Amen.

Paula, to you and me (and Cathy), we know that sources don’t get to look at the copy. But to the new freelancer, it’s uncharted territory, and they may agree without realizing that the person asking isn’t the one who’s paying, so they have no right to ask…

This issue here is one of companies or individuals wanting the work to be done for them for free. They want that “mutually beneficial” arrangement where they come out on top without any financial commitment.

I’m of the opinion that if the article idea is a good one, it’s theirs to pay for. I don’t really want to compromise my integrity to make them happy — they’re not showing me any good faith at all.

Sometimes I ask publicists if they have any leads, but that’s all part of the job.

No matter the scenario, I never let sources read an article before I submit it. (Okay, in the past I wrote for one local pub that allows sources to review copy. Half the time they were sucking up to potential advertisers, the rest of the time they said it was to make people who aren’t used to being interviewed feel more comfortable with the process. It still made me cringe.)

Wow! A free copy! You can pay your utility bill with that, Cathy! 😉

It’s unfortunate that these offers, at least in my area, are starting to become more common. In one conversation recently, I could tell the prospect was trying really hard to say they wanted some arrangement that wouldn’t require paying me.

Then why contact me? Why insult me?

In the past, I’ve had “requests” for non-compensated work for a non-profit and even a chapter of an industry book where I would reap the grand benefit of visibility. Oh, and in the case of the book, I would get a FREE copy! Wow. 😉