Apparently there is much debate at the moment about whether or not writers should write for free. Meanjin sums up the debate nicely, so I won’t go into it again.
However…
…you know, for most writers, it doesn’t exactly pay that much when they work for money, so why would they work for free? The average writer’s wage in Australia has been quoted as being approximately $15,000 per annum. (That’s Australian dollars remember.)
If already wealthy writers want to give away their work that’s great. If emerging writers want to try to find some recognition by writing for free, good luck to them. But if somebody else is making a profit from a writer who works for free – no.
S.
the art of moi 