F**K you, Pay me!

Sounds like a streetwalker addressing a reluctant john to pony up on his promise! In fact, it’s a battle cry of the savvy freelancer.

Dozens of ads are posted daily, seeking freelancers who will provide “samples” of their wares for free. To that request, freelance writer Erik Sherman says Fuck you, pay me!

Do free work for the possibility of maybe getting some work. Is this their idea of financial well-being, or even borderline intelligence?

Screw that. I’m absolutely sick of it. In the words of Goodfellas, “Fuck you, pay me.” You’re not sure that you’ll like what I do? Fuck you, pay me. Not sure what you really need, but figure you’ll know it when you see it? Fuck you, pay me. Want to be able to sample everything on a restaurant’s menu and then decide afterward what you’ll actually order? Fuck you, pay me.

I have fallen victim to this a couple of times – we all do. But some of my best clients who remain with me today are the ones who say “I’ll pay you xxx for a sample on this topic to see how you do.” That is a much more agreeable way to do business. After all, even if you go to a food fair in the town square, you’re still paying an entrance fee as well as a moderate price to sample the wares of your local restaurants. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, as they say!

So for those potential clients who would like me to provide a sample while they diddle and doddle about whether or not to grant me the job:

Fuck you, pay me!