The Exposure Copout

“There’s no pay but you’ll get plenty of exposure,” it’s what writers and other artists are told all the time. And it is said in such a way that we should be thankful for the opportunity to work for free for the person. When questioned or the invitation is declined, the argument becomes ‘you must not be serious about being a writer’ or other type of artist. The entitlement that these people feel to someone’s work is maddening.

It’s true in the internet era, the average pay for writing has decreased significantly. Whereas magazine article writers used to make up to $2 a word, now breaking $0.50…