To write for free or not?. Lekan Otufodunrin, Executive Director/ Editor of Media Career Development Network, shares his experience writing a national newspaper column for over two years for free and his benefits.
Before voluntarily resigning from The Nation Newspaper as Managing Editor, Online and Special Publications in December 2018, I was writing a weekly column in the Sunday edition I was once the editor for over five years.
On retirement, I had the option of not writing the column since I would no longer earn a monthly salary from the company.
The column is not one of the most-read ones in the paper, so there was nothing for the company to lose if I stopped.
There was also no basis for me to request to be considered for a monthly allowance like some other columnists who are not full-time staff but get paid a monthly allowance, especially because I was aware of plans to stop some of such payments as part of cost-cutting measures.
Though I knew that my weekly contributions will be for free, I still opted to continue writing since I left in 2018 up-till-date.
So, what’s my benefit for writing for free for over two years with no plans to stop for now?
The motivation for this article is not to advocate that writers should write for free for every platform. The point I want to make is that some unpaid writings could be beneficial for your career and you have to make the right decision if such situations like mine arise.
READ ALSO: Otufodunrin, four media awards, winners reactions
So, how have I earned from writing my weekly column for free?
* Writing the column has ensured that I don’t lose my flair for writing which is crucial for enhancing my writing ability for other editorial assignments I still do and get paid for.
* There are issues of national importance I feel strongly about that writing the column on a reputable platform like The Nation allows me to continue to add my voice to national discourse.
* Though I can do without adding being a columnist with The Nation to my profile, adding it has an added advantage that has earned me some national and global opportunities and privileges.
* Some people and organizations have reached out to me for one thing or the other because they saw my column.
* I have had the opportunity to write about the things I do now that have enhanced my brand as a media career trainer and career development specialist.
* There are other indirect ‘earning’ opportunities which I may not immediately recall, but what I am very sure of is that it has been worth my while despite the cost to me in terms of time, energy and more of having to come up with an issue to write on weekly.
Here is a note of caution though. You must think through before deciding to write for free which should be on your own terms.
If you won’t get paid directly, it must earn you something that you won’t feel cheated on or not appreciated.
Offer to write for free what you can accommodate or spare your time for as you will still be required to meet high standard even though you are writing for free.
If you are mentally fatigued and can’t meet the deadline, alert your editor ahead and get a filler until you can write as usual.
If you get to a point that you cannot continue to write for free, don’t hesitate to sign off and allow someone else to get known as you have been.
This is indeed a good copy. Writing for free has lots of benefits in addition to the ones you have mentioned here. In this tumultuous times, journalists should look beyond the newsroom to make ends meet.