On Paying for Writing
/“No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country.”
This is not F.D.R.
We at The Fog Horn believe people should be paid for hard work. So we support raising the minimum wage to a standard above and beyond a living wage.
From this same philosophy, we decided pay our writers $1000 for each published story. Well -- that's part of the reason. We also needed a way to stand out among the many outlets for writing in 2014. Paying writers at all would get us half-way there. That's how bad it is out there. But we wanted to draw a line in the sand, and $1000 felt strong.
So call it what you will: a beacon of light in the fog, a shot across the proverbial bow or a giant middle finger and "FUCK YOU" to the rest of the industry (you can guess our favorite).
Whatever your poison, the only thing that feels better than publishing a new voice is sending them a check.
Without decent pay, Americans are unable to contribute to the consumer economy (to say nothing of providing for their families). Without their contributions, businesses bring in less revenue (and can hire fewer employees); with less collective revenue, we have smaller growth and a smaller GDP; with a smaller GDP, the terrorists win, we can't fund a space program; if we can't fund a space program, we get hit by an asteroid that we didn't pay to deflect and the American dream dies (along with every living soul and hint of vegetation).
Pay your workers. So, at the very least, they can buy peanuts.
Homer: Twenty dollars? I wanted a peanut!
Homer’s brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!
Homer: Explain how.
Homer’s brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services.
Homer: Woohoo!