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Harlan Ellison -- Pay the Writer

Nicholas Horton · 1.3M views · 2007-11-07 · 3:26

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Overview

A three-minute rant by Harlan Ellison, excerpted from the documentary Dreams with Sharp Teeth, on why creative professionals should always be paid for their work rather than work for free or 'exposure'.

On Hacker News

The standard link whenever someone asks creatives to work unpaid or for publicity.

Recommended by 1 HN people across 1 months · HN mentions 2013–2021

Topics

Labor, work & inequalityLiterature & writing craft
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harlan ellisonfreelancingunpaid workwriterscreative industry

What people said

athms · 2020-10 · Recommendation

Harlan Ellison has a good take on it from a writer's perspective. The creative business is always trying to get something for nothing. [VIDEO]

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happytoexplain · 2021-05 · Reference

This is less about "can" and more about "should". It's bad for everybody when professionals work "for publicity" or are encouraged to do so, despite the relative innocence of the professional who chooses to do so. For the least subtle take on this possible, see: [VIDEO]

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duxup · 2021-05 · Reference

Even if you're established in your career ... they'll ask you. As Harlan Ellison demonstrates: [VIDEO]

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Sources

Video by Nicholas Horton, played through YouTube.

Data and selection notes

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