I don’t think any issue in the freelance writing world gets people angrier than this one. With so many people out there launching new magazines, websites, blogs and e-zines, there is no shortage of folks looking for the written word but who aren’t able or willing to pay for it. And the ones who offer mere pennies for an article aren’t much better.

The rants are long, heated and usually have the same thing to say each time. Something along the lines that writers are professionals and we should be treated as such. Nobody else works for free, so why do people expect us too?

I just have to say that some people need to get off their soapboxes and stop complaining about it. There is a time and place for all levels of professional writing, including writing for free.

The idea that “nobody else does it” is just silly. People in all kinds of trades and businesses do work for free, as barter or for reduced fees. Whether they are newly trained and trying to drum up some business or word-of-mouth referrals, or simply because they like a cause or organization and wish to donate their services. It is NOT something unique to the writing world. Far from it. The whole concept of “unpaid intern” exists all through the business world, as a way for people to gain training and experience.

Why would a person write for free? Well, lots of reasons. It’s an opportunity to gain some writing experience and to have someone else read/edit/critique your work. It can give you a chance to have your work posted someplace, and thereby giving you the ability to direct future employers-to-be to see your existing work. If nothing else, it can give a novice writer the sense of accomplishment and pride needed in order to face the next rejection slip.

Though many new startups talk about “giving you exposure”, I wouldn’t write for free just on that account. If a website is so small that they can’t afford to pay you, then they aren’t likely going to have enough draw to really expose you to anyone. If a website is really large and popular, then you will get exposure for being published there. But then you have to wonder why they can’t afford to pay you.

Writing for nothing is not going to get much attention from a seasoned professional who normally works for $40/hour, but it can be worthwhile for the newcomer. Personally, I write for various pay-levels, including a couple places that only pay me based on pennies of shared revenue. In more than one instance, I have been able to get a paying gig because I had a few other related projects under my belt. The new employer didn’t have to know that I was doing earlier work for free. They only saw that I had experience writing online, and that’s all that mattered.

No, it’s not ideal and yes, many people try to take advantage of desperate writers. But to say that there is NO place for free/cheap work is far too broad a generalization.

So go ahead and take a few cheapo jobs. There can be a time and place for it.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 8th, 2007 at 2:49 pm and is filed under Online Writing 101. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.