Do you write for free?

[rosemerry]

I was wondering does anyone here who is looking to get published write for free. As in they write something to get published but not get paid any money for their work.

I ask this because I am writer and working on making it my career therefore I cannot write for free because then my bills won't get paid. Right now I do have another job but I hope to support myself solely on my writing someday.

What are your goals for your writing? Do you write just for fun or do you want to go professional?

 

[GK]

I write articles that do not give a paycheck.

Someday, I would like to be living off writing, but even then I will be donating time/work to the church.

 

[Walruseater]

Well, I'm being published on a website. I write short Star Wars stories, and I've had about a dozen or so published so far. But I do it for pleasure, and because I love the feedback, hehe.

But, yeah, someday I would like to earn money for writing. I'm now really sure how to go about it, though.

 

[rosemerry]

Start out by getting a copy of Writer's Digest 2006. But if you send to magazines or websites that do not take fan fiction I wouldn't use the Star Wars world. It is copyrighted and you could get in trouble.

I just felt I had to start this thread because everyone who is looking for writers just expect us to write for free. I just can't do that. I have to feel very strongly about the subject for me to write about it without compensation. If others are writing for free because that's what they want to do then that's fine. I just don't want people to take my what do you pay posts the wrong way.

 

[heron]

I've found that a writing career is very similar to any of the arts. So many people enjoy doing it, that the market doesn't always need to pay for the many hours invested. And writers, like artists and musicians and dancers, get asked to do freebies all the time, "because we thought you'd enjoy it." That can get old after awhile and, as you say, you have to pay the bills.

I would make up a web page and invoice form where you establish what your rates should be worth, and if you're tempted to do things that might have low return, attach a copy of your rates, showing what your time is really worth, and what the customer's special discount was. You don't need to feel guilty about making a living.

 

[rosemerry]

And writers, like artists and musicians and dancers, get asked to do freebies all the time, "because we thought you'd enjoy it." That can get old after awhile and, as you say, you have to pay the bills.

Like you said here. Just because someone is looking for writers doesn't mean you have to write for free. You wouldn't go to your traditional job without knowing what you would get paid or work for them for free. Most people wouldn't work for a job without benefits. Yet writers are supposed to work for little or no pay.

Sorry didn't mean to rant but this is a pet peeve of mine.

 

[heron]

Mine too. It's nice to have a network to share that with.
I've headed in several creative directions over the years, and found the same thing. If someone hears the tree fall in the forest, the loggers carry it away without a permit. Something like that.

There's also the personal risk of rejection and criticism that's higher in these arts fields. The work is so subjective, you can never please everyone or be content that your work is completed perfectly.

 

[GK]

It's something I struggle with a bit. Most professional advice I've read says if you want to make a career of it, you have to go for the paid work. I think there are two good reasons behind it. First, you don't want to get stuck in a position of being committed to a free project such that you no longer have the time for a paid project. Second, and possibly more importantly, if you only do paid work, I think it really helps force you to look for paid work and see writing as a career.

I'm guessing the question for many in this forum is when writing crosses that line from a hobby to a job. I know that's where I am. Writing started as a hobby, but it's gotten to the point people are starting to ask where I'm published and when my book is coming out. (And not just family members, but strangers who read my work and don't have to compliment me because they're a friend!)

As I think about this more, I think I will always have a personal blog. I will always be willing to write for my local church. I will probably continue to write for a few online forums (using 'forum' in the larger sense, not the technical 'cf-like bulletin board' sense).

And yet, I don't have much interest in sending articles to magazines that pay only in bylines or copies. I don't bother with listings on craigslist that promise "potential when the magazine takes off!" It takes as much work to write 800 words for free as it does to write it for a paycheck. I know it's easier to get published in the freebies, but if I'm not going to get paid for it, anyway, I may as well not get paid for it while submitting it to paying markets and retain the possibility of receiving remuneration.

 

[Walruseater]

Well, believe me, I have no intention of infringing on a copyright of any kind. If I ever write for a magazine or something like that, it will be completely original stuff made up from inside my head, and nowhere else.

But, writing for the Star Wars fan fiction site is good practice, and the feedback is very helpful. I can get pointers from fellow writers, and I want to try and learn from critism. Though I haven't gotten all that much critism yet, accept someone corrected a couple of minor spelling errors.

 

[rosemerry]

I didn't mean to say that you would do that. I lot of people who write fan fic think they can publish it because they wrote the story using characters not used by the author. But world is also copyrighted. So if you want to publish a fan fic you have to go to the creators of the world whether it be star wars or star trek, two of the most popular, and get their permission. You can't just do it on your own.

 

[pairofdivers]

I've been making plans to begin writing, again. At this point, I write for free and also as a method of fulfilling what I feel led to do.

rosemerry, I've never picked up a copy of Writer's Digest. Is it just a media for short stories and poems, or something more?

Serving Him,
pairofdivers

 

[heron]

Some people just love to write, and would do it whether they're paid or not. If you don't care, it's helpful to settle in your mind that this is your ministry, just like teaching Sunday School or scooping soup...that way you don't feel like a victim, but in charge of your efforts.

If you believe in merging your faith and love for God into everything you do, that works too.

Just realize that there are a lot of articles that advise writers to volunteer first to get established, so the "pay your dues" expectations are out there. Maybe they're a way to sort out skilled writers from unskilled, or market-friendly from unknowns.

 

[rosemerry]

I've been making plans to begin writing, again. At this point, I write for free and also as a method of fulfilling what I feel led to do.

rosemerry, I've never picked up a copy of Writer's Digest. Is it just a media for short stories and poems, or something more?

Serving Him,
pairofdivers

Magazines like Writer's Digest, The Writer, Poets and Writers, are all magazines that help writers and poets get better at writing. They help you learn craft. Although I don't subscribe to any of them I always make sure to peruse the racks to see if they have anything helpful that I need at the time. It's something to look into too.

Writer's Market comes out every year. It's for writers who are trying to sell their work to paying markets. Basically it's a giant list of agents, publishers, and magazines. Updated every year and costs $25-$30. If you don't want to buy it you can probably find one at the library in the reference section, which means you can't check it out.

 

[heron]

Libriaries let you check out the prior years' copies. Just don't use the contact addresses from them--employees change--photocopy the new ones. (Sorry, copyright office.)

Literary Marketplace is also in most libraries. It's a huge volume with a big LMP on the spine. That lists coordinators of every division of a publisher, so you have all the phone and fax numbers and current employees.

But the books rosemerry suggested show what each publisher is looking for that year (e.g., fiction on children of abusive parents, no historical picture books, no stories under 100 pages, that kind of thing).

 

[Walruseater]

I didn't mean to say that you would do that. I lot of people who write fan fic think they can publish it because they wrote the story using characters not used by the author. But world is also copyrighted. So if you want to publish a fan fic you have to go to the creators of the world whether it be star wars or star trek, two of the most popular, and get their permission. You can't just do it on your own.

Good point.

Yeah, so far, I'm pretty good at writing fan fiction. I dunno, in some ways, I'm not sure if I'm any good at coming up with, well, an original work.

But I'm good at studying established characters and writing for them. I dunno. Maybe I should write for a TV series or something, hehe

The point is, whenever I try to come up with my own world or universe, and try to come up with my own characters... I don't know, I just have trouble doing it. But if someone else establishes the world and the characters, then I can do something.

Does that sound weird to you guys?

Hm, maybe I'm just trying to figure out where exactly my talents lie.

 

[rosemerry]

Nope it doesn't sound weird at all. It is very difficult to create a whole new world from scratch. Harder than it is to learn the rules of an already created world. Heh, I know I'm trying to create a world now.

 

[Walruseater]

Yeah. I guess that's especially true when I know a saga or a series extremely well, and I know all of the characters by heart, heh.

Well, like I said, at least writing fan fiction is good practice.

 

[VickiY]

Many paying writer's jobs require clippings or a resume of published works. I have found that doing the "freebies" for a byline will give me a strong pile of clippings to submit while looking for "real" paying, freelance articles.

So, if you are trying to establish yourself as a writer, it does make sense to submit to a few (not online) newspapers and magazines of decent calibre first.

Should you make it your life? No. Should you give of your time and talents to assist your church as a ministry? That is up to you, and the needs of your church. I did that for several years, for a monthly bulletin.

All in all, it depends on what you are trying to do.

 

[rosemerry]

There is a difference in writing for free and writing for something you believe in without pay. Writing for your church or favorite charity is very different than writing for a website/magazine because they need stories/articles but won't pay the writer anything. This is what I am speaking of.

As of right now I'm currently only writing fiction. I have one short story published. I made $5.00. I have a second short story that just got rejected so I'm having to send it out again and I'm working on the second draft a third short story. I'm also working on a novel. I haven't been brave enough to try non-fiction but it's in the plans.

Good luck Vicky. Do keep everyone posted on your success if you like. Us writers have to stick together. What kind of things do you write?

 

[GK]

There is a difference in writing for free and writing for something you believe in without pay. Writing for your church or favorite charity is very different than writing for a website/magazine because they need stories/articles but won't pay the writer anything. This is what I am speaking of.

Based on that definition, I don't write for free anymore.