I would’ve went bankrupt if I kept paying for the Dispatch, so I stopped. A writer with a full-time gig offered to write for free, but I can’t allow that.
That said, I think there are occasions when we write for cheap or free because it’s for a specific purpose or community or favor. There’s a lot of criticism and literature we wouldn’t have if it were always about the rate. I wouldn’t have written a book if I couldn’t accept an exploitative advance lol. It’s a decision we all make and weigh, what we can afford in an economic system that’s indifferent at best to art.
I was thinking of you and the Dispatch when writing this as well as Andrew at Wordloaf.
I definitely agree, Alicia. It is completely the writer's or artist's choice to whom they donate their work or for how much they sell their work. I just wanted to encourage writers to evaluate to whom they donate. There are many community and artist led efforts out there.
I just had to finally talk about this. I am so tired of seeing the same narratives being used to justify the unacceptable (labor) practices of institutions, and often nonprofits just get a pass as if they are not openly contributing to the problem. If they want criticism they have to pay for it, is my personal opinion.
I don't think it's okay to give LARB a pass on this one.
They clearly need a better model and it should be said! I think they’re a lot of ex academics (can’t be quoted on this) and that could explain it. I wish also that more people wanted to pay to support writing but if my newsletter has taught me anything, it’s a select few.
A million amazing points in this piece. As someone who worked with nonprofits for around a decade the things that bothered me the most is how the ‘we’re a nonprofit so we can’t pay a lot’ always only counted for the lower ranks, but never for the directors and ‘experts’. Because their time, you see, is valuable. Unlike yours. It’s gross.
Thank you so much, Lidija! Yes, I didn't go into the hierarchy of these types of institutions but does a nonprofit really need a director who gets paid at least x3 as much as regular employees...wouldn't those funds be better spent paying people for their actual labor.
The distribution of value at these types of institutions is sooooo problematic and like you said it's plain gross! The fact that they don't see it or recognize it as gross makes it even grosser.
Non profits are in my experience either a genuine scrappy grassroots thing arisen out of desperate need (Association of Parents of Children With Specific Disorder who can't get help anywhere else so they unite to help each other as they can, etc) or literally corporations in a trench coat and sunglasses trying to fly under the radar, avoid taxation, and capitalize on the enthusiasm of people who genuinely want to help.
Agreed! Exactly! For the latter, their ability to pretend is what drives me absolutely insane. They will do anything to continue this illusion/farce, whatever you want to call it.
It’s giving, protect the status quo at all costs…and I just can’t be a part of that.
I am so sorry that you had to go through that! It is a horrible thing to go through, it impacts everything but especially our mental, physical, and emotional health. Even when a part of you wants to leave a toxic place there is so much pain in not being able to change these broken systems from within or just making peace with the horrible people that continue to run these institutions as well as seeing a new generation of employees who will unfortunately be dealing with the same issues that keep going unaddressed.
I am feeling more optimistic these days by finding communities of people who don’t accept these norms.
Exactly, and you also know the more of us decent people leave the more of the ghouls are left there to run things. But I really think an individual can't carry that sort of responsibility.
Yes we definitely need new ways of building community and people seem to be starting to do so, though it is still very fragile I feel. The issue as always is money. There are people who are expert at sucking money out of every situation and all the rest of society is their victim. The monetary vampires, let's call them.
I remember being completely aghast reading reports from orphanages where all the cool donated toys and things would be taken and distributed to the staff's own families instead of to the wards of the orphanage... And the explanation given was 'listen if people come here to see what we do and they see the kids dressed nice and playing with great toys, they won't come to donate more great toys! If they see kids on comfy beds eating great food being taken care of they won't feel pressed to donate!!' And, like, you can see the horrible logic of it. But also, jesus.
Wow Olga, right to the point! In photography many times you also find the kind of "collaboration in exchange for exposure", but then the brand benefits from your work and you don't. I think, as you said, it perpetuates a social inbalance of only the people you can already support themselves (because of rich families, etc) can accept low or no payments. With exposure and prestige you certaintly don't pay your bills or your weekly grocery.
Yes, the exposure narrative is so popular in the field of photography and honestly in all of food media and social media.
The "perpetuation of the social imbalance" is exactly what keeps me up at night. If we keep pretending that there are justifiable reasons to continue to believe this narrative the imbalance will never change!
I honestly believe that there is no justifiable reason to keep pretending.
Also, with brands, if they send you a product instead of paying you, it's a tax right off for them and you as the artists have to claim those products as income on your taxes, costing you more money!
👏🏼 Yes!!! This is a huge problem in the self-publishing world too. Putting your writing up for free in exchange for crap marketing. I couldn't bring myself to give away my historical fiction for free, so I always charged at least 99¢ during a sale. Lately I've gotten so tired of donating my hard work and research. My work and time is far more valuable than that!
You are right to challenge nonprofits to lead the way if we want a cultural shift. Thanks for that angle. All too often, we play it safe by doing what is “normal” or easy without asking ourselves if it’s right.
Thank you so much, Phayvanh! Beautifully said! That's exactly it. I feel that it is our human/civic responsibility to question society's accepted norms. Also, I can't function as a person without constantly asking myself if what and how we are doing is right.
I would’ve went bankrupt if I kept paying for the Dispatch, so I stopped. A writer with a full-time gig offered to write for free, but I can’t allow that.
That said, I think there are occasions when we write for cheap or free because it’s for a specific purpose or community or favor. There’s a lot of criticism and literature we wouldn’t have if it were always about the rate. I wouldn’t have written a book if I couldn’t accept an exploitative advance lol. It’s a decision we all make and weigh, what we can afford in an economic system that’s indifferent at best to art.
I was thinking of you and the Dispatch when writing this as well as Andrew at Wordloaf.
I definitely agree, Alicia. It is completely the writer's or artist's choice to whom they donate their work or for how much they sell their work. I just wanted to encourage writers to evaluate to whom they donate. There are many community and artist led efforts out there.
I just had to finally talk about this. I am so tired of seeing the same narratives being used to justify the unacceptable (labor) practices of institutions, and often nonprofits just get a pass as if they are not openly contributing to the problem. If they want criticism they have to pay for it, is my personal opinion.
I don't think it's okay to give LARB a pass on this one.
They clearly need a better model and it should be said! I think they’re a lot of ex academics (can’t be quoted on this) and that could explain it. I wish also that more people wanted to pay to support writing but if my newsletter has taught me anything, it’s a select few.
Yes, exactly! LARB was founded by Dr. Tom Lutz from University of California, Irvine. I also know a couple other PhDs who work(ed) full time for LARB.
I think academia and academics have an especially big problem with using or (exploiting) people with these tactics.
They have the privilege of not think of their work as labor, most don’t.
A million amazing points in this piece. As someone who worked with nonprofits for around a decade the things that bothered me the most is how the ‘we’re a nonprofit so we can’t pay a lot’ always only counted for the lower ranks, but never for the directors and ‘experts’. Because their time, you see, is valuable. Unlike yours. It’s gross.
Thank you so much, Lidija! Yes, I didn't go into the hierarchy of these types of institutions but does a nonprofit really need a director who gets paid at least x3 as much as regular employees...wouldn't those funds be better spent paying people for their actual labor.
The distribution of value at these types of institutions is sooooo problematic and like you said it's plain gross! The fact that they don't see it or recognize it as gross makes it even grosser.
They see it. It's very cynical.
Non profits are in my experience either a genuine scrappy grassroots thing arisen out of desperate need (Association of Parents of Children With Specific Disorder who can't get help anywhere else so they unite to help each other as they can, etc) or literally corporations in a trench coat and sunglasses trying to fly under the radar, avoid taxation, and capitalize on the enthusiasm of people who genuinely want to help.
Agreed! Exactly! For the latter, their ability to pretend is what drives me absolutely insane. They will do anything to continue this illusion/farce, whatever you want to call it.
It’s giving, protect the status quo at all costs…and I just can’t be a part of that.
I had to quit.
Me, too. As did my partner.
I am so sorry that you had to go through that! It is a horrible thing to go through, it impacts everything but especially our mental, physical, and emotional health. Even when a part of you wants to leave a toxic place there is so much pain in not being able to change these broken systems from within or just making peace with the horrible people that continue to run these institutions as well as seeing a new generation of employees who will unfortunately be dealing with the same issues that keep going unaddressed.
I am feeling more optimistic these days by finding communities of people who don’t accept these norms.
Exactly, and you also know the more of us decent people leave the more of the ghouls are left there to run things. But I really think an individual can't carry that sort of responsibility.
Yes we definitely need new ways of building community and people seem to be starting to do so, though it is still very fragile I feel. The issue as always is money. There are people who are expert at sucking money out of every situation and all the rest of society is their victim. The monetary vampires, let's call them.
I remember being completely aghast reading reports from orphanages where all the cool donated toys and things would be taken and distributed to the staff's own families instead of to the wards of the orphanage... And the explanation given was 'listen if people come here to see what we do and they see the kids dressed nice and playing with great toys, they won't come to donate more great toys! If they see kids on comfy beds eating great food being taken care of they won't feel pressed to donate!!' And, like, you can see the horrible logic of it. But also, jesus.
Wow Olga, right to the point! In photography many times you also find the kind of "collaboration in exchange for exposure", but then the brand benefits from your work and you don't. I think, as you said, it perpetuates a social inbalance of only the people you can already support themselves (because of rich families, etc) can accept low or no payments. With exposure and prestige you certaintly don't pay your bills or your weekly grocery.
Yes, the exposure narrative is so popular in the field of photography and honestly in all of food media and social media.
The "perpetuation of the social imbalance" is exactly what keeps me up at night. If we keep pretending that there are justifiable reasons to continue to believe this narrative the imbalance will never change!
I honestly believe that there is no justifiable reason to keep pretending.
Also, with brands, if they send you a product instead of paying you, it's a tax right off for them and you as the artists have to claim those products as income on your taxes, costing you more money!
So true! Not counting the money you spend in time, storage, editing programs, etc!
It’s me- stirring my pot of *exposure* in hopes it’ll feed these kids 🫠
I honestly can't comprehend how anyone in 2024 can think this is okay. I guess some folks believe in the nutritional value of Exposure Stew...
I lol’d 💀
👏🏼 Yes!!! This is a huge problem in the self-publishing world too. Putting your writing up for free in exchange for crap marketing. I couldn't bring myself to give away my historical fiction for free, so I always charged at least 99¢ during a sale. Lately I've gotten so tired of donating my hard work and research. My work and time is far more valuable than that!
That’s horrifying! An entire novel for free? I can’t comprehend that. Yes, setting our own professional boundaries as writers is crucial. 💪🏼
You are right to challenge nonprofits to lead the way if we want a cultural shift. Thanks for that angle. All too often, we play it safe by doing what is “normal” or easy without asking ourselves if it’s right.
Thank you so much, Phayvanh! Beautifully said! That's exactly it. I feel that it is our human/civic responsibility to question society's accepted norms. Also, I can't function as a person without constantly asking myself if what and how we are doing is right.