Quote:
Originally Posted by speakingtohe
You may not be entitled, but if you do it well and people benefit, should you not get some recompense. Are you for example entitled to someone mowing your lawn for free because they want to do it because it is ugly.
I can't just sit in a chair and expect someone to pay me. But an author whose works are being read and enjoyed should be able to expect some compensation. [...]
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And authors should always be allowed to decline whatever writing and speaking opportunities they are offered. I can't help wondering, however, whether the author references above is sometimes cutting off his nose to spite his face. Speaking at a festival isn't necessarily work for someone else's benefit; it may well be a solid marketing opportunity for him. As Hitch says, an author is an entrepreneur, not a wage-worker, and entrepreneurs generally need to market their work and themselves if they are to hope for success.