Writing for Pay: The Realities of Pay Per Page

Writing, whether for pay or personal fulfillment, demands discipline, creativity, and commitment. However, the dynamics shift significantly when writing becomes a means of earning a livelihood. Pay-per-page models, while offering a tangible measure of effort against compensation, can sometimes overshadow the intrinsic rewards of the craft.

Temptation and Limitations of Pay Per Page

Many pay-per-page systems compensate writing according to the required output. Portals offering pay-per-page prioritize volume over value. Longer documents earn more, but that does not necessarily mean they are high-quality output, and the intellectual effort may not be rigorous. A short article might take longer to craft than a wordy piece, but in most pay-per-page model, the more words on the page, the higher the pay.

This is a desirable option for those who produce work quickly and efficiently. However, in many cases, speed can become an enemy of depth and originality. Writers who chase word or page count for monetary gain may struggle with burnout, producing rushed or formulaic content rather than well-thought-out pieces that resonate with readers.

Writing for Pay is a Responsibility

If I write on a pay-per-page basis, I have to produce a concise and well-written piece knowing I will not always get the compensation equivalent to my efforts. Writing, sad to admit, doesn't pay, in most cases. Writing copy, however, or let's say, content for other websites needs a diligent press on, to court, recruit, and maintain 'clients'. Whatever writing skills I possess need to cater to the needs of a target audience. My byline doesn't matter as long as I write content that potential target readers of branded products need. In writing for pay, I have to apply SEO dynamics, since data or information are useful only if accessed in the shortest time possible. In the race for SEO driven content to invite more traffic, copywriting eventually becomes a slog machine, where my authentic voice is erased, nullified, or voided.

Yet, only artificial intelligence is allowed to write generic content. I am still expected to produce essays that will stand out in the cacophony, requiring disciplined study, research, and analysis of relevant and useful references about the brand I'm writing for.

Beyond the Pay Per Page Mindset

To motivate a pay-for-page mindset that deducts all the intrinsic rewards of writing and to keep writing fulfilling, I regard the slog-machine-write-now exercise as my target practice. I will get better at writing if I write more, with diligence and disciplined flexing of the craft one copy at a time. Pay-per-page allows more writing, pragmatically churning information thoughtfully, and solely for its sake.

The real writing that I need to muster: personal essays, poems, flash fiction, aiming them for publication cannot get sidelined. But if my primary motivation is the money I earn through pay-per-page, I might stop writing these all together. Therefore, I navigate my identities as producer of meanings energized by this principle:

"Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they are not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison to the soul."

With or without pay, I can enjoy writing. But I confess that it takes faith and courage to embrace this identity and declare with fulfillment, "I am a writer."