Why You Should Not Work For Free

As a children’s book illustrator I often get approached by individuals who want me to “partner” with them in creating a book. What this really means is I create all the visuals (illustrations and design included) and if there is a profit years from now, I might get a little payment. Another scenario is being asked to produce custom work for no compensation at all. “Put together a sketch and I’ll let you know if I want to hire your.”  Unfortunately, that is the reality of what artists go through.
Apply this thinking to another industry and people think that you are crazy. Do you go to your hair dresser and ask to get you hair colored and styled for no payment? Just tell your stylist: “Oh, it’s OK. You give me a free haircut and when people see how good I look, I’ll tell them you did it and you’ll get lots of work.” I’m sure your stylist would show you the door to the loony bin if you approach them with this thinking. The sad thing is in the art world, many new illustrators and artists think that they need to do this in order to get noticed.
Here is Stephen Silver’s passionate plea about why you should not work for free:

This is another of Stephen’s videos where he cautions you about competitions. It is vital that you read all the fine print associated with a contest or competition prior to considering entering. Here is why:

Visit Stephen’s Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/stephensilver
He will be posting a series of videos talking about why it is imperative that you value your work and do not work for free.
Happy creating to you all.
T.