Hi, I've recently submitted a pitch to a newspaper editor for a short report on a visit to Rome/The Vatican for the publications monthly travel section. The editor is keen to feature my work, but states there is 'no budget for freelance submissions'. I currently work exclusively within the (paid) angling sector, but am keen to expand my portfolio, but don't want to work for nothing... can anyone see any benefits, because I would like to be retained/considered for future travel writing, but I'm reluctant to give work away... thank you
How is anyone to see the kind of work you do if it's not published? Yes, you're paid to write about angling, but that doesn't mean you can up sticks and move straight into travel writing. You have to develop a name for yourself there.
Nobody wants to give work away. But there's a case for saying that if you accept this free usage of your piece, the next time you submit something, or even contact an editor suggesting that you would like a regular column of your own, you'd have proof in print to offer them. Unless you can find another market for this piece, it's not earning its keep in anyway. The editor is keen to feature your work - so why not use this to cultivate that interest? He may not have a budget for freelancers - but the next person may.
Lorraine
If there's no budget for freelance, that means that you'll never be paid unless you join the staff. How much chance is there of that???
If up til now you're strictly pro, you should have contacts to sell your article elsewhere.
As a tiny publisher myself, I can only sympathise with others with tiny budgets. But if I make any profit, the writer shares that profit! (In fact, writer + illustrator + translator - if any - get 50% of the profit and La Gr@not@ only gets 25%... 25% going to worthy causes.)
Dear Clint,
A lot of magazines and newspapers try to get free content, and the NUJ is firm that you should be paid for your work. Writing for free also means that publishers of magazines and newspapers can keep not paying writers. This takes work away from the entire community of writers and I would say don't do it. If they have no budget now, what makes you think they will ever have one? Instead keep trying other newspapers, if the article is good they will want it, they have to fill their pages after all. You would not go to an office and work as anything else for free, so why should writing be any different?
All the best,