Why I LOVE writing for free

[Desiremakesmeweak]

I would never ever not write for people to read whatever I wrote for free.

I know that sounds like betrayal of writers who write for a living or who seek to do that - I am certainly a supporter of writing being a well-paid profession for actual writers, and for intellectually unfettered writers being able to express themselves without economic constraints on top of the usual ordinary politics of well, of everything anyway.

But I have to remind myself that when I was growing up, first as a young reader, and then a young adult reader - I basically was able to access virtually all the knowledge and intellectual titillation and entertainment in the literary world for no money at all. I'm sure bus fares to various libraries were not ever so insurmountable of a problem that I was not able to get to wherever such-and-such a particular book or text was, in due course.

I made a LOT of money when I was 27 and far and away the most important factor in that was my previous history of reading very widely and without economic constraint and thereby gaining the key necessary functional knowledge.

There is no doubt in my own mind that I learned as much from fiction writers as I did from technical material and formal research publications.

I could not, cannot, morally therefore, justify restricting others to whatever they might gain from any writing I managed to put out by seeking payment first or payment at all. Publishing is not the same type of endeavor as writing and it isn't logically on the same footing as creative writing as far as I'm concerned - so I don't think only wealthy benefactors should undertake 'publishing' just for altruistic reasons...

Although I would thoroughly commend those like that who did!

I read for the love of it and no other reason. And I write for the same motivations. The fact that I was able to make money from knowledge was always a kind of a side-consequence. And I have not ALWAYS seen the suitable economic environment obtaining that would allow me to make money regardless. Knowledge has seen me have a good life when I am not making money, same as when I am.

 

[rjordan]

I would never ever not write for people to read whatever I wrote for free.

I know that sounds like betrayal of writers who write for a living or who seek to do that - I am certainly a supporter of writing being a well-paid profession for actual writers, and for intellectually unfettered writers being able to express themselves without economic constraints on top of the usual ordinary politics of well, of everything anyway.

But I have to remind myself that when I was growing up, first as a young reader, and then a young adult reader - I basically was able to access virtually all the knowledge and intellectual titillation and entertainment in the literary world for no money at all. I'm sure bus fares to various libraries were not ever so insurmountable of a problem that I was not able to get to wherever such-and-such a particular book or text was, in due course.

I made a LOT of money when I was 27 and far and away the most important factor in that was my previous history of reading very widely and without economic constraint and thereby gaining the key necessary functional knowledge.

There is no doubt in my own mind that I learned as much from fiction writers as I did from technical material and formal research publications.

I could not, cannot, morally therefore, justify restricting others to whatever they might gain from any writing I managed to put out by seeking payment first or payment at all. Publishing is not the same type of endeavor as writing and it isn't logically on the same footing as creative writing as far as I'm concerned - so I don't think only wealthy benefactors should undertake 'publishing' just for altruistic reasons...

Although I would thoroughly commend those like that who did!

I read for the love of it and no other reason. And I write for the same motivations. The fact that I was able to make money from knowledge was always a kind of a side-consequence. And I have not ALWAYS seen the suitable economic environment obtaining that would allow me to make money regardless. Knowledge has seen me have a good life when I am not making money, same as when I am.

Not sure what your point is. Having access to "all the knowledge of the literary world" for "free" (TANSTAAFL) through a tax-paid library system is important. However, I'm certain the vast majority of those authors weren't writing for free.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised that many of those authors wrote some things for free because they enjoyed it. Many writers here are accomplished professional writers who make all or some of their income from writing. For others, writing here is an important outlet that money can't always provide.

rj

 

[clistenovena]

Knowledge has seen me have a good life when I am not making money, same as when I am.

Go, knowledge! Glad that worked for you.

 

[KCWinter]

You didn't have to pay for the books you got from the library, but the *library* had to pay for them. (I'm a published author. At least two of my books are in some libraries. My publisher got paid for those books, which means so did I.)

Writing for free is great for some. That's how I started, a decade or more ago now, and that's where I am again after several years of writing for publication/pay. The original writing for free is what found me my first paying publisher, right here on the Literotica forums. After a while, due to factors other than the writing itself, I started struggling to write anything decent at all, so now I'm back to writing for free to take off the pressure so I can write things people will actually want to read, instead of writing because "I need the money!"

The money would be nice. At some point, I hope to write for paying publishers again. For the time being, writing for free is giving me a chance to exercise that part of my brain after a few years of not really writing anything, but it has nothing to do with wanting to make "knowledge" free.

For some people, writing is a hobby that might bring in some money or might not, and they're fine with it either way. For others, writing is a profession and a career, and getting paid matters.

 

[Carnevil9]

There is plenty of free writing available on the internet. Heck, you could read only here at Lit and probably never run out of material in your lifetime. But.... the quality can be spotty.

Published authors have been vetted by a publishing house that knows how to make money, and knows crap vs. quality. So the option of buying professional writing, with the much greater probably of getting a good quality product, is not likely to go away.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I would never ever not write for people to read whatever I wrote for free.

Words, once written, must be read, I reckon.

I don't have the time, inclination, skills nor desire to ever attempt to make a living from writing. It would never pay any bills. But I sure scribble a lot, and erotica appeals to me, so Literotica is an ideal publishing platform.

I get words out there, people read them, people contact me to say thanks. That's warm and fuzzy, right there. Some people have even said, "You've made a difference in my life." That's truly amazing.

Powerful things, words.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

That was a whole lot more intelligent and self-insightful and meaningful a set of responses than I necessarily expected - given a lot of the 'astro-turfing content farm' posters around recently.

 

[TxRad]

Mainstream writing, where all those books you read at the library came from, is a J.O.B. You have a publisher looking over your shoulder. You have an editor looking over the other shoulder. And last but not least, the main pain in the ass for a writer, you have the legal department trying to cover everyone's ass. It is work and you should be paid for it.

Lit on the other hand is my fun writing place where I can let it al hang out. Within Laurel's few restrictions, that is. Lit is where I was "discovered". A non-erotic story was forwarded to my editor by a friend of hers. The legal department at the publishing house wanted to shut down my involvement with lit and erase all that they could. My reply was, "Kiss my ass." I was ready to take my book and walk. The publisher raised hell so I'm still here.

You can have it both ways but it takes work.

 

[SimonDoom]

'astro-turfing content farm' posters

Did you make that up? I like that.

 

[SamScribble]

For many years, I expected to be paid for everything that I wrote. But that was because my grocer and wine merchant expected to be paid for everything that I took off their shelves. Today, I still expect to be paid if my ‘client’ is going to be making money from what I write. But I’m also happy to write ‘for free’. However, if the reader doesn’t like what I write, then tough. If you want to call the tune, you need to pay the piper.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Did you make that up? I like that.

No unfortunately.

If you're an American citizen, then you have been paying for some of these to operate, especially in the Ukraine under the title of things such as the United States Agency for International Development.

Much like the 'parallel constructions' of evidence presented to particular (not all, just the one presided on by the Obama appointee strangely enough) FISA courts, this agency has joint funding from George Soros and Bill Browder and Bain & Co and the Hillary Clinton Foundation. Amazingly.

But what on earth these kinds of people would want to be doing on a place such as this one, I cannot guess. Perhaps finding some choice salacious sentences for 'dossiers.' Perhaps gaining some insight from FSB operatives (who vent here clandestinely) on how they would conduct an assassination. But why they would be trying to 'seed' in here or crowd out voices here I have no idea.

Do they really do it here - operate here? Oh yes they do.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

I shouldn't really divert my own thread, should I??

Ahem...

I write for free. Christopher Steele gets paid by the FBI.

LOL

NSTAAFL, Chris. Serves you bloody well right.

And just wait, I got more 'for free' stuff coming soon.

 

[Athalia]

For many years, I expected to be paid for everything that I wrote. But that was because my grocer and wine merchant expected to be paid for everything that I took off their shelves. Today, I still expect to be paid if my ‘client’ is going to be making money from what I write. But I’m also happy to write ‘for free’. However, if the reader doesn’t like what I write, then tough. If you want to call the tune, you need to pay the piper.

You're speaking for me as well, Sam. I write for money, and edit for more, but I write for this forum because I want to. It's my gift to you all. And one doesn't look a gift horse in the mouth, does one?