Here's something we shouldn't have to say but will anyway: your creative work has value. Your time has value. Your expertise, your vision, your late nights and early mornings — all of it counts. And yet artists are still routinely asked to work for free, work without contracts, or get outright swindled when it's time to cut the check.
This isn't just about money (though yes, it's definitely about money). It's about recognizing that getting paid fairly is a justice issue. When artists aren't compensated, creating art becomes a luxury reserved for those who can afford to work for peanuts — or nothing at all. That means the only voices we hear are the ones wealthy enough to sustain the losses. Stories go untold. Entire neighborhoods lose their documentarians. And the most urgent visions for the future simply disappear from the cultural landscape.
We've spent the last three months hammering home one essential message: gig work is work, artists are workers. Now we're giving you the practical tools to make that reality count in your bank account.
Before You Say Yes: Negotiation & Contracts
📋 Getting Started with Contracts by Fractured Atlas
You know that moment when someone offers you a gig and your brain goes "omg yes I need this" and your mouth goes "sure, sounds great!" before you've even seen terms? We've all been there. This guide walks you through the basics of understanding, negotiating, and actually using contracts—even when (especially when) the other party doesn't offer one first.
💌 Emails for When You're Asked to Work for Nothing by Unlimited
“We don't have a budget, but it'll be great exposure!" "Can you just do this one thing real quick?" "We're a nonprofit/startup/scrappy operation, surely you understand?" Yes, we understand—we understand you're asking us to subsidize your operation with our unpaid labor. These email templates help you say no with grace, or negotiate compensation when "no" isn't an option.
✉️ Client Email Helper by Jessica Hische
An interactive tool that generates professional, assertive emails for all those awkward client situations. Need to follow up on an unpaid invoice? Address scope creep? Decline a project that doesn't pay enough? This tool has your back with language that's firm, friendly, and gets results.
🤔 Should I Work for Free? Flowchart by Jessica Hische
An interactive decision tree that helps you figure out whether that "exposure opportunity" is actually worth your time. Spoiler: the answer is usually no. But when it's yes, you'll know why.
When They Won't Pay: Taking Action
⚖️ Small Claims for Artists and Freelancers by Ashlyn Anstee
You did the work. They loved it. They promised to pay. Then…crickets. If you've been ghosted, given excuses, or outright refused payment, small claims court might be less intimidating than you think. This guide breaks down the process, costs, and what you need to know before filing.
🆘 Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Sometimes you need backup, and lawyers are expensive. VLA is a national network of legal pros who get it—they know creative work, they know the law, and they provide free legal help to income-eligible artists dealing with contracts, copyright issues, and payment disputes. Find your local chapter here and get someone in your corner who actually understands why "we'll tag you on Instagram" isn't payment.
📫 Freelancers Union: The Freelancer's Guide to Getting Paid
Your client is ghosting you. Your invoices are "pending approval" for the third month. You're contemplating arson (please don't). This guide walks you through every step of the collection process, from firm-but-professional follow-up emails to filing official complaints in cities with Freelance Isn't Free protections. Templates included, sanity hopefully preserved.
The Bigger Picture: Sectoral Advocacy
Getting paid fairly isn't just about individual negotiations — it's about changing the systems that make exploitation possible in the first place. These organizations are fighting for structural change:
💪 Paying Artists Campaign
UK-based but globally influential, this campaign has successfully pushed for payment standards across the arts sector. Their Exhibition Payment Guide has become a model for fair compensation practices worldwide.
📢 W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy)
Setting and advocating for minimum payment standards for visual artists working with nonprofit institutions. They've created an artist fee calculator and certification program for institutions committed to fair pay—more than $21 million in fees has been paid through W.A.G.E. Certified institutions.
🎬 Writers Guild of America & SAG-AFTRA
Yes, unions! If you work in film, TV, or digital media, these unions fight for minimums, residuals, and protections that individual artists could never negotiate alone.
➕ Want to Add a Resource?
If we missed a tool, template, or organization that's helped you get paid or advocate for fair compensation, drop it in the comments. Getting paid shouldn't be this hard, but until the system changes, we share what we know.
After all, we're smarter and stronger together.
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