There should be pay parity for Fulltime and Freelance Writers

Writing is an art and a passion for those who have the flair to write and pen down their thoughts. Such quality comes either by birth or can be developed over a period.

Not all writers are born with a silver spoon but they do get the necessary exposure and training to write like a professional. Writing concept has been around for thousands of years and those who write are passionate about their work and their style of writing.

As far as writing a job is concerned, we have two options that writers prefer to choose depending on their capacity and availability. One is the full-time work and the other one is freelance and remote writing work.

Full-time writers work in an office environment and they are bound by official rules and regulations. They can be either contractual full-time writers or permanent full-time writers depending upon the type of employment the employer has to offer.

Freelance writers on the other hand work from home and they have the luxury to work at their own pace. They enjoy flexible working hours and have the freedom to do things that suits them.

Now the question is are whether freelance writers paid on par to their full-time counterparts. “No” is the answer because the mode and style of working are remote and freelance writers are hired on a part-time basis most of the time. Though there are full-time hours available for freelance writers, the pay that is offered is on per word basis rather than on a monthly salary basis.

Globally freelance writers and their counterparts in India are exploited to the fullest possible extent. They are not paid what they deserve and they end up accepting pay offers that are below par their capacity and capability.

There are so many talented writers around and they can churn out quality work within the deadline stipulated. But despite their talent, they are downgraded by employers who try to fleece them and extract work by paying less at the expense of quality work.

The argument is how can freelance writers be treated so harshly and be denied what they deserve for their talent and capability. Do full-time writers have the qualitative aspect that freelance writers lack or are freelance writers considered as second class writers?

The answer lies in the mindset of employers who offer work but are unwilling to pay what freelance writers deserve. In short, exploitation is the keyword for most of the employers who think writing is cheap and can be obtained at throwaway prices.

I being a writer myself have faced this situation several times and I reckon that freelance writers are on par with full-time writers and they deserve the same pay that full-time writers get paid. Writing isn’t easy and at the same time, it doesn’t come cheap.

It takes a lot of effort and research to write a piece of article or a blog and given the amount and quality of time spent, freelance writers should be paid according to their talent and potential.

Associations of freelance writers have the moral responsibility to take up the issue with employers and sort out the subject matter with utmost urgency. They can play a vital role in bridging the gap between full-time writers and their freelance counterparts by offering writing jobs that pay handsomely and according to the national wage rate fixed by the authorities.

To end this discussion here I would counsel employers to hire freelance writers with decent pay and not treat them as second class writers. They deserve more and they shouldn’t be been reduced to a beggar status who begs and earns money.

Having said that, even begging is an art, and one who excels in it survives. So writers irrespective of their nature and style should be accorded the status they deserve and not left wanting for themselves.