Re: Unpaid?

Subject: Re: Unpaid?
From: Nancy Hickman <nhickman -at- GVI -dot- NET>
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 13:37:22 -0500

I do think that you are underpaid, and I gather from your description
that you are not a salaried employee with benefits, so even the advice
below (as good as it is) is too low for a contractor and even as a
"training" rate. At ten dollars an hour (especially low for someone who
is responsible for their own taxes and benefits) you make less than a
receptionist answering the phone and routing mail. Is that correct, even
at a training wage?

There are a number of problems accepting that really low rate. It would
be rare that you would get an extraordinary raise to raise you up to
even a "low to median" rate, despite what they've promised. They will
not all of a sudden, see your extraordinary value and worth and reward
you with a king's ransom. That's Disney, not real life. It's cheaper for
them to string you along. Worse, they'll continue to offer that rate
until they're burned, at which point they'll likely judge all writers
and the profession as unworthy and gossip to others about it.

On a professional-personal level, you have to ask yourself, is my
chief value my cheapness or my quality of work?

-- Nancy Hickman


Kathryn Marshall wrote:
>
> You are underpaid!!!! Demand a raise or leave. Entry-level tech writers
> make 30,000 -35,000/year. That's $15-$18/hr. We pay interns $15/hour.
> You like the profession and now have some experience under your belt.
> You deserve more $$.




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