Do You Ever Write For Free? Or Pay Only?

One of the women in my online writing group won Honorable Mention in a writing contest recently. The contest/website owners would like to publish her piece but are offering no pay for it. They are asking for first serial rights for 90 days. After that, she is free to market it elsewhere. She was in a quandary as to what to do. 

Writing for free or writing only for pay is an old debate in our writing world. Some are adamant about never giving away anything they have written. Others will do so without hesitation. Still others waver in-between.

Let's look at both sides and that middle ground.

The 'I do not give my work away'  group:

• Many of the writers in this group are often professionals attempting to make a living by selling what they write.
• They believe that hard work deserves to be paid.
• Some say that, if you give your work away, you're degrading yourself.
• Many here feel you lose your professionalism if you write for free.
• Some will write for free under special circumstances.
• Some will never, ever write for no pay.

The 'I will write for free' group:

• Beginning writers often write for free to be able to say they are published.
• They are looking for clips and freebies are good ways to get them.
• Some writers give their work to groups who donate profits to charities.
• Writers who are not attempting to earn a living with their writing feel freer to give their work to websites and journals who cannot afford to pay.
• Some feel that, even though there is no remuneration, it's a clip and exposure.
• Hobbyist writers are more likely to write for free; it's the writing, not the pay, that they like.
• Many writers do a guest blog post for free; sometimes it's to help a blogger friend.
• These writers much prefer writing for pay but are willing to do it for no pay on occasion.

The 'I write for pay and for free' group:

• These writers see the benefit of both sides.
• They are not rigid in their thinking on the question.
• They probably prefer getting paid but are willing to donate some of their writing.
• They are probably not trying to make a living from what they write.
• They are people who like to help charitable groups by writing for free for them.
• They might write for free but are selective about who they choose.
• They don't write exclusively for free; much prefer paid venues.

I don't think that there is any doubt that we all like to be paid for the work we put into our writing. I get nothing monetary by writing this blog 5 days a week. I could if I agreed to have advertising on the blog. I never considered it because I think it is annoying to readers. What I hoped for with the blog was to get exposure for myself as a writer, to let others know about what I have published and to provide some tips and encouragement to other writers. In the nine years I have been writing here, I have made many new writer friends, continued to learn about writing in general and have felt satisfied that I have been of some benefit to other writers.

How about you? Which side of the Write for free--sometimes or never? question? I'd love to hear your thoughts.