Write Now, Get Paid Later… Maybe
As I meander through who knows how many posting about writing and editing jobs, I sometime spot a trend.
Recently I’ve seen a number of ads saying, roughly:
- We need content for our website.
- We want to pay you, but… not until we’ve published several of your articles.
- After we’ve published several of your articles, we’ll promote you and pay you for subsequent articles.
I suppose, if I asked and I haven’t, the advertiser would say something like “it’s only reasonable that we test to see if a writer can do a good job.” They might even refer to the practice of print magazine accepting an article “on spec.”
It’s not the same thing. A magazine doesn’t publish an on spec article; they review it and if they like it agree to pay. On the other hand, the website who wants to “test” gets full use of the unpaid content during the trial period. And there’s no guarantee that they won’t decide they don’t like your work and move on to another test writer.
That’s why I don’t post these ads… but I may be wrong. Have any of you had a positive experience with these kinds of offers?
Write well and often,
Subscribe to Abundant Writing News
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Freelance Writing Jobs, General Freelance Writing
4 opinions for Write Now, Get Paid Later… Maybe
C. Lomax
May 9, 2007 at 11:16 am
Anne:
To any writers thinking about working on spec, I say: DON’T DO IT! EVER! You wouldn’t work at a regular job “on spec” to see if they like you and you like them. If you do the work, they have to pay you. Period. (The only possible exception to this might be a volunteer position but then, you and the organization usually receive other, nonmonetary benefits.) You, the writer, receive no benefits from working on spec and take on all of the risk. You do all the work for free and your work can still be stolen and used for profit by these unethical dirtbags. Even temporary workers and other contractors still get paid for the work that they do whether it’s good, bad, or otherwise.
Too many writers are insecure about their work and think this is a way to get some experience but by doing this, it marks them as someone who’ll work for free and it undermines the rest of us trying to make a decent living. Our U.S. workforce has enough problems with jobs being outsourced overseas to cheap laborers.
NO SPEC WORK!! If we all stick together on this, these cheapskates will have to start paying and stop stealing!
For more information on spec work and copyright issues, check out the following Web sites:
http://www.no-spec.com/
http://www.nwu.org/nwu/
Sharon Hurley Hall
May 9, 2007 at 11:18 am
I see a lot of those ads, Anne - and I tend to avoid them. If I do work on spec, I make it clear that the copyright stays with me until it is paid for. If I’m going to write for free, then there are plenty of places to do it where I will benefit from the promotional opportunities.
Matt Keegan
May 9, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I avoid those ads. I think they are a bit nervy in that we don’t ask any other professional to do work for us with payment coming later pending some arbitrary results we are seeking.
“Hi Doc. Please help me as I have gout. If you successfully treat me, I will pay you. If not, then you will not get a cent from me.”
Sounds good, but that isn’t reality.
Meg
May 9, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I stay away from them too, as well as the “50% os revenue generated from ads on your article!” ones. I think my era of write-for-exposure is ending and the write-for-very-low-pay is beginning.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: