How To Ask To Be Paid: Part 3 In The "Is Working For _______ Ever Worth It" Series

Getting paid for your work is a right. I don't think anyone actually believes otherwise, even the people who try to lure you in with promises of exposure and experience in lieu of money. But the quicker you learn to be up front about your financial needs, the more likely you'll be able to sustain art as your primary business for years and decades to come.

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Is Working For Exposure Ever Worth It?

If an employer offers something intangible, unquantifiable, or that he may have no control over, he’s not really offering anything. In essence, he’s creating a one-sided contract where you do all the work and receive none of the benefit. That’s called an “illusory promise” and it makes the contract unenforceable. Exposure in particular is illusory because there's no guarantee that you’ll actually get it (i.e. that anyone will actually see your work) or that the employer must do anything to ensure your work is seen by others. Ultimately, the problem with an offer of exposure is that you end up pinning your hopes on a promise the employer may not be able or willing to fulfill. 

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