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Three Safe
Ways to Write for Free When you decide to become a writer and begin researching potential markets, you frequently run into a catch-22 situation. "Show us your clips," they all say. How can you do that if no one gives you a chance? Maybe you’ve already published a few articles. Should you bother with writing for free? You know the saying, "It takes money to make money?" It applies because it does take up your time instead of money. It’ll help beginners create that first clip. Veteran writers can expand their markets. Writers have heated discussions about writing for free or much less than they command. Some say that bidding for jobs has helped them gain clients and work. Others say it unfairly undercuts their livelihood. Without nitpicking the details, I think these three ways to write for free will help your career without cheating anyone. Where to start? Essentially, you’re running your own business as a writer and all expenses are tax deductible, including work for charity. Contact non-profit organizations for writing opportunities. It’s win-win for everyone because you add clips to your portfolio and make a contribution to a good cause. The organization gets the benefit of your help and expertise. The only drawback is finding the time to do it outside of your "pays the bills" job and your personal activities. Another option is to write an article for a reputable Web site with high traffic. When they hear the word "free," they might be willing to take a chance on an unknown writer. In exchange, you can ask for a byline that lists your URL, email address, or e-whatever. If your article strikes a chord with someone, he may want contact you. Even if it doesn’t happen, you’ll have a real, live sample of your work out there. Guess what? I am marketing my work with this article. Whenever I publish an article with a popular online Web site, my own site http://www.meryl.net, experiences a traffic boost. You may go there when you finish this article. No, I am not a narcissist. I do the same thing when reading an interesting article or discussion and click on the author’s link(s) to see if there’s more good stuff to check out. Many places want articles and they don’t all pay or pay well. One way I got started was entering Webreference’s (http://www.webreference.com/new/submit.html) open publishing initiative. They accept articles in exchange free publicity for you. You can write your own bio and add links to your Web site. Thanks to Webreference, I got work with Internet Business Forum (http://www.ibizforum.com) and added another resource to my portfolio. Do you have a local newspaper? It doesn’t have to be the one with news, sports, and living sections. It can also be specialized newspapers that cover computers, family, and shopping. Contact the editors and see if you can work your way to a gig. Writing free can benefit a writer’s career when done right. If you’re not sure about a resource, ask around or join a writer’s mailing list for ideas. To recap, you’re safe when doing the following:
Get out there and get ‘em. Remember to keep track of the articles you write for free. Not only are they clips, but also they are considered expenses for your taxes. Now, pick up the yellow pages and find an organization you’d love to help.
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