never heard back, and never played this summer but hey, it’s the principle right? Thanks Harlan! I don’t do anything without getting paid! In fact, now I don’t do anything!