Everybody is talking about how much online writers get paid these days, but my favorite post on the topic comes from Slate’s Dan Kois who shares his subjective system for paying his “Slate Book Review” contributors.

The post, which originated on Kois’ Facebook page, was picked up yesterday by Jim Romenesko. As Romenesko notes, Sara Morrison responds by noting that “Dan, your responses have killed my dreams.”

My personal favorite in the above list has to be the one highlighted above, that is, “Whether the writer has friends who I have also assigned pieces who might tell her how much I paid them.” It makes me think that we’ve all discounted gossip as a reliable threat for underpayment. It seems to be working on Kois.