As a working writer, I’ve learned to fend off requests to “just write this grant proposal for me [for free]” from friends and family members. I ignore offers from content mills that pay penny-a-word rates. But the coronavirus pandemic has raised a new dilemma: when excellent clients can no longer afford to pay for writing, should writers keep contributing?

No one wants to be part of a “drive to the bottom.” By asking respectable rates for my writing, I’m not just keeping my lights on — I’m helping to sustain a market rate, or range of rates, that supports all writers. And I’m not worried about my ad agency or content marketing clients. They’ll muddle through. But other clients, from small presses to local magazines and newspapers, are squeezed right now like never before.

This is the case with my Chattanooga hometown arts and culture weekly, The Pulse [chattanoogapulse.com]. Before the pandemic, The Pulse had 250 distribution spots around the city. It survived sustainably, though never lavishly, on ad sales. But as event venues shuttered for the duration, ad revenue dwindled and the print edition had to close down, too.

True to its alternative roots, The Pulse found a way to grow through the cracks, continuing and expanding its online presence — though without the revenue stream to pay writers. Now, The Pulse posts press releases and other information about community resources for job loss, coronavirus testing, food, housing (Chattanooga has also been hit by tornadoes this spring), and more. They also provide free listings of local establishments still available for delivery, pick-up, and online services. Instead of promoting concerts or gallery openings, they showcase virtual happenings.

Gary Poole, Managing Editor, started as a freelance contributor to The Pulse before advancing to Art Director; he’s been in his current role for 6 years.

“Since alternative media in general has always relied on freelance contributors for the majority of our content … I have always felt it imperative to make sure everyone got paid for their work,” Poole says. “Obviously, the pandemic was a catastrophic event for alternative media. Since we cater to an active audience — people who go out to do things, such as attending concerts, plays, gallery openings, outdoor activities, restaurants, and forth — the pandemic and the resulting ‘shelter in place’ orders kept our readers from doing those very things. Furthermore, as a free publication, we were supported by advertisers. And those advertisers had nothing to advertise, so the one-two punch of having no events to write about combined with no advertising revenue forced us to make the hard decision to stop printing.”

Printing stopped, but the mission continued. The Pulse could still afford web hosting, though distributing 10,000 print copies was impossible.

“We do have a small number of advertisers who have transitioned from print to web — which we appreciate highly — and hope to see more of as the economy starts to reopen and recover,” Poole says. “As for content, we are in a unique position where a number of our long-term contributors have, out of the graciousness of their hearts and a shared desire to keep The Pulse alive and relevant, continued to write original content for us at no charge. And they all volunteered to do so; I would never ask someone to work for free.”

It turns out other writers had the same idea I did. When our editor didn’t reach out to us for pitches after the initial announcement that the print publications was shuttering, we started reaching out with our own ideas for online content, everyone expressing a willingness to share. I was also surprised by how readily the print audience followed The Pulse online.

“We’ve seen a more than fourfold increase in visits and readership [online],” Poole says. “We’ve also seen an increase in subscriptions to our free weekly email newsletter, as well as strong increases in engagements on Twitter and Facebook.”

Numbers like these are what advertisers look for, and as a writer who loves to get paid (“invoicing is self-care,” one of my best self-employed friends says) I’m excited, too. The Pulse plans to become ever-more active online and, Poole says, to once again offer “paid original content.”

However, the model going forward will likely be changed. Without a print publication, will advertisers see enough value to again pay rates that allow writers — and maybe photographers, artists, and other contributors — to be paid? Will an online-only publication have the same immediacy for readers who formerly could pick up a copy of their alternative weekly while sitting in their favorite tavern and browse through the pages to see which concert to attend that night?

“I can’t speak for other alternative weeklies, but I know we are looking at all options,” Poole says. “The industry has changed dramatically, and while the challenges are immense, so are the opportunities. The past two months have been like riding a roller coaster with no safety bar and no idea what lies over the next hill, but I have faith that we will be able to ride it out and continue to be a presence in Chattanooga for years to come.”

When I reached out to other former Pulse contributors about this article, the reaction was eagerness and, in some cases, surprise. The general reaction might be summed up as: “You mean I can still write for them? Of course I’ll do it! I’ll send something right away.”

This isn’t what happens to a client that treats writers badly. This is a response to a client that’s been uniformly reliable. It’s a vote for the future and a contribution to a shared mission and community. It’s an investment in ourselves.

This story — and it isn’t over yet — illustrates the conditions under which I’ll work for free. Everyone may have different conditions, but it’s important to articulate them, at least to yourself.

Looking back, I need a solid history with the client. In the present, I appreciate transparency. The Pulse has provided clarity about its financial condition, current revenue model and content priorities, and future plans. And for the future, there has to be a mission, a shared sense of where the publication is going and how I might fit in.

What about you? Is your work contracting during the pandemic, and what hard choices are you having to make?

Jenn Webster is a writer and editor living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She specializes in telling the stories behind people, organizations, events, and products. Her clients have included The Brandon Agency, True North Custom, and Write Label. She’s written for The Pulse, OutreachNC, MD News, Healthcare Insight, HIT Exchange, FamilyStory.com, xoJane.com, Medium.com, and more.