This is NOT Free

It’s amazing how big companies want to use people’s work for free.

Today I read an article about a science fiction writer who was asked by Warner if they could use his interview for free.  (A Scathing, Brutally Honest Rant About Not Working for Free BEST OF PHOTOGRAPHY | FRI, NOV 14 http://pulse.me/s/36dx9F )

Earlier I had read about an artist who was asked by Showtime to submit some of his artwork commemorating a fight for free.

Not to mention all of those fast food workers working for non-living (zombie?) wage.

Or how about those interns working for free, hoping for a foot in the door?

On the flip side, there are companies harking their wares or services on the low price model. This competition is brutal with hair thin margins. But, the folks most adversely impacted by this model are those at the bottom of the food chain, not the senior management or shareholders.

Seth Godin had a blog about clawing one’s way to the bottom:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/11/clawing-your-way-to-the-bottom.html

It doesn’t matter how you get to the bottom – shortcuts or as a business model – it’s brutal at the bottom where everyone is duking it out. The answer is to go to the top.

The trick is to figure out how to get to the top. You have to be the best (or maybe great?) at something. Getting there is hard.

And try not to give away your work for free.