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Image from Pixabay by Ray Shrewsberry
By Don Vaughan
For much of my career, I stridently opposed writing for less than a professional rate. Pennies per word, I felt, was an insult. Writers deserve dollars.
A few months ago, however, I had an epiphany: Sometimes the purpose of writing is about more than just the money.
My change of heart came with the release of a new magazine titled Cryptology, which is devoted to horror comics, television, films, and related media. In other words, MY kind of magazine. The editor was interested in republishing an article I had written decades earlier, and asked if I had additional article ideas. Boy, did I! For three days I submitted idea after idea, and when the dust settled, I came away with nine assignments ranging from an article on the making of I Was a Teenage Werewolf to an overview of The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror episodes.
Here’s the thing: Cryptology pays only $10 per published page. At the most, I will make $70 per article, likely less. I knew this going in, and didn’t care. Cryptology gave me the opportunity to write about topics of great interest to me, and in the process interview some very interesting people, including scream queen Brinke Stevens, Spider Baby actress Beverly Washburn, and Vanessa Harryhausen, the daughter of legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen. I pitched these ideas knowing the money would be little, but that the fun factor would be through the roof. And that’s a very good reason for doing anything.
Around the same time that I started writing for Cryptology, I was also approached by a British-based publication called Illustrators, which publishes gorgeous profiles of artists in a variety of genres and forms. The editor was planning a special issue devoted to a long-defunct comic book publisher, and was interested in an interview I had conducted related to a specific artist. In this case, there would be no financial compensation at all—I would be paid in comps.
I didn’t hesitate. I immediately said yes, because Illustrators is a stunning publication and I very much wanted to be a part of it. When the editor sent the galleys featuring my contribution, I was staggered. The pages looked amazing, and my interview fit perfectly. My byline was misspelled, but that was quickly corrected.
Comp copies will also be my sole compensation for an essay I wrote for an upcoming book about The Monster Times, a tabloid publication that ran a total of 47 issues in the early to mid-1970s, and which had a huge fan base. My essay is about my introduction to The Monster Times and how it sparked my interest in EC Comics, a publisher best known today for creating MAD Magazine. The essay didn’t take me long to write, and I was happy to contribute because The Monster Times was an important and memorable part of my youth.
Understandably, these kinds of assignments bring me much more joy than those I accept only for the paycheck, though my effort toward both is equal. That right there is a wonderful reason to write for less than a professional rate; anything that brings you joy should be pursued.
But there are other very good reasons as well. For example, less affluent publications are more likely to work with beginning writers, and accept their proposals. Smaller publications are also a great place to hone your craft, and add bylines to your professional portfolio. The pay may be low, but the benefits to your career can be many.
Most importantly, writing for smaller, lesser paying publications often allows you the opportunity to write on topics close to your heart—especially if they are outside the mainstream. I doubt that Esquire would be interested in a feature about the making of I Was a Teenage Werewolf, but Cryptology jumped at the idea. And I know I’ll have a great time writing it.
Don Vaughan has been a full-time freelance writer since 1991. During that time he has published more than 2,500 articles and columns in an eclectic array of publications, including Writer’s Digest, Encyclopedia Britannica and MAD Magazine. Don is the founder of Triangle Association of Freelancers.
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