Show Me The Money!

In the event anyone ever wonder, The Garlic, here, generates $0 (zero) revenue.

While at various times (not currently), we've had a decent rating, and peak readership, the consistency of such hasn't been to the point that posting the ubiquitous Google Ads (or some other packager) would start sweeping in the dollars.

I write The Garlic, for a variety of reasons, including, for the love of it, just to keep in writing shape, to exercise the creativity, take it out for a spin, while, hopefully, being readable and entertaining.

We cross-post on various other sites (including being a Contributing Editor on Michael Stickings' The Reaction), all without seeing any moohla.

We have, in the past, made money writing, working for newspapers, magazines, both staff and freelance, and writing stand-up material.

Yet, each month, almost like clockwork, some new blog, or "social media site" sends me a fawning email, raving about The Garlic's content, and that I should join them, and write on their new blog, or "social media site".

After viewing said sites, most of the time, I reply back, and inquire as to if payment, or revenue-sharing, is offered, and always, always, the reply (if one comes), is a "No", but that I will get exposure and "plenty of links".

So, we limit our cross-posting, as last time I tried, my corner store doesn't accept "links" as payment.

All this leads up to a wonderful raving, over-the-top video of Harlan Ellison, that has been out there for awhile, detailing a request he received, for use of his material, and the expectation of doing it without payment

Harlan Ellison -- Pay the Writer



Blogger Max Boot wrote about it yesterday, as did James Joyner, on his Outside The Beltway blog.

Joyner offers some amusing comments;

Ellison is an all-time great and he’s been getting paid to write — and been famous — since before I was born. So, his, um, output is worth worth than most. But the fact of the matter is that there are plenty of people out there who are willing to do all kinds of writing without getting paid. Most op-eds you see in the major papers are published free or for an insultingly nominal fee. Most blogs don’t generate enough to pay for operating expenses.

There's plenty of Garlic posts (as well as three childrens books and a screenplay) to wade through (and, we are approaching our 3,000th post), so, if anyone out there wants a writer, and can pay said writer, email me, and lets talk