A Word About Exposure
In all the years I’ve been freelancing, the job postings that bother me most are the ones offering writers “exposure” for their work. Let me tell you what you’re getting–nothing.
That may sound mighty strong, but let’s dissect this offer a bit more. First, have you ever heard of the publication or website offering to give you such great exposure? If today was the first day you visited the site or read the publication, that’s a telling sign. Markets that offer you exposure should at least be somewhere within eyesight of a buying or viewing public. Writing for Fred’s Fishing Emporium.com is not going to bring you fame.
Second, even if that publication or website did manage to crack through the barrage of information deluging people daily, exactly what kind of impression is that work of yours going to make? Is there an editor who can polish the work and make it shine? Or is it that Fred’s off somewhere looking at lures while you write what you think is good, but what might contain numerous errors or false statements? That’s not to say you’re not a good writer. It’s more to the point that we all make mistakes. It never hurts to have someone looking over our shoulders before we go live.
Third, even if you have landed on a fabulous site with a terrific editor, you’ve just managed to make money for someone who isn’t returning the favor. Suppose you agree to write for your newfound media outlet once a month. Imagine that you’re writing 800 words each month, which should take you about 12-20 hours depending on the subject and interview needs. If you’re working for free (and folks, that’s what you’re doing), those are lost hours to you. During that time, you can’t solicit new business, you can’t network, you can’t write your short stories or novels, and you can’t get paid. It would be like taking a job at Wal-Mart and working part-time hours for no cash. Would you do that? No? Then why on earth would you write under those conditions?
Let me offer you some free advice; if you want to gain exposure, register a website domain, use your ISP’s online templates to build a site, and put your work online under your own name. This is now your Internet resume and your own personal showcase of what you can do. Here your work isn’t competing with mediocre work from writer wanna-bees all over the place, and your writing stands a much better chance of being noticed instead of buried in someone’s idea of making money off the backs of talented (and some not-so-talented) writers. You look much more professional having your unpublished work on your own personal website than having your published work wasting away on some innocuous site that boasts the talents of those who think they can write and the few who really can.
Don’t do it. Don’t ever give your work away. If exposure is that important to you, build your own site and point all potential clients toward it. The exposure you receive will be much more positive in the long run.
Let’s hope plenty of people take this to heart.