The important thing to remember when deciding whether or not to write for free is that the writer should always receive something for their writing, and that something doesn’t always have to be cash or check. A writer can write to get clips, or to break into a new genre or to promote a book or to have their story told. A free column in the local paper might give you the deadline you needed to motivate you to write. All of these are benefits, or payments, for the writer.
You need to take your experiences and go that next step and stretch your horizons. Once you gain something, move on.
For example, I started writing for newspapers. I have a very solid background writing for newspapers. I felt very comfortable writing nonbiased articles after interviewing experts about topics that had nothing to do with me. Then I decided to freelance. I started researching the markets.
All of the articles I read in the magazines I wanted to pitch started out saying, “I was” or “My daughter and I.” But “I” is the forbidden pronoun in journalism! Could I do this? Could I make the switch? Well, I found an online market and I sent a query. It was accepted within 15 minutes.
I interviewed about eight people for the article including several long-distance phone interviews to experts. When I was done, I turned in a 1500-word article that I had probably put eight hours or more into. I proudly cashed my check for $25. And I never wrote a researched article for $25 again.
I needed that chance to build up my confidence. To let myself know, that yes, I can write an article with experts and include the personal pronoun. Once the article was written, and accepted, I’d learned my lesson. I moved onto better paying markets. You can too!
