Requests to work for free today:
To write 5000-word magazine article (min. 8 hours, including research)
To "quickly critique" a full-length novel (min. 30 hours)
To "personally mentor" a student not of my choice (estimate, 100 hours over six months).
Declined.
#ThisWritingLife

Writers: Working for free just perpetuates the myth that writers don't deserve to be paid. Your time has value, and so does your expertise. By all means choose to donate your work to support any cause you believe in, but DON'T allow profiteers to take writers for granted.

And for those who are promised "exposure", remember that not all exposure is equal. Keep asking yourself what's in it for you, and what's in it for the other guy. If there's money in it for them, then they need to pay you.

And for those who believe that working for free will get them paid gigs in the end, a warning. Working for free only ever gets you more requests to work for free, and a reputation as someone whose work isn't worth paying for. #ThisWritingLife

That's why, when I do offer pro bono work (my choice, I can afford it), I always give the charity or institution a voided invoice for the cost of my contribution, so that they know the value of what they're getting. Try it: it really helps. #ThisWritingLife