When I first started submitting my work for publication, I considered submitting to markets that didn't pay. I think one of the reasons for that was that I didn't have confidence in my work. What I didn't realize is that it also said I didn't value my work, my time, or myself. In the end, I decided only to submit to two markets that didn't pay, both run by friends. Since those markets closed, I've only submitted to paying markets. They don't always pay well, but they pay.

Writing may be something I enjoy doing, but it's also a job. It takes time and effort. That non-writers don't understand this can almost be forgiven. What they see is someone sitting at their computer, not answerable to a boss, possibly at home all day. It looks easy. They don't think to compare it to a secretary sitting in front of her computer all day or someone who is self-employed. But writers know differently. We must get words on the page and we must revise those words until they're right, then we have to invest time and effort into finding the right places to submit to. If it's a novel, we need to invest time into promotion so we can sell the next novel. No one would expect to work in an office and not get paid. Nor would we expect to get a contractor or a plumber to work in our homes for free. So why do writers think it's okay to not get paid for their time and work?

Some markets say they can't offer authors anything except exposure or a hard copy of their work in print. A few will even say it's the "rare opportunity" to be in their anthology. The honest truth is most of those markets have such a low readership that the exposure a writer receives is next to none, and certainly not of value since it's unlikely anyone with any kind of pull in the publishing industry is reading it. And such opportunities aren't rare. There are more markets that don't pay than do, and even less markets that pay anything remotely close to pro. Giving your work away for free is easy and offers you nothing in return for your time and effort. Markets that don't pay their authors are essentially looking for free labor.

Some will say that publishing is an expensive business for the publisher, and that writers should be content with receiving copies of their work in print. The two do not equate. Publishing is an investment for the publisher. The publisher invests in the writer and his or her work. With any investment, the investor pays money in first, taking the risk that it will generate a profit. Part of funding the investment for a publisher is paying the author. An author should always be paid for their work regardless of length of the work or size of the press or market.

Are there exceptions? Yes, but they are very few, and an author needs to do his or her homework to make sure the market really is an opportunity for exposure. And most markets that offer good exposure and a credit that has impact still manage to pay something. As a writer, when I look for places to submit my work, I start with the highest paying markets and work my way down. I may end up selling a short story for $5, but it's not for lack of trying. And I never submit to a market that doesn't pay anything. I value my time and my work. And I'm saddened when I see other writers who don't value their time and work in the same way. It's not about confidence in your work. It's about valuing yourself, your time, and what you do. Writing is a job. Authors need to treat it as such.