Writing "samples" for prospective clients: How many of you actually do this?

This question is for writers who have extensive online portfolios of clips they can easily link a prospective client to.

How many of you actually jump through the hoop of crafting a new, unique piece to send off as a sample if a potential client requests it?

Personally, I think in the ten years that I've been writing professionally both for personal clients and magazines, I've written two very brief samples. It's just not something I'm willing to do unless the pay for the gig is beyond good.

What about you?

 

To be honest I hate (and I do not accept) clients that ask for unique samples based on a certain topic. What if they ask 10 writers to provide unique samples on different topics? I guess they complete their projects. hehehe

 

as a client I would not ask for a sample content, I would look at your portfolio to see if I think we can work together.

As a designer, I would never design something to show to a client to see if we are a good fit. My portfolio would speak for it self.

 

I totally agree! I have quite a variety of samples of my writing on my website (which in itself is a sample of my writing style). If a prospective client isn't satisfied with that, then that client is looking for something I'm not willing to provide.

 

"jump through the hoop"???

This is the norm, especially with newspaper and magazine editors.

Try pulling that shit with them and see how far that'll get ya.

But with regular ol' webmasters.... *shrugs shoulders* If it is a unique subject (death of a loved one, kicking a drug habit, raising a child....), I don't have a problem with it. In fact, I should be expected to do this.

Any fool can put words down on paper. Getting the readers to like them is something else. ... Which is why many editors and webmasters will ask for a sample on their particular subject.

Folks, it comes with the job. If you truly are pro writers who write for a living, shouldn't you know all of this already?

Just because you have a writing hand for a few subjects here and there doesn't mean you have it for ALL subjects.

Besides, doing this definitely adds more credibility and diversity when they see such examples in your library of samples.

 

Really? Because I worked a few years in the magazine industry and aside from submitting a piece/topic that I had already written/thought of on spec (no rights given or implied) I was never asked to write a sample. And by never, I mean "ever".

As for the rest of your reply, eh. *waving her hand, dismissing it*

I still maintain that it's useless, pointless and an absolute time/effort/energy waster unless the pay is well above the norm.

 

Don't do it, especially if you have a decent portfolio. Or, better, you can ask for a refund if you don't get the deal.

 

Really? And just exactly how many have you written for, what are the names of the magazines, how many articles have you actually had published, and, where may we see them?

Sorry, but a half a dozen or so articles here and there doesn't count (even on the Examiner), and also not from God-awful article farms, like, say, Demand Media (studios) churns out of their 10,000-a-day-article-making machine.

And I am also talking about a unique subject written upon; a subject that a writer has never written.


Sorry for the tone in this post, but I am sure that there are some newbies here who want to be TRUE writers for magazines and newspapers, and make a living from it, so they need to know the realities of it all. Just about all they read on boards is pure BS, and I get tired of it all.

So, sorry for the tone.

I'm not all the way into being a content writer just yet (I'm a copywriter and will be switching writing careers fully in the next month or two)), but I don't care if I have a rinky dink webmaster who pays only $50 for an article, if it is something totally different he needs a writer for (like, say, teenage suicide), I will write him up a sample.

It's what true pro writers do.

Any fool can put words down on paper. Getting the readers to like them, to CONNECT to them, is something else. ... Which is why many editors and webmasters will ask for a sample on their particular subject.

Just because you have a writing hand for a few subjects here and there doesn't mean you have it for ALL subjects.

Thinks to self: Now why did I have this feeling I had to repeat that? *puts hand in chin* Hmmmm....


And, yes, many editors of magazines and newspapers sometimes DO ask for additional samples because of that fact.

It's the norm, in the real world.

And for those of you newbies reading this...if you want to be a TRUE writer who does writing for a living, having an attitude of having to jump through hoops will not get you far.

Sorry, Senobia, I guess we are just going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Yes, folks, don't do it, thus losing jobs that pays up to (and even over) $1 a word, while at the same time not adding more credibility and showing more diversity in your writing.

The choice is yours.

 

You can start with Atlanta Parent, Pediatrics For Parents and T.A.P.S. (The Atlantic Paranormal Society - TV show of the same name) Magazine. I'm sure they're archived by now, I couldn't find a direct link to my pieces - but do you wanna share your mailing address for me to send you a hardcopy?

I didn't mention either of these places.

What about the ones that ask for "a" sample...anything, just write something and send it to us? Or the ones that give you a totally unrelated to their business topic? You'd skip right off and pen those, too?

Did I not say....repeatedly....."unless it's a job that pays well above average"....or something to that effect? My point was - in case you failed to see it while dissecting the post and making it read the way YOU wanted to interpret it - why jump through hoops unless....unless...that disclaimer you repeatedly overlooked....unless....it was well worth it?

 

On those? Heh, no.

"You can start with"? Okay, anything else? Anything from magazines we see on the newstands? http://www.magazinecost.com/popular-magazines/

And how many of them, and, how many articles were actually published?

heh yeah, I wouldn't mention them either.

That is what dumbass webmasters with their little sites would do. They pay $5, $7 an article.

They aren't the same.

Yes, I would.

Some months back, Parents magazine asked me to send them a sample on teenage suicide, which I mentioned above. I had to decline, because that is a toally different kind of a write up. I am very good at what I do, but on some subjects I just cannot write a GOOD article the readers can CONNECT to.

Many writers, pros or not back out of possible work because of that.

Editors knows this, which is why sometimes they will ask for more samples.

Even webmasters of rinky dink sites and editors of rink dink magazines would ask for additional samples because of this.

And Senobia, if you ever contact the editors of magazines that are on newsstands, don't be surprised if some of the editors ask for more sample.

I mean, come on, articles from article farms like, ehow and DM doesn't cut it with many of them, and rightly so.

I'm just saying.

I missed that. ... Sorry.

But, for me, even if it is average pay, even if it is just $50, I, and many, many others would still do it, for the reasons given.

God, if I could write up a damn good article on, say, teenage suicide, talk about a feather in the hat. It's an article many parents can relate to, and that can be sold over and over and over again to other magazines, and, newspapers.

Not to sound insensitive, mind you.

 

They're all on newsstands, depending on where you live. Do you think Atlanta Parent is going to be on the newsstands in Aneheim, CA? Imma guess.."no". *blank stare*

Several and several.

"heh" - but you did.

BS! You can find "Parents Magazine's" Writer's Guidelines here -which is the same query process as every other magazine in the country, ad nauseum. So try that "Oh, they chose ME!" BS story with someone that doesn't know any better.

Read: Covert attempt to cover my aforementioned BS story

Read: Covert attempt #2

Read: Covert attempt #3

Lastly - remind us again why you're here? If you are truly the Be All, End All in the writing field, have all the skills, experience and opportunities that you coo and croon over (tell-tale sign that you're likely trying to convince yourself that this is true, as much as you're trying to convince anyone else) beating down your door - why waste those precious high dollar keystrokes in a cesspool such as this?

*tilts head and ponders....but not for long before dismissing this post on the grounds of BS like the majority of the other ones you've made*

 

Huh?

Um, I know. I was asking which one of those you have your articles in.

You say that you know that editors do not ask for additional samples (when in fact many of them do, and it is common to do so), so how would you actually know for a fact unless you have worked with many of them, and for long extended periods of time? You say you have been writing "professionally" for "ten years," so....

No offense, relax, just asking.

lol Is that the name of the magazine?

heh - but I don't write for article farms. If I did, *chuckles* I wouldn't mention it.

Again...huh? What ARE you talking about?

What does that have to do with many editors asking to see more samples, such as Parents magazine because of the reasons I gave?

And, um, I was showing wanna-be writers WHY many editors ask for additional samples.

Hello???


Oh, and, uh, that guideline page is out of date. The editor has to be called for the guidelines for an article to be considered in their hard copy magazine.

"covert"??? lol I must be a spy.

Name is Bond...James Bond. *lights cigarette*


Look, Senobia, you started a thread asking if one gives more samples. If you don't like the reality of it all, and, you seem to be getting bent out of shape over something as little as this, well, sorry.

*shrugs shoulders* I just don't know what to tell ya. ... Maybe go over to that forum yet again, and then start "It's getting worse" thread #3 on posters paying only a few dollars per article? I don't know....

Two and a Half Men is on now. See ya. ... Have a good night.

 

I never do FREE samples.
In fact...I never give samples...

I tell them straight off...

"If you want to see my samples...
Look online!"

 

Don't do it, especially if you have a decent portfolio. Or, better, you can ask for a refund if you don't get the deal.

 

For me it's got to be a case-by-case basis. I put together maybe five / six sample pars for a potential client just a week or so ago. I refused to write a full sample - instead, just a 'taster'.

It was the first time I'd ever had such a request, and I obliged because the project was sizable and the pay was very good - but not out of this world.

It was also clear that this client could throw plenty more work my way if I did a good job for him. So, in my mind, that meant doing what was necessary to try land the first job.

I landed the project.

 

I do not offer "free" unique samples. But with 4,500 published print and Web articles as well as a plethora of sample press releases, PowerPoint presentations, letters, etc. I think I have a pretty good body of work to show people.

Be cautious if you're asked to write a free unique "sample" especially if not for a top-dollar project. Too many scammers out there who really just want something for nothing.

It doesn't matter if you charge $1 or $1,000 an article, your time is worth money. You can't get wasted time back...

Best,
Stephanie

 

It's not "the norm" to write articles as samples for traditional media, but it often is for blogs I've found. Professional writers keep clip files for this purpose. I think there are some content creation sites (like demand studios) that regularly ask for samples as a way to get free content. Watch out for those!

 

Not the norm? ... Really? Huh.

I guess you better tell that to the editors of Cosmo, Men's Health, Fitness, O, Redbook....because they must not know.

 

The point is that content writing and copywriting are two different creatures. Articles and content require little research when you write around a single idea and if you can knock out 3 in an hour the lower rate of pennies per word isn't too bad. With copywriting you are trying to help your client sell their services or products, which means you need to research the market and check what their competitor are up to and generally this works on a per project, not a per word basis. I do both types of writing by the way.

 

You don't need samples if you have a good body of work online, just send them the links - and certainly don't write samples for a specific niche etc. I got caught on that one about 3 years ago, never again.