It’s not wrong to write for free – but neither is it wrong to want to get paid, says Lora Bishop
Too many writers are scribbling away under the misconception that without an extensive résumé of previous publications, editors are not going to commission them, so much as laugh in their face. As such, writers very often give their work away to nonpaying markets in the belief that this will garner them ‘exposure’. (Note: The Oxford English Dictionary defines exposure as ‘the state of having no protection from something harmful,’ and also, ‘the action of placing oneself at risk of financial losses.’) But where’s the harm? Writers are getting their work out there. Publications are getting free copy. It’s win win isn’t it?