You're essentially working without pay, juggling various tasks such as self-training, writing multiple articles, conducting interviews, and preparing content months in advance within a tight time frame of 20 hours. Additionally, you're expected to cover the entire magazine production process, including content planning and execution, without any financial compensation until the magazine is published, which could be a 2-3 month wait. This workload translates to an extremely low hourly rate of around $3 or less.
When I raised your concerns about this unsustainable situation, I was met with dismissive responses, being labeled as incompetent and dramatic. Furthermore, attempts to pre-purchase magazines for individuals featured in the magazine were thwarted by restrictions limiting sales to specific neighborhoods, meaning people could be in the magazine to fill it so ad space can be sold but you can not buy a copy despite offering pre-sales for the cover story family during pre-production.
Overall, this situation appears to be exploitative and unreasonable, with your efforts undervalued and underappreciated. It's clear that such conditions are not conducive to fair compensation or professional growth, and I would advise against workmen for them.
