I echo what Ian has said about the beneficiaries of unpaid writing.
Kat is right to urge aspiring science writers to pull their fingers out and write. They can start by blogging via self-hosted websites, with social media blitzing to promote their literary wares. Would-be professional writers could also proactively pitch articles to established commercial pseudo-blogs attached to mainstream media outlets.
What I would be wary of, however, is inexperienced writers taking the bait offered by commercial startups launched so often by people who are not themselves science communicators or journalists by trade and professional experience. If someone invites you to write for their commercial blog, look very closely at their professional backgrounds, and steer clear of the serial starterupers.
Aspiring science writers could instead join forces and create their own group blogs, as a way of attracting the attention of editors with real-money budgets, and employers looking for talented PR copywriters, etc. When it comes to would-be science journalists with research backgrounds, I advise them to focus on the B2B sector, where they are more likely to be paid appropriately for their writing skills and scientific expertise. The full-time job I have now – science communications lead for the Graphene Flagship – came out of my B2B experience as a freelance journalist.
Finally, I recommend that aspiring science journalists and PRs collaborate closely with others in the trade, familiarise themselves with the operational detail of the media industry, learn how to negotiate effectively with publishers and employers, and closely guard your intellectual property.
Join the NUJ. If you aren't already a jobbing journalist or PR, we can help turn you into one! Temporary freelance membership is open to those looking to establish themselves in the trade, and benefits include subsidised professional training courses and free legal advice.
Francis
On 16 Oct 14, at 15:15, Ian Simmons <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I think that the problem is not so much with the writing for free bit, but with who benefits from the free writing. It’s one thing to set up your own blog, or get together with a few friends and set one up to write about stuff you are interested in, get some practise, and hopefully, if you are good enough and promote yourself successfully you’ll get a readership, maybe get noticed and be able to parlay that sort of thing into a paid writing gig. On the other hand, there are blogs set up corporately, which on one hand solicit free work for ‘experience’ or ‘exposure’ but on the other hand sell advertising on the site and generate income for someone, but not the writers. In the past such things appearing in print would be expected to pay contributors. The blurring between these two kinds of thing is greatly aided by both being called ‘blogs’ but in reality the latter is probably better termed an on-line magazine and by rights ought to treat contributors like magazine writers. Contributors are attracted by the promise of one day getting paid to write, while the platforms that are doing this are undercutting and squeezing out those that pay, so driving us to an ecosystem in which paying writers is uneconomic, so by writing for ‘blogs’ free to get experience is actually destroying the very things people are trying to get experience to do.
>
> I do note that Blue Dot are part of ‘Popup Concept Events Ltd’ and have a page saying that advertising opportunities will be available soon, but will leave others to decide where this particular blog sits on that spectrum.
>
> IAN
--
Dr Francis Sedgemore
journalist, writer and recovering physicist
telephone: +44 7840 191336
website: sedgemore.com
twitter: @hesgen
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