In the midst of widespread debates about the national minimum wage and the ethics of unpaid internships, where does the striving writer feature? I’ve been struggling to define my own boundaries as a professional and a volunteer. An eager artist with plenty (too much?) to say, I tend to shout “yes!” to opportunities first and worry about the details after. More than once, this habit has landed me in a difficult situation.
As a recent example, I accepted the task of launching a new blog for a global humanitarian organization that empowers and supports women. The gig seemed the perfect nexus of three of my greatest passions: writing, female empowerment, and community building. Then, faced with carving out space in the geography of my already full life, I had to ask myself some tough questions. In what ways was helping others harming me? Undertaking a project of this magnitude came with costs, most of which I would be subsuming on behalf of the organization. My inner agent suspected this might be a case of exploitation. Seeking council from other veteran writers emboldened me to initiate an exchange of awkward but civil emails and phone calls, and I was ultimately able to negotiate an arrangement that serves both me as a content creator, and the overall cause.
This experience taught me the importance of weighing certain factors before accepting or declining any writing opportunity:
- Compensation: how important is it to me? Do I need the money, or is it more about placing value on my time and skills?
- If monetary compensation is minimal (or non-existent), are there other benefits to accepting? Perhaps work perks, like travel, education, or exposure? Or, is it a cause I feel strongly about? A group that has supported me in the past that I now feel ready to help in return?
- Can I do this task well? Or am I cramming it into an already overfull schedule, thereby setting up myself and the project for failure?
- Does this project align with my author brand, or my creative and personal style and values?
- What other projects am I giving up in order to make space for this one?
When I take time to answer these questions honestly for myself, I can strike a more harmonious balance between honoring my own path and contributing to a larger community. This, to me, is the definition of “giving back” as opposed to “giving it away for free.” Like all creative endeavors, I believe volunteering one’s writing skills should be an arrangement of mutual respect. At the minimum, any contributor deserves to feel appreciated and inspired. Even the smallest twinge of resentment can signal a deeper problem, and I’ve learned to pay attention to those signs and address them early, rather than willfully ignoring the twinges, only to look back in regret at the wasted time and effort.
In my five years as a member of the Denver metro writing community, I have come to most admire the writers who recognize the difference between giving back and giving their work away, the ones who respect themselves and each other too much to devalue the craft of writing by offering it up for anything less than a worthy cause. I continue to learn from their discernment and generosity. In that spirit, please share your own experiences with this subtle but important distinction between healthy, sustainable volunteerism and the kind of work a writer might accept from a place of insecurity or guilt. I hold up the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and this blog specifically, as a positive example of giving back to the writing community, as we share ideas and encourage each other.