A lot of people think that writing for free is a scam or a way to get something for nothing. But this couldn’t be further from the truth! In this article, we will discuss how to write for free and what advantages you might encounter by doing so.
The Advantages Of Writing For Free
Sometimes, life gets in the way of your writing adventures. Maybe you’re in the middle of an important project for work or school. Or you might just be taking a break because you’re so inspired and happy with how the previous project turned out. Whatever the case may be, when you find yourself with extra time on your hands, why not use it to your advantage? Especially if that means writing for free!
One of the biggest advantages of writing for free is the freedom to write and the confidence that comes with it. Since you’re not under pressure to produce content with a quick turnaround time or to meet an arbitrary quota, you might opt to take your time and polish each piece of content. And if you’re confident that your content is of good quality, you’ll likely be able to attract some potential clients who value quality content.
Another advantage of writing for free is the opportunity to build your portfolio. Instead of buying your own domain and hoping that you can convince people to visit it through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or through creating blogs that get noticed because they’re well-written and include awesome content, you can simply write for anyone who is willing to pay you!
The final advantage of writing for free is that you have no financial obligations. Instead of feeling restricted by the constraints imposed by your boss or a freelance client, you can simply state that you’ll be happy to write for them for free since you value their input and want to see their vision realized through your work. This type of arrangement often arises when you’ve had a good interaction over the phone or e-mail, and you want to establish a working relationship without worrying about payment later on.
The Disadvantages Of Writing For Free
Naturally, there are some disadvantages to writing for free. Chief among them is the fact that you have no recourse if the publication you write for turns out to be a scam. For example, if you’re writing for a company that claims to be a well-known brand but turns out to be a total facade, you’ve got no way of getting your money back. In these situations, your only option might be to write about your experience for future reference.
Another disadvantage of writing for free is that you might not be able to claim all of the expenses that arise from writing. For example, research costs and travel are usually considered part of the cost of doing business. If you don’t feel comfortable claiming these expenses, you’re better off not doing business with that company in the first place.
A third disadvantage of writing for free is that you give up a lot of potential royalties. When you write something for publication, there is always the chance that you’ll end up being credited for the content you create. Even if you’ve opted not to be paid, this still gives you the opportunity to get paid later on. Royalties vary from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars, depending on the nature of the work and how popular the item is. If you do happen to get credit for the content you create, and you decide to sell the content later on, you’ll have to share your royalty with the person who originally commissioned you to write the content. This is particularly problematic if you’ve contracted with a magazine or a blog that is based in another country. If this is the case, it might be hard to collect your royalties since you’re not actually located in the country where the magazine is published.
Where Should You Write?
With all of these advantages and disadvantages in mind, it’s important to ask yourself where you should write. Ideally, you want to write for publications that have a good reputation and are known for paying their authors. If neither of these apply to you, there are still options. For example, if you’ve got a lot of experience in a specific industry and feel that you could lend your expertise to someone who could use it, why not pitch your services to become a freelancer? Or, if you’ve got a specific topic that you want to discuss, why not set up your own blog? Since your blog will consist of content that you produce yourself, you’ll be able to claim all of the expenses that arise from writing. Plus, you’ll have the freedom to set the schedule that works best for you.
The Final Takeaway
To conclude, writing for free is a viable option for anyone who feels that they have something to say and wants to share it with the world. As long as you’re not trying to scam anyone and are confident that what you’re saying is of value, you should have no problem securing work!