Free Writers: All You Need To Know

There are people who embark on a project and have no budget, so they decide to find free writers to help them build the blog; With the aim that, when it grows -if it grows- they will charge money for the posts they write. This practice is very common in USA, especially in technology blogs (I experienced it in my beginnings a few years ago). So if you want to earn a living as a copywriter you could be "forced" to start writing articles for free, without charge.

Is it ethical?

Personally, I don't think so. It would never occur to me to ask a person to work for me for free. However, there are those who do it and it works for them; but because it is the editors who accept (nobody forces them).

Reasons to work for free as a copywriter

There are well-known blogs that do not pay writers or that pay really little (for example 2 or 3 USD for a 500 word article) and that even claim that " many writers would pay to write for them ". And you ask yourself, for what reasons could a person work for free? In the case of copywriters, many do so for the following:

- Portfolio | Experience: the fact of having posts published in blogs with your name, makes you have a portfolio and that future clients can see how you work. It's a way of showing your work, even if it had to be free (it's like "there's no harm that doesn't come").

- To be found: you can become popular if your articles are good and / or if you publish them on a highly visited blog; which could give you new job opportunities.

It can serve you as an experience, but still it seems very hard for someone to take advantage of your work, your hours. But everyone is free to accept what they want.

My experience working as a free copywriter

At the age of 19, while I was studying Computer Engineering, I was obsessed with gaining experience doing all kinds of things related to my sector; until one day the lightbulb went on and I decided to send my "application" to a well-known blog; to work as a copywriter for free (without charge). They told me the usual, that if things went well in a few months they would pay; but since there was no contract or anything (it was all word of mouth), I never got to charge a penny. However, writing for that medium made others find me and they did pay me to write (although amounts of laughter… we are talking about the same $1 per article). But at that time, since I was a student and my parents paid me everything, it suited me for whims.

Having started as a writer that way allowed me to gradually receive work proposals. Although I really only got a fair salary when I became a freelance writer. I mean, when I started being my own boss.

In blogging they tend to pay as little as possible to have maximum profitability. Not to mention that many work as copywriters who are fake freelancers (but that's another matter). That is why it is important that you assert yourself and remember, the rates are set by you as a freelance writer. No one has the right to tell you what you are going to charge or what hours of the day you should work. Otherwise you will be working as a fake freelancer (yes, something I also suffered years ago).

If you want to hire a free copywriter, do it right

For the record, I do not agree. However, if you can't or don't want to pay him, you can always set his salary at something like " 80% of the advertising revenue his articles generate." If the editor agrees, you both could win. But don't take it out of habit, since a professional writer who knows SEO is not going to work for you for free. Before you would create your own project, don't you think?

What do you think of this topic? Free Copywriters yes or no? You already know my position, it doesn't seem right However, I started that way because at that time it suited me well and I took it as a hobby. And years later, thanks to having started that way, I decided to be autonomous and offer my services in a professional way to individuals, freelancers, companies, large agencies, etc. If you work hard you can achieve what you set out to do. So cheer up and feel free to tell me what you think about this controversial topic in the comments.