Dear Editors:

My guess is that you wouldn't ask a surgeon to perform a test procedure on you with the stipulation that you only pay if you like the result, before you hired him to treat a medical condition.

And I'm thinking that when you have your kitchen remodeled, you don't get the cabinets installed before deciding if you want the contractor to handle your countertops (again, with a pay-if-I-like-it clause). You see the samples in the store, not in your very own workspace, right?

In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that your employer pays you each week, whether he or she likes your printed piece or not...typos or not. Cuz you're a professional and you get paid to do what you do, yes?

Me too.

Stop asking me to write "just a test article" for free. Stop sending me contracts that say you don't have to pay me if you don't like the article I turn in. Stop treating writers like a luxury...like you could just run out your door and pick up a dozen people to craft your features and they'd all do a fine job. At least as good as I would.

Like your doctor and your contractor and you, I'm a professional. I don't write for the sheer joy of it, much as I'd like to. My mortgage company has issues with that, see? I might work out of my home, but I work, just like you, and I've done it for 15+ years now. I have a whole web site of clips you can peruse to see if you like what I do, and I'm happy to mail you whatever sample you'd like so you can judge my abilities.

I don't work for free. I'd hope no writer would work for free, even to get a foot in the door. No other profession I know of is asked to do that. It's insulting and degrading and ridiculous.

Don't even ask.