I love this clip so very very much but … I also worked for free at the start of my writing career. I did it because when you’ve nothing but talent/ability and no credentials then you can’t compete with professional writers. Of course I fucking worked for free! Was I happy to? Fuck yes! (Sorry, channeling Ellison a little.)
He’s dead right about amateurs working for free making it hard for professionals. Even after five years and a massive project list I was having big rich companies trying to get me to work for free. Because it will be good “experience” or good on my project list.
I’ve been the undercutting newbie and I’ve been the undercut professional so I feel the pain here. Yes, it pissed me off that a client decided to compare my $2000 quote with some chump off ifreelance who offered to do it for $200 but hey, that’s the free market.
And samples … man, like Ellison I want to say motherfucker we signed a contract! I have ONE MILLION activity books on British Airways. Have I ever seen a copy of my work in real life? Fuck no! I can’t get ONE fucking copy?
Alright, enough channeling.
I say work for free at the start and then work for money later. Don’t worry about what it does to other established writers.