“Hey,” the email started,
casually enough, one "girl" away from a Ryan Gosling meme. “We're
looking for a couple designers [sic] to put together a couple of boards for us to
feature on our homepage re-launching soon. Would you be interested in making
a quick board for us?”
It went on...
"Digital design boards are super
easy (my emphasis, not theirs) to make. I'm sure you've made a bunch
before. We will credit you as the designer / artist and refer people to your
blog or website. It's good publicity.”
It’s the kind of request with
which bloggers and designers are quite familiar. But this particular request
sent by email, (to me, and unfortunately, mass-mailed to over 50 recipients, all
listed... talk about not feeling valued, from the start), got a swift reply from one angry recipient:
“Thanks for your email and for
thinking of me.
You are correct, I have a wealth of experience putting
mood boards and working with brands to promote their social media activities...
However,
good work deserves to be paid. Time spent on a project deserves to be paid,
bills that we all have need to be paid and while I'm hugely grateful for the
amazing publicity working for free will give me, I do not work for free.”
It, too, went on...
“And I think companies like
yours, should stop thinking that bloggers do not require to be paid on the
basis that you provide 'good publicity' because let's face it, it's complete
bollocks and I sincerely hope that any of the designers, bloggers, creative people
copied on your email will take pride in what they do and turn down your 'very
attractive' offer to focus on paid work or quality time with their families.
Warm regards...”
(For the record, it wasn’t I who responded. I wouldn’t have hit “Reply All," for one thing... but ANYwho...)
That response touched off a
virtual volley of high fives, Amens, and you-go-girls among the many on the
list who received it, who might not have responded that way were it not for the sudden empowerment of this virtual Norma Rae's "Reply All."
We’ve all heard the pitch... “It would be tremendous... (wait for it... wait for it...) exposure.”
Exposure. Any blogger and most writers know the “e-word” all too well. Some days, it seems the most popular form of currency. Actually, some days, it seems the only form of currency.
That email response to the e-word wasn't the only recent backlash against the “no-pay-to-play” offers that beleaguer
the blogosphere. Charming chum and well-connected designer-blogger Christopher May had a say (including
some staggering financial statistics about one of the ones doing the
freebie-asking) over on his blog Maison21, as did a recent piece
in the New York Times.
Maybe I’ve seen Les Mis one too many times
recently on HBO, but suddenly, I hear a faint chorus of “Do you hear the people
sing?” off in the distance.
Is there a revolution afoot?
In print and on the Internet,
even with the ease of Pinterest and Tumbler (two vehicles, I think, that have somewhat diluted the value of blogging) content is still king. And ultimately,
content, for somebody, is cash. So how come fewer and fewer people are
offering actual cash for it?
Because somewhere along the line,
content also became a commodity. So many people said yes to getting paid with
exposure and nothing more that it’s become acceptable to be asked to do
something for nothing. It made me wonder why we bloggers give it away.
Especially when blogging itself is not making anyone rich, anytime soon.
It’s sometimes funny to hear the heated discussions about
minimum wage happening now... if you spread out the work over
the time it takes for blog posts, even for reputable, highly trafficked sites,
suddenly $7.25 an hour doesn’t look too shabby. It's not unusual to spend 30+ hours for less than a $200 yield to source, scout, photograph, interview, write and build a post, for sites with clicks and visitors in the MILLIONS.
Of course there are perks to blogging: great
invites, goody bags, prestige, priority seating at certain events, press
access, and more... but so far, my landlord doesn’t take “goody bag” on the
first-ish of every month.
The hope for many or most of us
with blogs is that they’ll eventually lead to the kind of traffic numbers that
finally bring in ad revenue through sponsors and advertisers. Or, that the blog
and the audiences they build will ultimately lead to other deals: books,
product lines, licensing, as some bloggers have done, the talented Jeanine Hayes for one, Ronda Rice Carmen and coco+kelley some others.
But all this made me wonder: why
do so many of us, myself most certainly included, do so much for so little?
I’ve said yes, on a regular basis, to freebies (or “e-bies, to continue the
“exposure-as-currency” analogy).
Is it ever good (or at least,
appropriate) to “give it away”?
In some instances, I still think yes.
And here are a dozen reasons why.
1) As a Thank You
Landon Shockey, the gentleman’s
gentleman behind the Arkansas-based The Gilded Stag, volunteered to
donate his gorgeous (and 100% custom) Shaftesbury Bar Cart to last
year’s Design on a Dime without hesitation. So when he also asked me to
contribute a piece about the event to his blog, no
hesitation from me either. Plus, it helped me further promote the event (and,
let’s face it, myself, too). And because the Design on a Dime story was one I loved to tell (and
had done so several times over when courting donors) it was also very minimal
time commitment. Speaking of which...
2) When Time Commitment/Expectation
is Minimal
Sometimes, I’m cheap when it’s
easy. When I get a request to answer a question, and the deadline is not “today
by five,” I’m happy to lend my name and ideas to a discussion or article, since
it’s part of my own brand strategy to be a tastemaker and go-to “voice” on the
topics of interior design, small spaces, color and art consulting. But there is
a difference between providing a quote and writing (and building) a blog post.
3) When You Love the Vehicle
I loved the gorgeously presented
content by the boys over at Bubble and Squeak the very first time I saw
it, so when they invited me to do a guest post, I said yes in a heartbeat. I
love what they do, love how they do it, and it let me flex my creative writing
muscle a bit more than usual (they have a lovely narrative format with all
their perfectly-crafted blog posts), while bringing a long-term trend concept,
“Ski Lodge Mod,” to vivid life. Win, win.
They also offered me a
giveaway opportunity to grow both of our audiences, and they built the
blog post. Win, win, win. And Eric Retzer, one half of the Bubble & Squeak partnership, brokered my first Design on a Dime exchange with the wonderful folks at Pagoda Red, so this was also pay-back (the good kind).
4) When it Helps Promote Something
You Feel Strongly About
But while neither pays (no, not
even the wildly-read HuffPo.), my writing for both has allowed me to add my
voice (and attract a new audience) to some issues about which I feel strongly.
And the personal nature of some of the pieces, whether about break-ups,
family loss, or marriage equality and gun control have proven strongly
cathartic. So even though freebies, I get plenty back from both.
Aside from reining me in when I
go all CAPSLOCK, Bilerico founder and editor Bil Browning gives me a very
long leash and tremendous freedom when it comes to timing, frequency, and
subject matter, things worth considering when asking for free content from
others. The less they pay, the more (reasonable) freedom they (or you, if
you’re doing the asking) should extend.
This kind of writing is highly
rewarding, and has also led to some remarkable friendships, an invigorated
social circle, and even the occasional comped theater ticket. Plus,
“published work” (and this counts) is what they ask to see once you do grab the
attention of a paying publisher.
I love print shelter magazines,
so when I had the opportunity to contribute to New England Home
magazine’s blog, I jumped at the chance, (actually, I think I asked them
if I could contribute, when they shared a roster of upcoming guest posters on their Facebook page.) It put me on their radar and is a potential
door-opener to future in-print possibility. (important distinction: that was my
hope and not their pitch.)
They are also remarkably sensitive to asking for
free content. They limit the number of pieces they ask for, spread it out
judiciously, and are also remarkably open to kind of post, topic, and length, which
also indicates they have a true appreciation for the value of content.
Magazine editor Kyle Hoepner has
made it clear that he understands the benefits have to be mutual, and that’s
also an important distinction... the Asker needs to understand—and acknowledge—
that there is real worth and value to what’s being requested of the Askee.
Plus, the connection to NE Home
also gets my name out to a region where I could also potentially do design
work. And as a RISD grad, I still hold a soft spot in my heart for all
things New England.
An important distinction, too...
the NE Home blog is a support community to the subscription magazine...
and nobody’s asking for written content for free for the magazine itself. Which leads to...
6) If it’s NOT for a Paid Subscription
I will most definitely draw the
line if someone is asking for an article or ongoing writing when the end
vehicle is a paid subscription, print pub or e-zine, selling basically words and pictures. And yes,
that request has crossed my radar.
7) As a Showcase for a Skill Set You
Feel is Underexposed
Speaking of my RISD roots, I’ve
always loved fine art and art collecting, so I’m always looking at ways to work
myself into those kinds of conversations. I had two separate chances, one for iLevel
and another for artist Todd McPhetridge when he himself was guest blogging for Lori McNee’s Fine Art Tips.
While it may seem like giving
away industry knowledge for free, I think it helps give you back referral
points when leveraging your identity in a specialty niche. It’s also why I gave
up my time and insight several years back when asked to sit on a panel of art
collectors for the annual :scope art fair. And I don’t see too much
distinction between being asked to write an article for free, or being asked to
moderate a panel at something like the Design and Decoration Building’s
twice-a-year Market events... or being asked to lend your voice to an interview
or blog post.
8) Mutual Admiration Society
I loved the ladies of Here in This House the very first time I met them, so again, when they asked me to
tell their readers about me, I said “Tell me when.”
They made it very easy, they
built the post, and gave me plenty of time... then they also actively promoted
it, another key criteria for knowing when to say yes. The timing was also
perfect: pre-Design on a Dime, so it wasn’t just about promoting me, it was
also about promoting the event.
I’m sorry they’re no longer
publishing, and I miss their real and virtual presence here in Manhattan. If
they ever fire up the blog again, I’d contribute again.
9) If it has True “Cash”
Value
There are some things you just
don’t say No to. When House Beautiful and Valspar approached me
to be part of their series of designer-featured advertorials, I think I might
have paid them. The end result: a full page advertorial (the content of
editorial, the real value of paid advertising). As a starting-up designer, it’s
going to be a while before I can afford a full-page ad in House Beautiful, so
this deal (including a professionally shot, edited and packaged video, and an online e-zine feature) had real the real value of cash, not just cachet.
10) Backing a Brand (and Doing What
you Love)... with Something to Show for It.
I was asked by my friends at JanMacBrands
and Lenox to style a tabletop for the Lenox Tumblr page, and while it took some
time and (initial) money to do it, four things made me say yes: 1) Lenox is a great brand
with which to be aligned. 2) There was a reasonable budget and I was reimbursed for all
out-of-pocket expenses, 3) I LOVE all things tabletop, and 4) (perhaps most importantly), the gig was professionally shot, shots to which I’d
have access (which, as in the House Beautiful gig, has an actual value
attached).
I’ve heard more than one interior
designer on dais or panel say, “Always shoot your work.” And while this wasn’t an
interior, it was something I do include in my portfolio of services. So this
one, although “unpaid,” had a definite pay-off, among all the other less
tangible benefits, and without going into my own pockets to do it. On this one, the shots were the clincher.
11) Staying Busy... and Creating Content
I will admit, when design work was
slower, I was more apt to say yes to a freebie request, and as I’ve become
busier with paying work, I’ve been more cautious about giving it away. But I’ve
also found that, for me, “busy creates busy” so there were times where I
welcomed the work mostly for the energy and forward momentum it created, even
if no monetary value was attached.
But that led to another
breakthrough, of sorts: when I want to write for free, why was I writing for
free to add value to someone else’s brands? So now, if I have the time and want
to create some of that momentum for myself, I write a blog post on my own blog
first (even if it's about one of those brands), and entertain outside offers second.
12) You Want Something New to Promote
And all these examples gave me
something to talk about through social media, gave me something to leverage,
and help build my brand buzz.
I realize it's not all one-sided, in this merry old Land of Blogs. Exposure does count, and some sites and brands who ask for something do deliver in return: wider audiences, traffic spikes, the start of a long-term partnership... but all of that starts from mutual respect. Every arrangement should feel like a partnership, not like you're being milked dry so someone else can bring home the bacon, to mix my barnyard metaphors.
But freebie requests aren’t just
limited to design sites or style writers. A friend passed along a call for
writers from a site for which I have tremendous respect, The Good Men Project. I was excited about the possibility, until I read their own pitch,
striking in its matter of fact nature and prioritization of cold, hard fact:
“Answers to FAQs: a) unpaid b) 2
month minimum commitment c) you can always link back to your own blog d) the
majority of your posts will need to be unique content e) you will upload and
format your posts, however, we will have final editorial say f) yes, we work
with many large media companies and will help push your work outward.”
But it’s not just bloggers who
are getting asked to provide content for free: some of them are doing
the asking. One prominent blogger, when asked what the compensation was for
designers to be featured in a new book, answered, “Notoriety.” We’ve got a ways
to go, inside and out.
Next time someone asks you to do
something for free, see if it’s worth your while. Actually, see if it’s worth your
worth. And make sure it’s on your own terms.
So what do you think? Valid
reasons, or guilt-assuaging hindsight justification? Is it ever right to give it away, or are
we just undermining our own talents when we do it? I’d love to hear from you! and I KNOW you have opinions on this one!
More and more, people are asking me how to pull a room together... 
