BellaOnline Forums Career Nonfiction Writing Should Writers Write for FREE?

That's very intersting, I know many editors and none of them would judge a writer as 'bad' just because they'd written for free in the past! We all have things we've done in the past, from working at McDonalds to working for free for charities. That doesn't have any bearing at all on the quality of output we can do *now*. The editors care about the sample of work you can provide them that match their needs, and if your work is good enough quality, they will take you on. They don't care what you've been paid or not been paid for past work ...

Maybe all the editors I know are flukes? What field are the editors in, that would put a black mark on your submission because of a 'payment type' issue on a *previous* work?

what avenues are there for someone who wants to get started writing primarily online (for payment ofcourse) I would write for free but there would be bite marks in my pencil...I mean its not neccesarily evil but would consider it a fate worse than plagerism

Ever do a search on your previous posts and compile them onto one page? Not only is it enough to fill a book, it is similar to a journal in that it follows from day to day...I never have written a journal but it is interesting to reread how your thought process developed and changed along the way.

Whats controversial to me is and I am not familiar with any consensus on the matter, is whether or not a peice is valued more by word count or by message, one specific idea, entertainment value, inspiration, what sells...and so on.

I think if a writer who is just starting out and wants to write for free in order to get clips then that's a great idea. I know many other writers that feel new writers shouldn't do that but how would anyone start out if they can't get a paying gig unless they offer to show what they can do for free.

Just my 2 cents.

Victoria

I can see both sides--

Writers that write for free don't help those trying to get paid...

And writing for free is sometimes the only way to gain clips.

Personally, I will write for free for two purposes, well, make that three. Okay, four...

1) To get clips that will help me break into a specific market.
2) To get my name more recognition or to help in marketing my work.
3)To get free books. I love to read so much it's costing me a mint to support my habit. So in exchange for free books, I write book reviews. This also will help me accomplish #1-- to break into the paying book reveiw market.
4)For sheer pleasure, I often write things that spark my writing passion, and monetary value is insignificant.

But, that's just me
~k

I think each situation is different and must be looked at individually. I also think it's important to make sure you are not being taken advantage of. What I mean by that is to check to make sure that a publication isn't paying their other writers and asking you to write for free. Even if you are a new writer your words have value. Someone is making money off your words so you should be benefiting from them. Don't take for granted that you will get lots of recognition from a particular site because you write a free article for them. They may not get the traffic you think or they say they do. Research, research, research or your free article may be sitting on a website somewhere with no traffic.

I'm new btw and have read the posts here with great interest for a while and was prompted to join this discussion as it is a subject close to my heart, so here goes!
Someone said that they wrote what 'sparked' them and I so agree, I don't know if anyone else feels the same but sometimes when The Muse comes knocking on my door I would find it hard to turn him (my Muse is male btw!)away. But there are also some very wise words here about not being taken for granted, there must be a fine line between doing what floats ones boat and making a rich man of the public and a poor one of yourself.
I hope this was not an overly long post for my first, but I do tend to veer towards the verbose.

Regards

Dante xx

Hello To All:

I'm a writer just starting out. I feel that in order to get reconization for writing, writing for free is a good way to get noticed.

I write to inform others of opportunities. I also write because I have my own ezine and got tired of publishing everyone elses articles so I decided to give my subscribers my knowledge and expereince in my own words.

I apologize to those writers who feel that we make it hard for them to get paid.

I would like to know how did you get started writing? You had to submit your manual script to someone by way of free resources.

After all you print up manuals and send them to publishers hoping to get your material published.

I also like to write to help others.

As a fulltime writer and editor who pays all the bills through writing, I have to say... no. In general, I do not write without pay. Just as a carpenter would not build a house without pay, an office manager would not manage without pay, a bricklayer would not lay bricks without pay, a plumber would not "plumb" without pay! It becomes a matter of self respect. It is too easy to set aside the creative arts as seemingly unnecessary for survival. Yet man and woman do not live by bread alone. We are not just body, we are also mind and spirit... we need art. What I do is my profession. It is worth the pay I receive for it.

But you will note I said here--"in general." While I pay my mortgage and buy my groceries and keep my electricity on via the words I write, I also pursue writing in my personal time. I write stories, poetry, novels. And yes, especially when it comes to poetry, I do submit my work to various literary publications and ezines pro bono, perhaps for only a free copy of the publication in pay. There is something to be said for simply "spreading the good word," for earning a reputation, for promoting one's name. As long as I don't make this a practice, I feel it can be justified.

As far as getting started in the business, I do not believe a long publishing history is necessary. Nor have I been asked to show "clips" when I submit or query for nonfiction work. I think the value of clips has been overrated. More important is a query that states your field of expertise, your experience in the area about which you intend to write. If you run a daycare center, for instance, you don't have to show clips of your previous work as much as you should describe your unique viewpoint and your expertise in the daycare business that would make you a credible writer on the subject.

Zee

I write for free - because I love writing.

I write non fiction and fiction - and even fanfiction! (get up off the floor now). All of it for free - because when I get inspired I just can't write, and when I've written something I want people to read it.

Mostly, none of my fiction works are long enough to be a book, so I just let it go.

I would like to get paid for my work, but feel that I have a long way to go before it is at the level of professionalism needed for that.

In Australia, you also have the problem that article writers just don't get a look in unless they are contracted by one of the print media groups - and even then they have to have either a background in journalism or be a "celebrity" of some sort.

Anyway, I love what I do. I've even just taken on the editorship of a Newsletter for my local SCA group - another outlet for my "free" writing skills!

I have written columns for an online women's ezine...for free. Heck, if you want to write what does it matter and being in print is being in print. A friend of mine asked me if her daughter could use me asa reference in her resume and put down that I was a writer...guess that looks better than Queen of Entropy...