If you want to write for a living, you should write for free.
Hell, if you already do write for a living, you should write for free.
And that free writing should be some of your best work.
Unless youre already famous for something else, youll write for free before you write for money.
(I was not the first or last person to get hired at Gawker by writing about Gawker.)
you’re free to write anything you want for yourselfthats often why its such good stuff.
No ones helping you tighten stuff up, but neither are they watering down your vision.
Put in some swear words, go stream-of-consciousness, make jokes that no one will get.
This work will probably be a mess, but you might achieve something great.
Very few publications would have accepted a pitch for Kate Wagners conspiracy-theory-chic critiques of ugly McMansions.
But once shed built herself a platform with McMansion Hell, everyone wanted in on it.
you’re free to get artistic, or you’re free to concentrate on a marketable idea.
But consider all the formats availablea group blog, a podcast, YouTube sketches, a basement theater company.
If you want a little more audience off the bat, contribute to small outlets.
Some cant afford to pay at all; some can only pay small amounts.
And that was nine years into my career.
Most novelists have to write and pitch all their books this way.
(Some get multi-book deals.)
And most novelists have a book (or several) that never got published.
Same goes in TV and film.
Screenwriters bang out a lot of unsellable films.
Sometimes they write scripts purely as writing samples.
So it went viral, and two months later its authorbecame a staff writer for Family Guy.
Dont write free work if you dont enjoy it, and dont write free for just anyone who asks.
If youre writing for a well-known and well-financed publication, you should absolutely request payment.
(Most well-known publications wont even ask for free work.
But they might take months to pay you.)
Anyone who asks you to write for free should make their gratitude clear.
If they act like you owe this to them, run away.
If you cant, warn the publication about that ahead of time.
Usually theyll understand; they need money too, so they know how it feels.
And if things fall apart, make a run at be as gracious and polite as possible.
That doesnt mean overworking yourself, it just means trying to not leave anyone in the lurch.
Thats the least I could do.
If and when your career takes off, you dont owe a publication your loyalty.
If youre getting too busy with paying work, tell them.
This isnt indentured servitude.
There are a million other writers out there, but there are a million other publications too.
Go to the ones that value you the most.
