Who Pays Writers? We Asked the Editors

In the free preview edition of the new online journal Scratch, which we posted about here, web editors discussed their jobs and paying writers. When it comes to poets and payment, Nicole Cliffe, co-editor of The Toast remarked:

I was doing an interview with Edith Zimmerman, and I was saying that I love poetry, we have to have poetry on the site, interesting new poets! Great things! Nope, it’s a disaster. Don’t ever do that. Poetry’s a joke. It is. It doesn’t exist. It’s bullshit. Don’t do it. I literally cannot pay you $50 for a poem. I can’t. Your poem is worth less than $50.

Even though I know where she’s coming from…ouch! Luckily, there are a few lit mags that still somehow find a way to pay poets upon publication. Check out this list, poets!

Share
Tweet
Share

Jonterri Gadson is the author of the chapbooks, Interruptions(MIEL, 2014) and Pepper Girl (YesYes Books, 2012). She is the recipient of scholarships/fellowships from Bread Loaf, Cave Canem, University of Dayton and the University of Virginia's Creative Writing MFA program. Her poetry is forthcoming or published in Los Angeles Review, Callaloo, The Collagist, Anti-, PANK and other journals. She is an Assistant Professor of English/Creative Writing at Bloomfield College in New Jersey.

You May Also Like

The Rumpus publishes original fiction, poetry, literary humor writing, comics, essays, book reviews, and interviews with authors and artists of all kinds. Our mostly volunteer-run magazine strives to be a platform for risk-taking voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere. We lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers our readers may already know and love. We want to bring new perspectives into the conversation that will make us all look deeper.

We believe that literature builds community—and if reading The Rumpus makes you feel more connected, please show your support! Get your Rumpus merch in our online store. Subscribe to receive Letters in the Mail from authors, join us by becoming a monthly or yearly Member and/or make a tax-deductible donation here.

We support independent bookstores! 10% of sales on any titles purchased through our Bookshop.org page or affiliate links benefits the magazine.

The Rumpus in your Inbox!
The Rumpus
© 2023, The Rumpus.

For writers at the beginning of their journeys, The Writer’s Welcome Kit is a 5-week asynchronous course with 51 lessons and corresponding projects to help you establish your regular writing practice.

Interested in signing up?

Learn More

Sign up for the weekly Rumpus

Once a week, we'll send you a roundup of what's new on the magazine, invites to upcoming events, open calls for submissions, and more!

Total
0
Share