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In my experience, the biggest transition from hobbyist to
professional writer is not one of achievement but one of attitude. Not merely
in our attitude towards our craft, and ourselves, but also the way in which we
view opportunity.
When I first started out (feel free to imagine the music from
the Hovis ad at this
point - Dvorak's "New World" Symphony), anyone
who offered to publish my work, or just to let me write something for them, was
seized upon in a frenzy unheard of since the shower scene from Psycho. However,
wearing a professional hat will very often necessitate looking at opportunities
through a lens of, "What's the benefit here?"
The Internet is awash
with offers to 'raise your profile' or 'build a portfolio' in lieu of payment,
often by magazines that then charge their readers for the privilege of reading
all that free work. And yet...and yet sometimes writing for free can pay
dividends - whether it's fiction or non-fiction.
It's important to bear in
mind that:
- Not everyone is in it
for the money and not every creative project can be run on a profitable basis.
That's why we have an Arts Council in the UK.
- In an increasingly
competitive environment, sometimes
getting a free piece out there can not only give you a track record and a
publishing credit, it can also give you something to refer other potential
editors to. (Which is why, if you do decide to offer a piece of writing for
free, it's important not to treat it as a second-best option or to skimp on the
editing.)
- Something written for
free can garner you valuable feedback, which can help you improve said piece
and perhaps rewrite it for a paying market. You may be able to withdraw the
original piece from the Internet, but check the terms of any agreement
carefully.
Here are three pieces of mine on the Net, now free to read:
Fiction
Perfect
Circle - a sci-fi story about a boy who discovers an unusual talent.
Saturday
Night - Joe understands the importance of a rich, inner life.
When you comment, let us know where we can see a piece of your writing.
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