A lesson in writing and life:
My son loved the “Little People, Big Dreams” series - they were biographies for kids. One night, we were reading about someone who had to “stand up” for others, and my son said, as natural as anything, “Get up, stand up.”
I was exalted. I had been listening to Bob Marley his whole life, and the lyrics of, “Get Up, Stand Up” had clearly sunk into his psyche.
I thought this was good and really important, because you don’t need to be in the middle of a political revolution to have to stand up for yourself, or someone else, or just something.
There comes a time - probably several times - where you’re going to have to stand up for your writer self. These times can come at any time, whether it’s in the beginning when you’re deciphering what’s worth your time (Iike are you getting paid for your writing?) or later on when you start holding out for the right agent and publisher. These times matter. Because it can be hard to stand up for yourself, whether it’s outright negotiating a higher fee for your work or simply only pursuing work that pays you what you’ve grown to realize you’re worth.
I used to be a teacher, and my husband still is. We used to talk a lot about why it was that teachers don’t get paid more. We get the impression that the general public thinks because we love teaching and we love our jobs, then that’s obviously why we do it.
We’d literally just do it for anything, because we just love it so much!!
But that doesn’t just turn into low pay. It turns into workplace abuse, in the form of piling on job duties and expecting an endless amount of free work from you.
I think this happens to writers too, and I think that’s why it can become complicated when writing is treated like a hobby. I’m looking at you, Lit Journals, who:
Ask for a “reading fee” or a “submission fee”
Don’t pay contributing writers anything
Kindly offer a copy of the journal (as payment)
Pay something like a whopping 0.01 cent per word
Or offer anything else below $20 for your work.
I think this happens because the perception is:
We just think it’s so fun to write, we would do it for FREE
Since we want to be writers, then clearly we’ve also accepted we won’t make much money doing so
And hello - of course we need “real jobs” to support our “passion.”
But this mentality is bogus. Writing is real work, and if someone’s willing to read it, then you deserve to be properly compensated for your services.
In 2026, stop accepting that AI is stealing your job. We know they know AI isn’t human. You are, which means you’ve got the real chops. And consider not giving away your work to any publication that says they can’t pay you. If they can’t pay you, then they shouldn’t be asking you for your work.
Get up, stand up - don’t give up the fight.
Some things I’ve written recently:
I loved getting to write this piece for Author Magazine: Curating Connection as a Freelancer. If you’re a writer, please check it out. Fun fact: I wrote three articles on spec this year, one got published and this was it.
Some recent pieces for Insider include a hack I use to buy gifts for loved ones and some enlightenment on what it’s like to have a December birthday.
Then on my blog, I compiled 11 last-minute gift ideas for anyone, all with links.
What I’m reading/watching/listening to:
Reading: Reading another one of my son’s 6th grade English books - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (that’s my affiliate link). He absolutely insisted that I read it.
Watching: I watched the first four episodes of Stranger Things with my family and cannot wait for Christmas and New Year’s.
Listening: I’m revisiting The Crux on repeat - partly because Steve - but also because it’s (fucking) great. Like promise you.
And here’s a writing opportunity:
The L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. They are accepting: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500 each quarter, and an Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 31, 2025.
And a prompt:
So, inspired by this post, describe the perfect cup of coffee… or Coke, or whatever your drink is.
Write on,
Ashley
Hey, great read as always. It makes me wonder, how do you navigate standing up for your 'professional self' when it feels like a constant balancing act, especially in fields that often demand so much? Your ability to draw such profound lesons from everyday moments is truely inspiring.