This morning a fellow LinkedIn Group member sent me an e-mail. He complimented my writing style and said he'd love for me to write the copy for his new fashion-related website. My first thought: 'Hells Yeah!'
With my freelance career I've slowly been trying to make the transition from a strict business writer to a fashion and lifestyle writer. It's no easy task since journalism is usually a niche profession (more on that later this week). But I've been working on my own fashion blog, started blogging for a lifestyle/fashion blog out of Australia, and been doing several one-time articles for various pubs/blogs/sites. So, obviously my initial reaction was 'Finally someone recognizes my writing talent in this area.' Well... that was until I read the next line...
This potential client went on to say that because it was a start-up company they would be unable to compensate me in anyway for my work. Once the business was financially viable they might be able to pay me for future work. *bubble BURST* At this point my sunny, excited disposition swiftly turned into annoyance and anger.
What is it about freelance that makes people think you have the opportunity and desire to work for free? I'm no longer at the start of my career, when I might have tripped over myself to get an opportunity like this, regardless of compensation. I don't need a couple great clips to pad my portfolio. And I'm not naive enough to believe the experience from this writing gig will be more valuable than any monetary compensation.
I'm a professional. I work hard. I write well. And I rely completely on the money I make from writing to pay the bills. You wouldn't walk into the Gap and say to the manager 'give me these Long and Lean jeans for free. It'll be great exposure for your brand and really worth it in the long run.' The manager would kick you out of the store and not entertain your request for even a split second. (incidentally Long and Lean jeans from Gap are some of my all-time fav denim styles)
In this man's defense, I don't think he wrote me with any ill will. He probably honestly thought this would be a great opportunity and something a writing professional would jump at. So, instead of delete his e-mail without a response I wrote him back and kindly explained that I am unable to take non-paying gigs at this point in time. I offered to write if he could come up with some kind of payment in exchange.
Showing posts with label writing for free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing for free. Show all posts
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Friday, May 22, 2009
Helium is a Training Ground - Nothing More
Oh course I’ve been following the Helium debate on Word Count. It started yesterday when Tim Beyers posted an article against freelancers using content aggregators to post their work. Then Barbara Whitlock, a member outreach manager, refuted his points and lauded the benefits of Helium. All the discussion has got me thinking about Helium and my use of the site.
When I was first starting out as a freelancer, I started writing articles for Helium. I posted about 16 articles over a couple months. But once I lined up real freelancing gigs I stopped visiting the site and posting articles to it. I can’t imagine utilizing the site now, but at its time it was great. Starting freelancers might want to consider this as a training ground - but be careful not to spend too much time ‘training’ instead of seeking out paying gigs. Because even if Helium tells you it pays, the amount you’ll make is less than one well-lined up article.
What I got out of Helium:
Writing practice. I’d been out of the ‘official’ writing arena for nearly two years when I decided freelancing was the way to go. While I never stopped writing short stories and an occasional article, I hadn’t been writing in the journalistic style in a while.
Writing confidence. You do get feedback from your posts. Some times people write you after reading an article with comments, suggestions, etc... Plus to watch your article rise in the rankings is exciting.
Marketing tips. To see any income from Helium you need to be a huge self-promoter of your work. Write and article and seconds late you should be jumping on digg, del.i.cious, reddit, etc... and posting the article. The more you do that, the more pennies you’ll see. While the money is low, it does teach you how to promote your work - a helpful skill when it comes to keeping your blog, freelancing articles and working to get your name out there.
Pride in your work. With sites like Helium you are forced to rate other articles. As an editor first and a writer second, I was appalled at the number of poorly written articles. Even more shocking was the number of articles written under a specific topic that do not deal specifically with the subject matter.
Realization of a passion. At the time I wrote for Helium the majority of my articles were penned in the fashion section. This is an area that I had never delved into before, but had always loved. I used a clip from Helium to land a guest blogging position at SparkleShelf and have since started my own humble attempt at a fashion blog.
When I was first starting out as a freelancer, I started writing articles for Helium. I posted about 16 articles over a couple months. But once I lined up real freelancing gigs I stopped visiting the site and posting articles to it. I can’t imagine utilizing the site now, but at its time it was great. Starting freelancers might want to consider this as a training ground - but be careful not to spend too much time ‘training’ instead of seeking out paying gigs. Because even if Helium tells you it pays, the amount you’ll make is less than one well-lined up article.
What I got out of Helium:
Writing practice. I’d been out of the ‘official’ writing arena for nearly two years when I decided freelancing was the way to go. While I never stopped writing short stories and an occasional article, I hadn’t been writing in the journalistic style in a while.
Writing confidence. You do get feedback from your posts. Some times people write you after reading an article with comments, suggestions, etc... Plus to watch your article rise in the rankings is exciting.
Marketing tips. To see any income from Helium you need to be a huge self-promoter of your work. Write and article and seconds late you should be jumping on digg, del.i.cious, reddit, etc... and posting the article. The more you do that, the more pennies you’ll see. While the money is low, it does teach you how to promote your work - a helpful skill when it comes to keeping your blog, freelancing articles and working to get your name out there.
Pride in your work. With sites like Helium you are forced to rate other articles. As an editor first and a writer second, I was appalled at the number of poorly written articles. Even more shocking was the number of articles written under a specific topic that do not deal specifically with the subject matter.
Realization of a passion. At the time I wrote for Helium the majority of my articles were penned in the fashion section. This is an area that I had never delved into before, but had always loved. I used a clip from Helium to land a guest blogging position at SparkleShelf and have since started my own humble attempt at a fashion blog.
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