writing for free

This recent post on AAM regarding writing for free (for an established for-profit publisher) collected a big pile of comments.

I've been asked to contribute blog posts/articles for large, established scientific-type organizations. With minimum article length and posting frequency requirements. For free (oh, sorry, for increased visibility and professional reputation).

Here's the thing. Accidental Remediation is a hobby. It doesn't pay the bills. The job I actually get paid for involves travel, erratic internet, and long hours. So I'm not going to commit myself to a set number of articles following a specified standard for the long term, for free. And since it's pseudonymous, I don't get any professional boost from what I write here.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be A Writer when I grew up. But my personality is not terribly well suited to being a professional writer in the modern era: I am not a hustler. I do best with a steady paycheck and healthcare, so that I have space to worry about everything else. And I do (mostly) enjoy the environmental biz, where I work hard and do interesting science and my contributions are recognized by being well paid.