Guest Post by Elizabeth Hanes: Why I Don’t Write “Free Samples” – and You Shouldn’t, Either
Note from Jennifer: Beth Hanes, one of my co-panelists at Content Marketing World last week, is our guest blogger today.
On September 7 I had the pleasure of serving on a panel discussion sponsored by the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) at Content Marketing World with Jennifer Goforth Gregory. Along with Howard Baldwin and moderator Sherry Paprocki, we spoke at length about how clients can find and retain top-notch freelance writers.
In covering a point about how clients can vet prospective writers, I said, “A good way not to evaluate a writer is to ask for a free sample before you hire them. I mean, you wouldn’t say to a plumber, ‘I need you to unclog my drain for free this time to prove you can do it, and then I’ll pay you for future drain uncloggings.’” Just saying that aloud made people laugh because it’s such an absurd idea. Yet prospective clients ask for free samples all the time. I don’t do it, and here’s why you shouldn’t, either.
1. Because you can’t afford to write for free
As a freelance writer, your time is money. You can’t afford to give away your valuable time.
I estimate I receive an average of five emails a week from prospective clients. If I invested five hours in a free sample project for each one of them, a large chunk of my available writing (earning) time would be exhausted. The math just doesn’t work.
2. Because you’re a professional content writer, not a hobbyist
I love to cook. Seriously, I absolutely love developing my own recipes and all the peeling, chopping and sauteeing that go along with the endeavor. But if I carry a casserole to a friend’s party I don’t charge for it – because I’m merely a cooking hobbyist, not a professional caterer.
If you bill yourself as a professional content writer, then you need to act like a businessperson. That includes charging for your services under (nearly) all circumstances.
3. Because it could, in fact, be a scam
Sadly, the world of content creation is not immune to unsavory business practices. In the past, unscrupulous individuals and companies have solicited “trial projects” from sizeable groups of freelancers for the purpose of obtaining a large volume free content to launch their websites. Sure, this is unethical. But it couldn’t happen if writers refused to work for free.
4. What You Can Do Instead of Writing a Free Sample
So, the big question is: How do I respond if a prospective client asks me for a free sample?
First, set aside your feelings of insecurity. Banish that little voice in your head saying, “You shouldn’t pass up this opportunity because you really need the work!!” Internalize this maxim: A lack of work is never justification for undercharging.
Aside: If you want to transform your freelance content writing business, run out and buy Alan Weiss’ Million Dollar Consulting book and pay particular attention to Chapter Nine. (Unpaid plug.)
But to how you should respond to the prospective client who wants a freebie. Here are several useful strategies:
- Tell the client you’d love to work with them, and you recommend doing a small, PAID project together to begin with. This allows each of you to evaluate the other and be sure your work styles are simpatico. A small project keeps the fee reasonable for the client but doesn’t require you to sacrifice your regular rate.
- Ask the client if she has already reviewed your work samples, available on your website. You’d be surprised how many clients have not taken this step or are unaware you publish work samples. If she has already reviewed your samples, ask her what questions about them you might answer. This will reveal her reservations about working with you and allow you to ease her mind. Then suggest the small, paid trial project outlined above.
- If the client expresses questions about how heavily edited your work samples may be, volunteer to provide a couple of unedited versions for comparison. This is one of Howard Baldwin’s excellent tips. I’ve never had to do this, but I certainly would be willing to. Then suggest the small, paid trial project.
If none of those tactics work, then walk away. In my experience, the clients who insist on a free sample project turn out to be not-so-good clients over the long haul, anyway. None of my best clients asked for a freebie. Keep that in mind, and walk away with your sense of professional integrity intact.
Do you get requests for unpaid writing tests? If so, do you ever take them? How do you handle the requests?
Note from Jennifer: I once saw a hilarious video about writing for free using the plumber analogy that I wanted to share. But now I can’t find it. Does anyone have it?
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Great piece, Beth. Sadly, there are plenty of content marketing mills or agencies that farm out writers to companies that expect you to do a free article first. They call it a test but it’s simply asking you to work for free. That’s why I only work with platforms that look at my clips and assign from there, such as Contently and Skyword. Saying “no” is always hard when you’re self employed, but your article reinforces why it is so important.
I agree, it’s not a test, it’s working for free. I also have found that those who ask for a test seem to be companies that don’t fully appreciate writers as well. There have been a few times in the past that I did the tests for whatever reasons and even though I landed the gig, I regretted it. I always try to do a small project first as Beth suggests. But I have found that the mere request to do a free test is a huge red flag.
Yeah, I hear you, Leah. I have been asked to take tests in the past, and I have a different take on them. If the company is large and the test is more akin to an editing test (such as: rewrite this paragraph in a more SEO-friendly way), then I’m less likely to balk. Though if someone wants me to take a test that will gobble up more than an hour of my time, probably not.
I took a writing test for a content company in 2014 and wound up netting about $20k in assignments over the course of the following year, so I’d say my time investment in the test was well-spent. The problem is knowing which test will pay off and which is a waste of time.
I agree completely about only working with reputable content agencies, like Contently and Skyword (which are also clients of mine).
Thanks for taking time to comment!
I agree with this. I recently reviewed a spec assignment for a company I was interested in, and was considering doing the work. But, towards the end of the offer were the following words, in caps…”we will own this work, and pay you nothing. If we like the work we will consider hiring you.” I’m still building my practice and could have really used the work, but that statement so offended me that walking away was a no brainier.
Oh my gosh. That is a totally offensive statement to a freelance writer. And you were SO RIGHT to walk away. I am a million percent sure that even if you had landed the work that they would have been a terrible client. The way that they worded it (PAY YOU NOTHING) is one of the biggest red flags I have seen.
Yeah, that is a huge red flag. That sounds like it could have been one of the scams I referred to. Good for you for walking away! There are much better fish in the content sea!
Well said! I don’t write content. I write sales copy. But the same rules apply there. Never write for free. And, unless you’re a new writer and are willing to sacrifice money to create some samples, I don’t even recommend working on spec. Prospective clients that ask you to work for free definitely do not appreciate the value you bring. And, they will probably never pay you what you’re worth in the future.
Very good point – the same rules definitely apply to sales copy. I totally agree that asking you to write for free is a red flag.
I don’t write on spec, either. I find there are three general categories of writer-fleecing activities out there: 1. Outright free “test pieces;” 2. Spec requests (wherein there’s a promise of pay if the piece is acceptable); 3. Writing tests. I find all three of them odious.
Am I missing any?
I think that covers it. I totally agree on all fronts. I have a blanket rule never to do the test or free piece. While as a general rule, i don’t write on spec there are certain circumstances where I would, especially if it is a piece that I personally care about that I want to get in a high profile magazine. I did this for a piece for the Atlantic. But it was a piece that I cared so much about personally that I would have written it for free. I was writing to get the word out not for money in that case. But there are only very few cases where writing on spec makes sense.
I don’t write samples either. If a client asks, I can send them hundreds of published clips.
Yep! I offer the same thing. I totally agree.
Excellent article! I’m still a noob in this business, but I’ve already run across this many, many times. This gem always gets me: “it’s not paid, but you’ll get a lot of exposure!”
I can confidently say, as a writer and a nurse…people die from exposure. Saying no to this kind of “offer” set me up to find clients who actually value my time and contribution to their organizations (and who pay pretty well too!).
I love that response to the exposure offer! I’m going to borrow it!
Great post, Jennifer and Elizabeth, and oh so true.
As for the video you mention, Jennifer, I posted this one in the ASJA forum a while back. Is it the one you’re thinking of?
http://bit.ly/1l9h6KA