Would You Write 500-Word Articles for $1 a Piece?

I was looking at Craiglist this evening and I was so frustrated to see a lot of ads from employers offering $1 or $1.50 for 500-word articles. It is a pity that there are writers who write for such meager compensation. Even when I was just starting out as a freelance writer, I never did want to write articles for a meager $1. If we are to do the math, $1 would not even compensate for the writer's effort at putting his or her thoughts down into words. Consider the tedious work of researching...will $1 be enough? Then there are the bills for electricity and the writer's time. I know that for starters, $1 may be enough for them to start with. They can at least build a portfolio out of that. But it is still not fair for writers. There are a lot of employers who insist on their meager pay and they demand a lot from the writers. They fail to realize that writers aren't slaves. Writers eat, too, and have bills to pay.

I know there are a lot of writers who may accept this meager offer just to gain experience and build their portfolio. But I just hope that employers are sensitive enough to the worth of writers. We are not slaves. If employers want to pay $1 a piece, then I suggest they don't ask too much from writers. They shouldn't be too strict if that is the only amount they can pay. If these employers feel that writers, especially those not from the US do not have the right to insist on their own rates and their worth, then these kinds of employers do not also have the right to insist on quality and originality of articles. It is a give and take process.

If you are a writer, think much about your worth. Do not let employers underestimate you. You can earn much better than that.