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This remains one of the biggest problems facing online short fiction magazines. (Another is lowballing the price of a subscription or single issue.) Both devalue short fiction and hold the field back.
It prevents staff from being paid fairly (or, in many cases, being paid at all) and keeps the rates for content (art, stories, articles, narration, translation, etc.) at deflated rates. (For example, 8 cents/word for fiction is hardly what I'd call a professional rate.)
It takes advantage. It adds stress. Much to our collective loss, it eliminates some from participating at all. It effects every aspect of the work we do. It's not the cause of every problem, but it certainly makes them more difficult to resolve.
Help us. Good work is worth paying for. Support the magazines your reading. If you can't afford to pay, at least retweet and encourage those that can. We know it's tough out there.
I welcome other editors/publishers tagging into this thread and adding how you can support them.
I welcome other editors/publishers tagging into this thread and adding how you can support them.
I'll start. You can subscribe to Clarkesworld here:
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
or support us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/join/clarkesworld
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
or support us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/join/clarkesworld
I should probably add that this problem will not be solved overnight. It's a long-haul, but EVERY step forward is an improvement worth celebrating. A big thank you to everyone already supporting and those who are just signing up for the first time.
