For us, we've made our choice. Still, even if I chose to make an exception in one case, I still got paid . As a writer, you produce a commodity to sell. A trap some new writers fall into is paying someone money to publish their story. If you're thinking of paying someone to take your work, repeat that maxim to yourself as many times as it takes to disabuse you of the notion that this is a good idea.
Some people write manuscripts that have no nationwide audience and are forced to self-publish.
But if you have a novel or short story, then the publishers are out there. Maybe only a few, but they're there nonetheless. Respect your work and don't settle for less than professional rates. And that, after all, is the goal. But when I decided to do so, I really give my attention to it.