Writing for Fun or Money?

What is your motivation for writing?

I've been thinking about all the talk going on about sites like Associated Content and whether or not they are ripping off writers by using their articles to generate lots ad revenue. There's also the distinction some are trying to make between what they term "legitimate" writers, who write only on assignment, or only for print, and those who write for sites like AC, Helium and Suite101.

To me it seems simple. A writer is someone who writes. As a writer, you should never work on a project, submit an article, take an assignment, etc., without knowing the terms up front. If the terms are acceptable to *you*, then it's all good. Who cares what other writers think, right? How much money the publisher makes from your writing is irrelevant. Everyone who pays you to write will be trying, in some way or another, to make money off your writing. What you should consider is whether the amount they offer to you is acceptable or not. Either it is or it isn't.

Deciding what terms are acceptable to *you*, or whether you should write for certain websites or clients, depends on two main things, motivation and situation.

Motivation: Why are you writing? Is it strictly for money? Money and enjoyment? Or purely enjoyment, with any money being a bonus?

Situation: Are you an established writer? Are you trying to break into a particular market, or maybe any market at all? Do you have a regular job or are you relying on freelance work to support yourself?

Honestly answering these questions for yourself will help you decide whether *you* want to write for sites that rely on user-generated content, or other similar projects.

Personally, I am fortunate to have a steady job that pays me to write. I can pick and choose what I want to write. Sometimes I decline jobs because they don't pay enough and I know I wouldn't enjoy them. Sometimes I take low-paying assignments or write for sites like eHow because I like it. Associated Content, for me, is a place to write about anything I want at all. If I'm fascinated with a certain flower and want to write about, I can do it, get a little pay for it, and have the satisfaction of sharing it with others.

At first, I worried a little about the "illegitimacy" of some of the sites. But in the end, who cares? It's my writing, I can do what I want with it. And that, I think, is the key.

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