Free Press
Posted by LMReviewsMay 14
Welcome back!
Many veteran freelance writers will tell you never write for free. That is excellent advice unless you are writing for yourself or you’re trying to break in with no clips to show prospective clients. If you are really that fresh, it may be necessary to write for free at least at first. I landed my very first freelance assignment more than ten years ago. I just didn’t know it at the time. I started out writing catalog copy for a medical supply company. They didn’t sell cotton balls or tongue depressors, they sold engraved coffee cups, pens, lumbar pillows (to target chiropractors) stationery, appointment reminder cards and the like. I was paid hourly but I was a vendor not an employee. I worked part-time while earning my English degree.
My next experiment with freelance writing involved an assignment I landed on a job bidding website. No, not the one you’re thinking…:) It was Rent-a-coder.com, and I landed a job writing how-to business articles. The client wanted me to write articles on how to start various businesses. In most cases he had a chunk of information and I just had to retool and polish it. Sometimes that meant cutting it or expanding it. I landed that gig without a freelance writing credit I could provide electronically. Sure I had the catalog copy writing experience, but it was in print and I didn’t have a scanner. So I quickly wrote an article on how to propose telecommuting to your employer and I provided a low bid due to my inexperience. “Due to my inexperience” is a loaded phrase because I ended up winning the bid to write ten articles for $30 with no regard to word count. A deal that was ridiculous for nearly ten years ago, but sadly rather common these days with writers competing for jobs around the globe.
He liked my work and offered to provide more opportunities at the same pay rate. I thanked him for the opportunity and moved on, because frankly, it’s about more than just landing a gig, it’s about claiming the value in all you do. Writing for free in certain circumstances feels like a good idea. At first, whether it is for publicity or landing that writing gig, it seems like fun brimming with anticipation but it quickly becomes monotonous and degrading.
Often prospective clients will ask for a free writing sample. Make your decision on a case by case basis. You can tell if the client is trying to narrow down an in-box full of prospective writers or if he/she is simply trying to get good content. If trial sample is short say, 200 words or less, and it won’t take heavy research or a long time to write, give it a whirl if you really want the gig. Otherwise, look for a client who can make a decision based on your fantastic clips.
Laura
Laura
I’d like to add this to the mix as well, a well-balanced package, including attitude and timing. I’ve seen it make the difference time and time again. In my case, I was a college student looking for work. I didn’t want to flip burgers but if that was what I ended up with, so be it. My plan for the job search was to start at the Town Square and work outwards. I was to enter every business and ask for work. The first was a drug store, next was a furniture store and the third was a newspaper. I asked to speak to the editor “You happen to have any job openings?” He asked me if I knew anything about cameras? I said no. He replied, good you got no bad habits you’re hired. At that point my attitude shifted from I could care less to a more professional one. He showed me how to work their camera and later that day how to process film and print photos. He also showed me how to write news stories. He told me he had just bought the paper and while he needed a good reporter and photographer. He needed someone with drive and get up and go, a can do attitude. He needed someone to go the extra mile to get the story. It turns out I was a natural for the job. The writing and especially the photography came very easily to me. I enjoyed the job so much that I changed my major from biology to journalism. I actually learned how to do almost every job at the paper. Several times experienced reporters, with impressive portfolios came in to apply for a job. He always told them that he had a great reporter on staff and if something changed he’d call them. He confided in me that while they were more than qualified, I had a good attitude and something they couldn’t teach. I had a way to get people to open up to me and I had the ability to turn an average story into something more. I made the people believe I actually cared about them. Two years later the paper was sold and I was out of college. I ended up going to a school of photography in Dallas. After graduation, a small local paper hired me. This time I had clippings, experience, education, and attitude working for me.
Much later in life I was working my way across the South. I was eating at café close to the Alabama Georgia state line, reading an Atlanta paper. I saw a listing for a company looking for photographers. I called and told them it would be late when I got there. They said come on. Before I went to the interview room I got a room and took a quick shower, shaved, and put on a suit. I got to the conference room five minutes before they were to leave. I walked in with my small portrait portfolio and a positive attitude. I showed them my portfolio and was told they had two positions open. It required someone who could sell as well as shoot. One of the three interviewers asks me if I could sell. I reached in my pocket for my silver Combined Insurance Co. pocket formula coin. FYI bronze coins were given out after completion of their training, silver was given to those who have reached a certain level of sales. I tossed the coin to the man. He looked at it and asked how long. I said two years. He turned to a man, who turned out to be the owner of the company, and said. “Sir we need to, no we must hire this man.” The owner asked why, out of all the other applications should we hire this man on the spot? He hasn’t even filled out an application. The first one held up the coin and said. “This coin says he is a proven salesperson, I’d stake my job on it.” The owner replied, OK, if you feel so strong about this man, he’s hired and you’re job is on the line as well.” The first man returns my coin and gives me a packet of information and tells me to fill it out and bring it to the address on the envelope by ten AM in the morning and be ready to go on a ten day training show by two PM. The results of my first show was, I outsold the trainer ten to one. I also collected more total prepaid photo packages that the trainer. The only thing he taught me was how to fill out the paperwork. I came up with my own sales pitch and it worked. After five shows I was promoted to junior sales trainer. I left the company after a couple of years because they refused to transfer me to the photo division. They said I was too valuable as a salesman. The point is, it’s not just one thing but the total package you present to people that gets you in the door or back out on the street.
G W Pickle
What a great experience. I must admit I’ve never seen myself as an especially positive person but I definitely believe the majority of the breaks I’ve received had everything to do with timing. I left my temp job in late March to go on vacation for nearly three weeks. Truth be told, I had out of town visitors for a week, needed a week to prepare for a vacation back east and then the week vacation itself.
In this economic climate everyone thought I was crazy. The company I tempted for even wanted me to check back with them when I returned to see if they could re-instate my temp position with their company. All I knew is that I would come back in mid April to look for work again and possibly call the temp agencies for new opportunities.
For some reason when I returned, I continued to look for writing gigs on my own but didn’t call the temp agency for help. About 10 days after I came home, I came across a local business looking for a freelance writer on craigs list. I called the number but they had already closed for the evening. I left a message and they called me the next morning. I was asked to come in that day for an interview. I was the first of about 12 people interviewed and they took down the ad the same day I interviewed. With at least a dozen people being interviewed after me, I was sure there was no way they’d remember me.
It was a Wednesday and they told me they’d make a decision by late Friday. Well, Friday came and went but on Saturday afternoon, they called to offer me the job and asked if I could start Monday.
I’ve been working for them for three weeks now and I am learning so much. I also discovered the company I was temping for has layed off another two dozen people.
I really believe a lot of it has to do with timing and instincts and being willing to take risks.