A Few Thoughts on Unpaid Labor
A Few Thoughts on Unpaid Labor
Here's the October 27 edition of the Certified Forgotten newsletter.
Spooky friends,
In the aftermath of our Brooklyn Horror Film Festival appearance, I got to talking with a talented writer who has graced our publication more than once. We chatted a bit about the logistics of running an independent publication, and they mentioned at one point that they would probably write for Certified Forgotten for free if we ever stopped being able to put our personal money into the site.
I didn’t even have to think about it. I told them that if it came to that, Donato and I would shut down the site and never look back.
The truth is, everyone who writes about film has written for free at some point in their career. And it sucks. You might do it for the right reasons — out of kinship or a desire to grow your presence online — but the longer you do this, the more you realize the only things you can really hope for in this industry are an editor who’s honest and a check that cashes. And that’s what we hope to offer our contributors.
(Hell, we’ve even paid the occasional kill fee for an article we decided not to run, which means we’ve technically paid writers not to write for us. Principles!)
This is not to knock the amazing independent horror sites out there that are working hard to give their writers what they deserve. Like us, many of those editors are losing money each month to create more space for contributors. But our Brooklyn Horror conversation was a welcome reminder, for better or worse, that this is the standard we've set for ourselves. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Published This Week
The Horrors of Savageland Go Beyond the Screen by Sarah Miles
And speaking of horror sites that put their heart and soul into their work, we’re big fans of Ghouls Magazine at Certified Forgotten. So whenever we see Ghouls as a writing sample in a new pitch, you better believe we’re going to pay attention. So far, those instincts have served us well when it comes to welcoming new writers to the site. Sarah did an incredible job with this piece, and as someone who lives in Texas, I’m fascinated-slash-horrified by this film.
Friendly Beast Breaks Down Polite Society by Lívia Reim
After two-plus years of running an independent horror publication, Donato and I have a strong sense of what types of articles speak to each of us. Unsurprisingly, I’m a fan of writing with a slight academic flair, which is why I’m so pleased that this is the third piece by Lívia we’ve published at the site. She’s a dynamic talent with a knack for grounding her writing in historical and cultural context, and this essay on Friendly Beast is a fascinating glimpse into Brazilian stereotypes and their subversion.