How and Why Creative Professionals Should Get Paid
Pamela Hilliard Owens, M.Ed.
90% Retired! Solopreneur. Author. Branding and Marketing Specialist for independent authors and creative professionals.
Issue #106 Business Building April 25, 2023
If you're a creative professional, you know how hard it can be to make a living doing what you love. Whether you're a writer, artist, musician, or any other type of creative, it's important to recognize the value of your work and to fight for fair compensation.
Unfortunately, many people still believe that creative work is not "real" work and that creatives should be happy to work for exposure or "portfolio building." But the truth is that creative work is just as valuable as any other type of work, and creatives deserve to be paid fairly for their time and talent.
The Value of Creative Work
It's important to understand why creative work is valuable, both to you as a creative professional and to the wider world. Here are a few reasons why creative work matters:
- Creativity drives innovation: Many of the world's most important innovations have come from creative minds. From the light bulb to the iPhone, creative thinking has changed the world.
- Creativity inspires empathy: Art, music, and literature have the power to connect people across cultures and experiences, fostering empathy and understanding.
- Creativity is hard work: Contrary to popular belief, creative work is not easy or effortless. It takes time, skill, and dedication to produce high-quality creative work.
The Pros and Cons of Working for Exposure
Many creatives are asked to work for exposure, meaning that they are not paid but are promised exposure to a wider audience or the opportunity to build their portfolio. While working for exposure can be tempting, it's important to consider the pros and cons before agreeing to such an arrangement.
Pros:
- Exposure: Working for exposure can help you reach a wider audience and build your brand.
- Portfolio building: If you're just starting out in your career, working for exposure can help you build your portfolio and gain experience.
Cons:
- No guaranteed payment: Working for exposure means that you are not guaranteed to be paid for your work.
- Devalues your work: By agreeing to work for exposure, you are essentially saying that your work is not valuable enough to be paid for.
- Limits future earning potential: If you work for exposure too often, potential clients may assume that you will work for free in the future, limiting your earning potential.
The Benefits of Being Paid for Your Work
While working for exposure may seem like a good way to get your foot in the door, being paid for your work has many benefits that should not be overlooked. Here are just a few reasons why being paid for your work is important:
领英推荐
How to Get Paid for Your Work
Getting paid for your work can be challenging, but there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of being paid fairly:
1. Set clear expectations: Before beginning any project, make sure you and your client are on the same page about payment and deliverables.
2. Use contracts: Contracts can help protect you and ensure that you are paid for your work.
3. Research industry standards: Before quoting a price for your work, research industry standards to make sure you are being paid fairly.
4. Be confident: Don't be afraid to negotiate for fair compensation. Remember, your work is valuable and you deserve to be paid for it.
To illustrate the importance of being paid for your work, here are a few examples:
- A writer is approached by a website owner who wants to publish the writer's article for free in exchange for exposure. The writer declines and instead pitches the article to a paying publication, which accepts the piece and pays the writer a fair fee.
- An artist is asked to create a mural for a local business, but the business owner wants the artist to work for exposure. The artist declines and instead negotiates a fair fee for their time and materials.
- A musician is offered a gig at a local venue, but the venue owner wants the musician to play for free. The musician declines and instead books a paying gig at a different venue.
As a creative professional, you deserve to be paid fairly for your work.
While working for exposure may seem like a good way to get your foot in the door, it's important to recognize the value of your work and to fight for fair compensation.
By setting clear expectations, using contracts, researching industry standards, and being confident, you can increase your chances of being paid fairly and building a successful career as a creative professional.
Work with me. Learn from me.
I offer online training and customized coaching for independent authors and creative professionals.
Learn about all of my products and services at my Link-in-Bio .
I've published FIVE valuable and informational eBooks since January 2023!
Read all about them and purchase them individually or as a discounted bundle here .
Advisory Board Member @ CSaaS Corporation | Psychological Safety Trainer I Construction Industry Professional - Proposal Consulting
1 年Thank you for posting this article. In my company, as small as it is, everyone including interns get paid. Money is one way to keep score. I was told that several decades ago by a millionaire.