I’ve been hearing and reading a lot of debate about writing on spec lately. This isn’t a new debate in the writing world by any means, but I’ve gotten some questions about it lately from people, so I thought I’d talk about it some today.
So what is this anyway?:
Writing on spec is when you are asked to write a piece for a client or a company as a tryout. If they like it, you get paid, and if they don’t, you’re just out your time. It’s similar to crowdsourcing, which seems to be the non-writer equivalent of this online. This issue mostly comes up when you’re just starting out; many of us have no portfolio, and therefore are perfect targets for this kind of work.
Sounds easy, right? So why is this system so hated? Well, the reality of the situation is pretty different than what I’ve outlined above. In many cases, you do the work and you don’t get paid. The client doesn’t pick you, but publishes the work anyway. I’ve written before on here about how hard it is to protect your content online as a writer, and this is one more situation where you are opening yourself up to the possibility of having your writing and content stolen. Many people feel that spec work is basically a system that people are using to take advantage of starting writers, and that if everyone boycotts it we’ll all be better off.
The Reality:
Like most things in this world, the debate is much more complex than it seems. Especially if you’re a starting writer with no samples. It’s easy to apply broad moral principles when you’re making enough money from other sources, but when you need to get started and don’t have any work lined up, spec writing can look pretty good. In most situations, the threat of imminent starvation will help you cut through a lot of moral objections about things.
If you are just starting, and you really do need the samples, many people find spec writing to be an okay way to go. After all, a chance at a paying job is better than nothing, right?
Well, maybe.
If you are starting out, and presented with an offer to write on spec, make sure you ask these basic questions first.
1. If your content is not selected, who owns it? Can you re-use it other places?
The answer to this varies (and applies to guest blogging too!), but ideally if you’re not picked/published, you should be able to retain control over your content. Spec jobs where you are giving out free content no matter what generally raises a big red flag for writers.
2. If you are selected, will it lead to regular long term work, or just payment for that one piece?
If you’re presented with a huge opportunity for long term work from a giant company that you love, spec writing can be worth it. Hell, I can list ten companies off the bat who I’d happily do spec writing for if it might lead to bigger things. This can also apply to magazines and blogging jobs, and the answer is usually different in all of these categories. Find out enough information to do an informed cost/benefit analysis of the situation, and then decide from there.
But Spec Work Is Always Evil, Right?:
I’ll confess: I’ve never worked on spec, even when I first started out. That’s not to say I wouldn’t if the right client came along, but it’d have to be a pretty extraordinary situation. That said, I didn’t have a ton of samples starting out, and I had to get them somehow. Here are some ways that I got samples that built up my portfolio and helped me network, all without spec writing.
1. Give Writing Away To the Right People
For me, there’s a huge difference between working on spec and giving away work. When you give away work, you can pick your projects so they benefit you and your portfolio, and you can pick who you work for. For me, this generally meant working for non-profits and people who I knew couldn’t really afford copywriting, but needed it anyway. I had fun, built up my portfolio, made some friends and contacts, and got some good experience all at the same time. Yes, you’re still not getting paid, but giving away work frequently leads to great paying opportunities.
2. Write Your Own Portfolio
Many writers do this, and I’ve heard both positive and negative reviews of it. The advantage of writing your own portfolio samples without clients involved is that you get to put out your best work without taking the needs and wishes of someone else into account. You can get as crazy and creative as you want. The downside is that since it isn’t for real clients, it doesn’t help you establish a professional history as a freelance writer, and that is really important for making a profit. Part of this is knowing what market you’re going for; if you know that your perfect clients will appreciate your invented sales copy based on slam poetry, you should go for it. Everyone has a market, and knowing who it is and where it lives online is most of the battle.
Do you have any experience writing on spec? Want to weigh in on the great debate? Leave a comment.
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