I've seen a few that do offer a single-article fee, and that /might/ work -- except that the ones I've seen usually want a dollar or two which in my world is a

I've seen a few that do offer a single-article fee, and that /might/ work -- except that the ones I've seen usually want a dollar or two which in my world is a disproportionate ask for the value offered -- and I'm not even sure that the value I end up receiving will match the value offered/promised until after the fact. The risk/reward ratio is just all wrong. (I don't mean to imply that this is the case for your work.) I do agree that it's frequently used as an excuse, though.