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Abstract

eive in return.<h2 id="4b90">Demanding Clients Don’t Stop Demanding</h2>Clients that make such a request often aren’t ideal work partners even if they’re satisfied with your free work. If they can’t afford to pay you for your work upfront, chances are they won’t be able to (or will choose not to) pay you at a later date because they don’t respect your effort or skill.It’s not worth your time to write for free when there are plenty of great clients who are willing and able to pay you for your writing abilities. It’s better to walk away from these situations rather than waste your time on something that won’t be compensated.<h2 id="526a">You’ll Never Reach Your Goals With Free Labor</h2>When you work for free, you risk devaluing your work and the work of others. Unpaid work is exploitation. If you’re constantly working for free, you’ll never be able to make a living as a writer, and neither will anyone else.Feeling undervalued leads to burnout and resentment all around. It’s important to understand the value of your time and skills and to only work with clients who are willing to do the same.<h1 id="3bab">How to Avoid Getting Burned</h1>If you’ve just started freelance writing, you should know that clients don’t always pay you, even those who say they will. However, you can do a few things to make the likelihood of payment more likely, especially when working with a brand-new client. One of them is to only work with clients who are willing to pay for a test article!Also:- Ask for payment details like the pay rate and potential payment methods before starting the project.- Set a clear d

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eadline for when the test article will be due and when the payment is expected. This way, both parties know that they’re working towards the same goal, and there won’t be any misunderstandings.- Make sure you understand the scope of the test article and what the client expects before writing the piece. For example, do they want links to outside sources? Do they want images? Ask questions to clarify.- Have a freelance contract and include a clause in your contract that states you will be paid for any test articles you write.<h1 id="9baa">You Deserve Payment</h1>The next time a client asks you to do an unpaid test article, politely decline and move on. You won’t regret it!To give you an idea of how often this happens, I’ve politely declined three separate requests from clients who wanted “complimentary” articles just in the last month. I also added two new clients to my roster during this time period. Both of my new clients have paid me promptly and have been wonderful to work with so far.Be safe out there in the freelancing world and safeguard your confidence! You have worth and should remember it.If you have any tips for successful freelancing or opinions on test articles, please share them in the comments.Also, please <a href="https://katbonbailey.medium.com/membership">join Medium today</a> to support writers. As a member, you’ll enjoy unlimited access to stories and articles. And when you read articles, writers will receive payment. If you use the link I’ve provided, I’ll also receive a portion of your monthly membership fees, so you’ll be supporting me directly.</article></body>

Why I Never Write Unpaid Test Articles

A Warning Against Working for Free

Recently, I’ve noticed a significant uptick in the number of clients requesting unpaid test articles, or as one client phrased it, a “complimentary article.”

To be clear, these are not a couple of paragraph pieces meant to demonstrate writing ability. Each client requested published clips to prove my writing ability upfront. These are articles they plan to use and profit from.

That said, this is an unacceptable request for me, and I hope most freelancers feel the same way.

Why You Should Never Work for Free

While I understand the temptation of offering free work in exchange for portfolio pieces that can lead to paid work down the line, it’s often counterproductive for the following reasons.

Ghostwriting Isn’t Ideal

Many clients who want unpaid labor also ask you to ghostwrite, which means your name isn’t even on the work. That said, your effort may be entirely wasted since many potential clients want to see portfolios with bylines.

Additionally, unlike with Medium and other publishing platforms, most clients get full ownership over the work you provide to them once it’s completed and published, so you have no rights to it at all. Your payment is the only thing you receive in return.

Demanding Clients Don’t Stop Demanding

Clients that make such a request often aren’t ideal work partners even if they’re satisfied with your free work. If they can’t afford to pay you for your work upfront, chances are they won’t be able to (or will choose not to) pay you at a later date because they don’t respect your effort or skill.

It’s not worth your time to write for free when there are plenty of great clients who are willing and able to pay you for your writing abilities. It’s better to walk away from these situations rather than waste your time on something that won’t be compensated.

You’ll Never Reach Your Goals With Free Labor

When you work for free, you risk devaluing your work and the work of others. Unpaid work is exploitation. If you’re constantly working for free, you’ll never be able to make a living as a writer, and neither will anyone else.

Feeling undervalued leads to burnout and resentment all around. It’s important to understand the value of your time and skills and to only work with clients who are willing to do the same.

How to Avoid Getting Burned

If you’ve just started freelance writing, you should know that clients don’t always pay you, even those who say they will. However, you can do a few things to make the likelihood of payment more likely, especially when working with a brand-new client. One of them is to only work with clients who are willing to pay for a test article!

Also:

- Ask for payment details like the pay rate and potential payment methods before starting the project.

- Set a clear deadline for when the test article will be due and when the payment is expected. This way, both parties know that they’re working towards the same goal, and there won’t be any misunderstandings.

- Make sure you understand the scope of the test article and what the client expects before writing the piece. For example, do they want links to outside sources? Do they want images? Ask questions to clarify.

- Have a freelance contract and include a clause in your contract that states you will be paid for any test articles you write.

You Deserve Payment

The next time a client asks you to do an unpaid test article, politely decline and move on. You won’t regret it!

To give you an idea of how often this happens, I’ve politely declined three separate requests from clients who wanted “complimentary” articles just in the last month. I also added two new clients to my roster during this time period. Both of my new clients have paid me promptly and have been wonderful to work with so far.

Be safe out there in the freelancing world and safeguard your confidence! You have worth and should remember it.

If you have any tips for successful freelancing or opinions on test articles, please share them in the comments.

Also, please join Medium today to support writers. As a member, you’ll enjoy unlimited access to stories and articles. And when you read articles, writers will receive payment. If you use the link I’ve provided, I’ll also receive a portion of your monthly membership fees, so you’ll be supporting me directly.