In a previous post, I cautioned unpublished writers about magazine markets that don’t pay. I stand by my statements: I think that magazine publishers should pay writers something for their work, even if it’s a token amount. Why? Because professionals should be paid for their services. In what other field are people routinely expected to donate their services to help someone else get his/her business off the ground?

However, I’m not saying writers should never write for free. I just think they should do it when the benefits outweigh the costs (time and effort) and when the working conditions are not one-sided in favor of the publisher. For some people, the benefits have nothing to do with business: they write for publications that support causes near and dear to their hearts or that cover topics about which they’re passionate. Altruism is a good thing.

But if your goal is to earn money as a writer and you have not yet signed your first contract, how do you know if writing for free would help your career? Unless you have a crystal ball, you won’t know for sure. But the following three questions can help you evaluate the costs/benefits of writing for free.

Question #1: What else can the publisher offer if they can’t give you cold, hard cash?

Examples include:

• Large readership: How many readers will see your work?
• Prestige: Is the publication (or editor/publisher) highly regarded in its field? Will another editor to whom you show the clip respect the publication?
• Networking: What other industry connections does the publisher have that might lead to additional, paid work for you?
• Longevity: Does the publication seem well managed and financed on the business end? It can be hard for a writer to find out, but it’s important to try. A byline in a flash-in-the-pan publication has very limited value.
• Affiliation with new market or medium: Is the publication doing something original or breaking new ground in some noteworthy way?

Question #2: Will writing for the publication help you reach at least one of your professional goals?

Here’s an example: In 2008, I’m going to use my blog as a marketing tool, a place to showcase my writing style and areas of interest and knowledge. Specifically, I want to establish a writing portfolio in the children’s literature arena (including comic books and graphic novels). This is a new market for me, so I want to get my work in front of a large audience as quickly as possible, while also garnering attention for my blog.

Sadly, I haven’t yet spent the time required to build my own blog audience. How can I jump-start that process? By aligning myself with a well-known, reputable publisher of online content who allows me to link back to my blog. Enter Blogcritics (BC). I’ve been an occasional contributor to BC for a few years. I haven’t posted there very often, but when I do, I do it for no pay like all the other BC writers. And here’s why.

• Instant audience: BC has over 100,000 readers each day. That’s a lot of potential eyeballs on my articles. My blog gets so few readers right now that I don’t even bother to check my stats. Plus, each BC article includes a brief bio and link to my blog so that readers can click over to my blog if they’re interested. So publishing on BC automatically makes my work available to many more potential readers than I can generate on my own.
• Potential paying gigs: The BC owners/publishers have connections in several industries: music, books/magazines, movies, gaming, blogging, PR, and others. Sometimes those connections have turned into paid writing or editing gigs for BC writers, including me. A couple of years ago, BC founder and publisher Eric Olsen forwarded a freelance writing opportunity to the BC writers mailing list. I picked up that gig, and it turned into a two-year stint as the founding editor of a publication in the college market (Student Health 101). Obviously, blogging doesn’t lead to editing jobs every day, but it does happen.
• Access to other markets: BC selects several articles each week to be syndicated with Advance Internet, which makes those pieces available on sites like Boston.com, NJ.com, and others across the U.S. More potential readers who would otherwise never know my article existed. A couple of weeks ago I published a review of a graphic novel on BC — after not having posted there for about a year– and the books editor selected it for Advance.net syndication.
• Free schtuff: BC writers can receive free review materials (CDs, books, concerts, etc.). That’s a great benefit, but dollar-for-dollar, free stuff alone wouldn’t be enough for me.
• Industry connections: After reviewing a CD, book, concert performance, game, movie, or whatever, BC writers send the publisher a link to the review. Publishers (or PR reps) get to know your name and value your work, and sometimes they start sending you stuff to review that you haven’t even requested. But again, it’s not about the stuff; it’s about building relationships with people in the industry.
• BC is fast: I can write about almost anything I want, whenever I want, without going through the querying process. I just write my post, sign in, and submit the article. An editor at BC publishes it within a few hours. Instant gratification!
• Doesn’t cost me a thing: I’m cross-posting content I am already planning to ‘give away’ for free on my own site.

Every piece that appears on BC also appears on my blog. I was already going to give that content away; with BC, I just give it away to a much, much larger audience. Plus, BC asks only that they get to publish the piece before it goes live on my blog. A one- or two-minute delay is sufficient to give them the Google juice they need as the first publisher of the content. A magazine article typically gets published several months after you submit it, although online markets are usually faster. And if the magazine purchased first N.A. serial rights, you have to wait until that issue hits the stands before anyone else — including you — can publish it elsewhere. With BC, I submit a post and within hours it’s published on the site. As soon as it’s live, I’m free to publish it to my own site as well or pitch it to other markets — while retaining all rights.

Question #3: Will the published article give you credibility or establish you as an expert in a particular field?

Example: A few years ago while I was still working as an instructional designer, I wrote three articles as professional contributions (a euphemism for “we don’t pay, but it looks good on your resume”) to the online training industry’s leading publication. The online magazine was published by ASTD, an organization with over 70,000 members, and whose publications are very highly regarded in the industry. Each piece sat on their front page for a couple of weeks, giving them excellent exposure. One of the pieces has been quoted in several other articles, professional presentations, and blog posts related to the topic. And six years later, I still occasionally get email from readers who have questions about my topics.

Clearly, those articles helped position me as a credible, knowledgeable professional in a field in which I was still actively engaged. Plus, when the tip for the freelance writing gig showed up on the BC mailing list a couple of years ago, guess which articles I pointed the publisher to? Those three pieces, written for no pay, were absolutely pivotal in helping me land the freelance writing gig that eventually turned into a two-year salaried job as an editor.

If You’re Going to Write for Free, Know Why You’re Doing It

Obviously, nobody can tell another writer when it’s worth it to work for free in a particular market or under particular circumstances. Each of us has to decide for ourselves if the benefits outweigh the costs. As long as you’ve evaluated the nonpaying market and know why you’re writing for it — whether for a clip, for entry in a new market, for professional recognition, for a donation of your time to a worthy cause, or just even for fun — then you’ll know whether the benefits outweigh the costs for you.

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Related posts:
Breaking in as a Freelance Writer: Have Confidence
How to Handle Publishers Who Don’t Want to Pay Writers

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