Do you value your writing?
By: Danika Bloom
Tags: Creativity, Writers On Writing, This Happened To Me, Writing, Authors

Every published author I know (hundreds of them) has an opinion about the websites that pirate our books and offer them for free. Some feel strongly that the people who run those sites should have the worst place in hell saved for them; others shrug their shoulders and say that anyone who downloads a pirated copy of their book wouldn’t have paid for it anyway, so it’s probably not impacting their income. And many, like myself, have a foot in both camps.

Last week I learned that one of these book pirate sites is being run by a man who lives in my city. He has his name and address on his website. The fact that he lives is in one of the richest neighbourhoods in what is one of the most expensive cities in the world triggered my bias against people of privilege who use their wealth to the detriment of others.

People in my community know this man. They say he doesn’t earn money from his site, that he shares our copyrighted, published books on the principle that everyone should have access to them.

But what about the rights of the creator to be able to earn a living from their craft? It matters not to him, but it does matter to us, to the writers. We are and should be, quick to protect the value of our writing, the time and heart it takes to create our art.

Medium gives us that opportunity through the Partner Program and I don’t know a single writer who begrudges the (usually small) amount of money their words generate here.

But do we writers have a double-standard?

I recently joined a Medium support Facebook group. The members are so friendly, helpful, encouraging, and all kinds of wonderful toward each other. One member mentioned that a publication she has written for now has a Patreon membership.

Writers who become patrons get priority attention for their submissions. And she didn’t think this was right. Members stated their views, but not one pointed out the following, which I think needs to be said:

Editors of the publications on Medium that help us as writers find new readers and, if we’re in the Partner Program, earn money for our hard work, do not get paid for their hard work.

Editors of publications

do it for the love of supporting writers.

give up their own writing time to support other writers.

give up their family time to support other writers.

stay up late or get up early to fit in reviewing submissions.

Why? So they can support us and other writers.

The writers they support may be making money. But they, the editors of the publications that we rely on to live the dream of being paid writers, are not.

So if a publication decides that they’ll give priority attention to the writers who support the role they play in supporting the writer’s opportunity to earn some money from their words… I am 100% in support of that.

As a working writer, I make precious little on my creative writing, earn very well for my technical writing, and charge $0.015 per word when I’m wearing my editor’s cap.

I cannot begrudge, and in fact, I applaud the editors of publications that value their craft as they help us develop our own.

We all deserve to be paid for our time and skills, no matter what job we’re doing.

I hadn’t looked at the Patreon account for the Writer’s Cooperative until I learned about their so-called ‘tiered’ membership, something I’ve seen some Medium contributors balk at since the editors of the Writer's Cooperative are transparent, saying that they provide special perks to Patrons.

Oh my gosh! They give special attention to the writers who are approaching their writing as a business, a profession. Heavens!

Something that’s not obvious in the stories I (over)-share here on Medium—the ones about sex, religion, and politics—is that for the last 15 years I’ve made a significant part of my living as a business coach, and more recently, a coach who works with writers.

And it is with love that I’m sharing my informed and biased opinion about publications on Medium that treat their supporters (Patrons if they’re on Patreon) differently than the rest of the writers who submit.

If you’re a writer who wants to be professional, you need to start thinking and acting like a professional. That means treating your writing profession like you would any other skill you’re developing. You’d invest in it, in your growth.

If you

attend conferences and workshops for writers;

spend money on books about craft and the business of being a writer;

pay to enter writer’s contests

join groups where you can get support.

you are investing in being or becoming a professional.

So what is it about investing $5 to $25 a month as a Patron of a publication, to get support building a writing business that irks some writers?

Seriously, with the Writing Cooperative, it’s a gimme—you pay $15 a month and get 1000 words a month edited in return. That’s a fair rate, $0.015/word, not too high (for the writers), not too low (for the editors), it’s just right. And, you get the bonus of expedited review of your submissions… AND, you can write this cost off as a business expense.

If literary agents offered that kind of deal, they'd never have to sell another manuscript to a publisher since every writer I’ve ever met would pony up that money to get their query looked at and either a quick rejection or request for pages inside a month. Of course, that’s unethical in the agent world, but in the world of small publications, it’s the norm.

If you’ve ever submitted your writing to a contest, odds are you paid an entry fee. I’ve paid everywhere from $25 to $100 for the privilege of having my words read by adjudicators. I’ve won a couple of awards for my published book which makes that investment feel worthwhile.

I’ve also submitted shorts to contests and not won. From some, I’ve received feedback, from others just a “Wah, wah, wah, not a winner” email. Do I consider that money wasted? Not at all since that entry fee was paid to human readers whose time is just as valuable as my own.

Just as much as you deserve to be compensated for your time writing, the readers and editors who are helping you improve your craft deserve to be compensated for their time.

If you’re going to treat your writing like a business and expect to be paid for your words, then treat it like a business and expect to pay for the services that professional writers invest in.

If you’re here, writing for the pure joy of writing, then stop worrying about which publications are the most prestigious, and who gets curated and how many claps you get. Love the hobby. Love your words. But if you’re looking at Medium as a source of income, be a pro and get used to investing in your success.

Rant/free advice from a business coach who charges $125/hour, over. 💜