Comments on: Writing For Free: Is It Worth It?

By: Anil

Anil — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:30:57 +0000

I think that a blanket statement about sites that don’t pay taking advantage of people doesn’t acknowledge that (a) many people like to write as a hobby in their spare time and are happy to have their writing published on the net, and (b) many of the sites are run by people as a hobby in their spare time.
As far as I am aware, none of the people that have contributed to my site is looking to earn a living through writing. Most of them have their own blogs, travel-related or otherwise, and I include feeds from these alongside their articles. I don’t think this is exploiting them…if my site was making me a heap of money through advertising it would be a different matter.
I understand the concerns professional writers have about being undermined, but I think we need to make a distinction between people looking to earn a living from writing, and the many extremely competent ‘amateur’ writers out there who simply want their writing to be read by as many people as possible.

By: geelongbusiness.net » Blog Archive » Writer Wanted: Vagablogging.net

geelongbusiness.net » Blog Archive » Writer Wanted: Vagablogging.net — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:11:29 +0000

[...] more on the pros and cons of writing for free, you can check out this post I wrote at yet another excellent travel blog, [...]

By: Writer Wanted: Vagablogging.net

Writer Wanted: Vagablogging.net — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:37:47 +0000

[...] more on the pros and cons of writing for free, you can check out this post I wrote at yet another excellent travel blog, [...]

By: James The Professional Adventurer

James The Professional Adventurer — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:45:33 +0000

I think the owners of travel blogs that do not pay their writers are taking advantage of people. They should at least pay 20 bucks

By: Will

Will — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:04:00 +0000

So…when you say free, you mean for no monetary compensation.

Every writing gig you take though, you expect some sort of…payment, whether in the form of money or exposure or hell, even something as simple as emotional satisfaction. My answer to the question…Well, mom was right. You’ll only get out of something what you put in to it.

By: Nomadic Matt

Nomadic Matt — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:09:51 +0000

You’re right Eva, it is a small community because I see you and Amanda EVERYWHERE I go!

By: M.J.

M.J. — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:07:12 +0000

Eva, great article! It has lots of good advice for writers. I especially like your section about exploitation.

Unfortunately, I can say there are scabs in the industry. I know of one case where a so-called web publishing company fired a good portion of its writing staff and used cheap content instead.

I doubt this is the case with most companies but it certainly made me re-think my ethics as a writer. If I’m submitting my writing to websites like Ezines or Helium, I have no control over who is using my content and how.

Another reason not to work for free: If you want to join a freelance writers association (which is great for networking and finding gigs), you’ll need to prove you’ve been paid for your work.

By: Hal

Hal — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:05:48 +0000

Great insights, Eva. I’m certainly no expert, but I’d say exposure alone is justification for unpaid work. If you’ve got talent and put it out there often enough, it’s bound to lead to something more.

By: Amanda Kendle

Amanda Kendle — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:53:50 +0000

I agree with pretty much everything you say, Eva, and personally I never write for free and I never have. But I have definitely written for very little when the potential benefits were there … and I hate negotiating about money so I’m still probably worth more than I charge

By: Cass

Cass — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:18:47 +0000

Thanks for such a great article! As a writer, you could say I’m just starting out, but this article was great in highlighting some great ideas and ways to get started, and where it could lead!