The Times I Wrote for Free
July 8, 2008 by Deb Ng
Filed under Freelance Writing
by Deborah Ng
Whether or not to write for free has been coming up a lot lately. I generally don’t agree with writing for free, though different writers have different experiences and reasons for doing this. There were a couple of times I did write without charging my client.
The Times I Wrote for Free
The first time was after writing copy for a brochure for a Habitat for Humanity event. The event sponsors had every intention of paying me but after writing about all the people and businesses who donated their time for such a worthy cause, I couldn’t in good conscience accept. Besides, the referrals from this type of gig are worth their weight in gold.
I was also the president of a local women’s organization and wrote up a lot of our promotional information, and newsletters. It was a benefit to me because I hobnobbed with many representatives for local businesses and this was, in essence, a sample of my writing. I landed quite a few gigs this way.
What’s in it For You?
If you’re thinking about pursuing a non-paying opportunity, ask yourself what’s in it for you. Is the exposure from some obscure website (only visited by the webmasters family) going to benefit you? Probably not. Will writing for a well-known charity benefit you? Maybe, Maybe not, but at least you’re doing something to help others. Plus, the charitable stuff looks great on your resume and makes an impressive sample.
It’s not selfish to wonder what you get out of the deal. If you’re going to write at no cost be sure the opportunity will land you more opportunities or add a tasty item to your portfoilo. Joe Random Website Owner isn’t going to do anything for your career. Always ask what’s in it for you.
Good post. My first press release and business proposal were items that I completed for free for a charity that aimed to empower young women. The organization was grateful for the donated time – and the experience gained from this work led to other paying jobs. A win-win for everyone.
I do the monthly sixteen page newsletter for my church for free. When I started nearly two and a half years ago, I had only ever written fiction and essays. Once I knew I could meet the monthly deadline and make people happy with the newsletter, I began to look for other ways I could use my writing skills in a larger community.
I still do the newsletter every month. It’s the only thing I write for free. I’m okay giving my services to them because I love my congregation and I’m proud that I can be one of the “active” people who really helps out. So I guess this fits in with that volunteer spirit. For everything else, I look at my writing as a business and expect to get paid. : )
I think it’s okay to write for free at the beginning, at least to put yourself out there so you’re not feeling around in the dark with no experience, no portfolio, no anything, expecting someone to pay you on a hope and a prayer. I’m a professional musician, and some gigs early on you did for free for the expose and the experience.
@ Melody — That’s terrific that you are using your God-given talents to help your church. I truly believe everyone on Earth has an inherent talent, and the fact that you’ve discovered and developed yours and are using it for a higher power is awesome.
@ Deb — I also think writing for free is acceptable under a few key conditions — establishing one’s self at the very beginning, and charity and Nonprofit work.
The critical factor for new writers is to not just randomly accept an assignment, but to carefully evaluate it and look at it from a long-term perspective and see if it’s something that will further your writing career.
My only write-for-free gig was writing for a local business association, which gave me contributor copies for my portfolio as well as later put my work on the internet which was HUGE in advancing my career.
Getting your work published via the internet gives you a much-coveted online sample, so dissemination of samples is far easier than sending out hard copies to potential hirers.
I’d definitely tell new writers who are evaluating whether to write for free to use that as a criteria. A finished online product (along with making sure you get a byline) are two of the best ways to take your writing career to the next level — PAY!
I always have a finger in at least one non-profit organization, and since writing’s my trade and passion, that’s what I offer them. Obviously, which org I choose is up to me, and I do it for the satisfaction of being able to help out a cause I believe in. That, and I meet lots of interesting people and am introduced to new and news-worthy issues, all of which make for excellent magazine query fodder! I’ve gotten many story ideas from my volunteer work, and getting interviews is a snap!
As fas as “working” for free goes, exposure or no, I simply won’t do it.
One good reason I’ve seen some people write for free is to test a new type of work. For example, I knew a guy who specialized in article writing, and he was looking to get into doing sales letters for shareware products. Of course he had no experience with them, so not only would no one hire him without a sample, but he wasn’t even sure if he could perform it. His solution was to find a smaller, promising looking site and offer to write one for them for free. As many would they eagerly agreed, he got a nice sample, and most importantly he saw that he could do it.
Last time I talked to him, these days he’s only writing sales copy for a variety of websites and businesses where he lives.
@Amanda, I’m the same with non-profits. It’s the natural thing I can offer, so it’s always what I say I’ll work on. I’ve done everything from flyers to brochures for organizations. I usually don’t think of it in the context of “writing for free” the way we hear and talk about all the time, however. It’s just my contribution to the causes about which I’m passionate. When our food pantry has a massive shortage of money and food, I could hardly live with myself for saying, “yeah, I’ll do that flyer for $50. If small children go hungry, that’s the price they pay for their parents not having more money.”
As for free writing for non-charity companies, I won’t do it. I’ve had local people ask me to work with them and then get shocked when I start talking about pay. Just because I know you doesn’t mean I’m doing you a favor, people. I’ve also gotten tired of the “writing for ad revenue” game. I know money can be made and probably would if I focused more, but it just seems like pennies trickling in from various places isn’t going to cut it.