Should you agree to free writing samples? The great freelance debate!
If a potential client asked you to give a free writing sample, would you do it? It’s the great debate in freelance writing circles and I’ve decided to weigh in. Here are the pros and cons, according to me.
This topic is pretty divisive in freelance circles, with some people fiercely against and some people doggedly for. I’ve given consultations to my fair share of new freelancers and heard the debate from both sides, so I thought I’d share my learnings here.
But…
I’ll start with this caveat: if you really feel like you can only get your foot in the door by giving free writing samples, then please don’t let me stop you. This is your business, both literally and figuratively.
Do what you need to do, boo.
And with that, I’ll give my two cents on the matter.
The pros
Free samples are an attractive, risk-free proposition for new clients. Especially when you’re new to the game yourself — they get to try before they buy!
Of course, you’ll need a strong conversion funnel and a swift onboarding process for this benefit to actually pay off. You need to know exactly what you want from the arrangement (testimonials, a contract, a portfolio piece) and be unafraid to ask for it.Offering free writing samples to known brands and agencies gives you a way to fill your portfolio with legitimate client work. Potential clients may feel more confident hiring you with a trust cue like that on your site.
Free samples give you valuable experience in the client/freelancer relationship. You get to test the waters without money adding pressure to the situation.
The cons
Offering free work will only delay your money-making potential. Some people just don’t have the luxury of time — they need to start earning, and they need to do it now.
Skip the long courtship and pitching process by simply making mockups for your portfolio. Select brands you’d love to work with and create a mock piece of copy for the formats you’d like to work in (remember to clearly state they’re mockups!).
At the end of the day, you need to show that you have a versatile voice, a good sense of strategy, and original ideas. You can do that via a mockup!
Offering free work cheapens your contribution. It looks like you have no confidence in your ability and therefore need to give work away for free to gain legitimacy. Not only that, you’ve put yourself on the back foot and given the client a reason to pick holes in your work.
Free work also doesn’t carry the same weight as a paid-for piece. Your portfolio will be missing an important element — the fact someone trusted you enough to pay for your services.Free samples set a precedent. If you’re going to give away free samples, you need to draw a line as to when the freebies stop, and the paid work begins. How many rounds of amendments will you offer? How much time could you spend on the work before it outweighs the benefits?
The free sample debate is usually only applied to new freelancers, but me and many of my pals still get asked for free samples with new clients every so often. That’s why it’s worth your while to decide how you feel about it now.
In my opinion, your portfolio should be more than enough to showcase your skill. If it isn’t, perhaps ask the client what kind of samples they’re looking for and go back through your work to find something appropriate.
In my opinion, free samples are bullshit. But I urge you to do whatever feels right for you!
Do you give free writing samples?
Find me on Twitter and give me your point of view — let’s chat about it!
