Why The Writing for Free Battle, Isn’t One (Susan James)

Why The Writing for Free Battle, Isn’t One
(by Susan James)
Among many popular themes in the writing world these
days, is one of the subject matter folks like to take sides
on, especially online, which is: ‘to write for free’ or not.
In the realm of higher mechanics (manifesting skill
development), my playground, writing for free or not, is
not an issue.
It’s not about writing for free or not to write for free.
It’s about how we feel and express ourselves as make
these choices.
If we judge both ourselves for giving our words away for
free as not a good choice, and or judge others in the same
manner, then the actual choice does not matter. We negate
our overall intention energetically, which is some form of
success, by going against the grain of ourselves.
It’s about writing flow and why most of us have some
level of gift of writing in the first place. It’s about creative
flow and how we direct it. We stifle this flow, by getting
caught up in the shoulds and should nots of writing and
how to promote ourselves.
If we stifle the flow going out from ourselves, we also put
up a wall for flowing coming back to us, in the form of
some type of success fulfillment.
I could not have built my livelihood without first offering
something out for free. I still put out writing for free in
some form quite often and I love doing it.
But was it and is it still, really ‘for free’?
A reader who takes a moment to read something that I
wrote, is of value to them and to me. I value their time
and generosity of their eyes taking in my words and
thoughts. I value this in many ways, as much as I do
monetary payment for various products and services.
Therefore, their time is ‘freely given’, but not devalued on
my end.
I’m not held to simply ‘free or not free’. I do what I feel
good about doing, when I feel like doing it. I place some
value on everything that I do. Its value may not mean the
same to others as it does to me; and for others, it may
mean more to them than I ever would have imagined.
There are many aspects of my writing and its extensions,
where monetary exchange, is what it is; I have this
product/service, in the form of energy that you are
welcome to, for an exchange of energy from you in the
form of money.
Absolutely everything is energy. I value this exchange of
energy between us, and I thank you very much! It allows
you to expand your energy and world by reading
something of mine. It allows me to expand my energy and
world by using your (money) energy to expand someone’s
else’s world through something I may purchase, using
what has now become my (money) energy.
The same comparison applies to ‘putting it out for free’,
where the situation fits.
Who gets to choose when it fits and feels best to do it for
free? ME; and I only do it when it feels good to do it.
Whenever it doesn’t feel good to put something out for
free, I don’t do it. I get to do whatever I want, feel good
about it and my writing world expands itself in ways I
never would have dreamed.
Oh, and this that you are reading is free for you to read,
but please don’t be mistaken. I value both your time for
reading it and I thank you. And I value my time for
writing it, otherwise I wouldn’t have.
Susan James (Copyright http://www.susanjames.org )
<><><>=====================<><><>
When Only MORE Knowledge Will Do…(sj)
http://www.susanjamesbookstore.com
================================ .
This is insightful. Our online writings are free and it is still up to us to publicize them.
Hi Susan… good points. As you said, there’s nothing wrong with being “free”. I, too, am a writer. I have lots of stuff in my head fighting to “get out”. If I don’t satisfy this need for letting it out, I kill the idea or moment. And the idea or whatever is trying to get out is lost. But also, as a professional writer (meaning a *paid* writer), I have skills and talents that I offer to prospective clients and employers with the premise that I can provide great value to them while in return they help me to keep a roof over my head and food on the table.
But I DO write for free. A lot. I’ve produced almost 150 Squidoo lenses that *eventually* *may* make a nice income for me–but at the moment, I’m rambling along and enjoying the research and exploration and sharing my ideas and images with anyone who cares to stop and take a peek. I also have a blog set up–in which I also ramble along and share “freebies” with folks who take the time to look and read.
Having a *dialog* with my readers is the most gratifying thing for me. It justifies my act of getting the *stuff* out of my head and onto paper (or computer).
The *pay* may be the icing on the cake. But as a professional, I also check to see if folks are getting my work for free because they naturally try to get free stuff from anyone… or whether they appreciate the freebies for what they are.
Similarly, Medical Doctors and Dentists regularly “donate” their time to charitable organizations to provide “pro-bono” work to help needy folks from around the world. But the appreciation they receive from their new patients makes their contribution so much worth it.
Same as a writer. I write because I must. I write because I can. If I get paid for it, so much the better. But I’ll still write… no matter what.
Thanks for a great post!
Dave
http://www.squidoo.com/WorkingWords
This is such an interesting topic. I am establishing a business that does promo writing for entertainers. Of course I charge for that but in order to promote the business I find musical artists on Myspace and write a short positive review on them, post it on a blog that is for that purpose, then write and inform the artist. I tell them what I do and where to find the review. So often I don’t even get a thank you or an acknowledgement. I guess because some feel I should be doing all this for free and it is expected that I do it.