I’m glad to hear some others verify my sense that working for free for the opportunity to be considered is neither a good business proposition nor a reasonable use of my time, in most cases.
Kristen Hicks´s last [type] ..Thank You, Steve Jobs

If we do not place a value on our services — why should a potential client?
Jim Osterman´s last [type] ..It’s Hard Out There for a Word Pimp

I’ve heard the plumber, roofer, contractor argument before. But it doesn’t work. It would be like the roofer doing the work and then having another roofer go in to make the work better. How much work did that second roofer do? You’ll never know.

So yes, you may have made a living not writing on spec, but consider that editors are also very busy and don’t have time to imagine how much editing it took to get your piece ready for publication.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by DebNg: Free Samples and Writing on Spec: Should You? http://bit.ly/9s0LoQ...

Her reply?

“Thanks for the lengthy reply, but it sounds like you’re overqualified for the work we’re looking to do. We employ over 50 writers on a freelance basis, and you’re the first one who has ever asked for a contract or refused to write a (paid) sample. We do appreciate your initial interest, good luck with your writing.”

I almost choked on my drink at the “overqualified” and “first writer who has ever asked for a contract or refused to write a sample”.

Any company who refuses to sign a contract is flat-out looking to scam. Contracts protect BOTH parties. Anyone who refuses to sign one is nowhere near professional.
.-= T.W. Anderson´s last blog ..Content Writing Experiment Conclusion =-.

There are two reasons a client would ask for free work. 1. They don’t want to pay you anyway. 2. They have no clue what good writing is, which is why they can’t make a decision based on your samples.

You don’t want these clients. Tell them no. If they keep asking, tell them hell no. Every writer who writes for free hurts every other writer by setting unrealistic expectations and creating an unprofessional image.

Ask yourself: What other professional (doctor, lawyer, accountant) would work for nothing?

The more of us who refuse to provide “samples”, the less likely people are to think it’s acceptable to ask for them.

This past week, I responded to a freelance opportunity, and even after seeing my heavily stocked portfolio (with very well respected clients) and a resume with years of experience, they demanded I write them a sample. I figured the company was legit, but politely and diplomatically explained that my portfolio and resume should suffice. The lady became incredibly rude and demanding. Needless to say, if my past doesn’t make someone confident in my skills and ability, then I’m not interested in working with them.

Someone places just don’t seem to get the consequences of providing custom “samples”.

I do not work on spec. Ever. I have a resume. It’s there for a reason. Asking someone to work on spec is asking them to work for free. It’s not only unethical, it’s unprofessional, and it means you didn’t take the time to read their resume, not to mention take the time to call and verify their credentials.

If a potential client cannot take the time to verify my credentials, they are not worth my time to work for. I take pride in my work. When someone asks for my resume, I fully expect them to verify the information on it is accurate. I will not work for free. Period.

I haven’t written any sample articles in order to score a gig for a while, but the last time I did it, I tried something new. I published the articles on pages of a WP blog set up on a subdomain of my site. I installed a WP plug-in that prevents copying/pasting and activated it. The potential client could see and read the work, but if they were out to nab freebies, they’d be forced to retype the suckers by hand. Not a foolproof defense, but most freebie-seeking thieves aren’t really interested in doing that much work. I figured that if they didn’t want ‘em or didn’t like ‘em, I’d just sell them elsewhere or otherwise re-purpose them.
.-= Carson Brackney´s last blog ..The Lawrence of Arabia Guide to Online Freelance Writing Success =-.

But if someone emails me out of the blue and I am not familiar with their site — I won’t agree. One asked me for title / topic ideas — that I can handle. Some of us have a big enough portfolio that referring them to the right kind of articles should be enough.
.-= Meryl K Evans´s last blog ..Top 25 Books for Writers and Writing-related Topics =-.

I think that if you are in discussion with the client and you have provided a portfolio with samples and clips for them to consider, that really should be enough.

If they have all this information and still insist on a spec, perhaps you need to look at your portfolio/resume again and make sure you are presenting the right information and a good variety of exemplary samples.
.-= AuroraGG´s last blog ..A Guide to Storage Networking =-.

After that, I told myself I wouldn’t submit freebies again, but when a gaming website I applied for emailed me asking for two samples, I agreed. This particular website has been around for a long time and is well-known among gaming journalists, so I feel that this time taking a chance writing samples has a very good chance of turning into a paying gig.

I guess it all depends on who’s asking for the samples and how much you trust them.
.-= Stefanie´s last blog ..Return to Rapture! =-.