The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer’s Resource

The Freelance Writers Manifesto Visited Again

by Anne Wayman on November 26th, 2006

Carson Brackney over at the Content Done Better Blog read The Freelance Writers Manifesto and, not sure he liked what he was reading, contacted co-author Patricia Skinner who agreed to answer his questions. It makes an interesting, if a bit long read.

Like Carson, I appreciate Patricia’s passion and I think I’ve got a bit more sympathy for what she’s trying to accomplish than he does. No, I don’t mean Carson wants writers to be paid poorly – he’s just a bit more of a fan of a free market than I am. That said, I certainly don’t want some authority telling me how I can set rates.

Maybe because I’ve gone through a whole, long process to develop the self-worth for both myself and my writing skills to get where I can charge what I charge I have some empathy. Determined to write I’ve sold my skills for way less than they’re worth over and over again before I began to get it write. And for me it was developing personal self-esteem plus the recognition that most people really can’t write well that made the shift.

Over on our forum we’re always encouraging writers, particularly new writers who seem to have some talent to charge more. That’s usually accompanied by a short, usually, lecture from me encouraging them to take themselves more seriously.

Now here’s my controversial statement about this: it’s often, but not always, women who tend to accept low pay, or lower pay than they are capable of commanding. But that’s a whole other subject.

Write well and often,

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POSTED IN: Blogs for Writers, Business of Freelance Writing