studio work question

hey, all:

tomorrow, i'm gonna go check this geet out who sez he has three cds of stuff, but needs bass tracks for them. he's already done them in his home studio, but has the smarts to hand it over to someone whut plays the thing regularly...

here's the background: we're in boofoo SE indiana, and he's a very local fish...nuthin' the matter with that. he plays locally, and is looking to go out further.

he has mentioned that i would get a percentage of whatever he gets. i'm assuming that's in lieu of payment for my time...kind of an on spec thing.

i want to have more stuff for my resume, and i'm not (yet) in the position to pick and choose, but i'm already in two bands, i help with an under 21 blues jam, i work fulltime+, and i get little enough sleep as it is.

i'm wondering if it would be smart to tell him straight out that i charge a standard rate, because i already have other stuff i do, and i have to be particular about what i take on.

is that arrogant?
i don't mind helping a bubba out, as well as having more experience in different stuff, but is it better to take it with less expectations of pay or to be more firm?
since i already committed to seeing him tomorrow, i will write that off and do what i said i would, np. i would like to check his stuff out, anyway.

i'm not a charity, but i'm not a beancounter, either. i just want to make a living doing this music thang, sometime, and will do what i have to do to get there, minus murder, rapine, and calumny.
and sleep...
so...call this a free demo for me, just mebbe see fifty cents down the road, and call it square?

thanks, all, for yer input.

 

no kidding, huh?
i guess it's time to get over being nice to everyone, and to start being mr. bidness.


ty, bt.

 

well, i went to meet the man.
he was all excited about getting some work done...then i told him my rates.

(which are in line with the area.)
he doesn't have two dimes to rub together, so i very nicely told him that i can't just do free stuff anymore...i already have a band that takes my time, so i have to be particular...especially since i'm trying to get to the point where i can tell my job to stuff itself.
i feel like a heel, but i guess that's what making money is about...telling really nice folks how the real world operates.