Should You Take a Writing Opportunity That Promises Exposure ONLY?
Short answer: It’s attitude dependent.
Semi-medium length explanatory answer: From 2016–2020, I wrote for a small airports’ association publication. I designed a newsletter, procured articles from numerous sources, and wrote 2–4 articles myself each quarter to include in the newsletter.
See one of those articles describing an interview I had with a flight instructor who survived a plane crash: https://medium.com/illumination/how-to-crash-a-plane-3db4a69c5499
All this I did for free. Starting out, I wanted to have connections at the airport (being a pilot, what you can do in your career all depends on your connections). As I got deeper into writing, I also wanted exposure for my writing work.
So did it work?
Kind of.
On the airport side, I got rides in many different planes, presented an argument to our state representative, had the inside scoop to the goings-on at the airport, and also mingled with many influential people in the aviation community.
On the writing side, it was a semi-flop if you define success as payment, new paid freelance opportunities, recognition from members of other major publications, etc. There were times where I was asked to write other articles by someone in the aviation community, but these were also volunteer freelancing opportunities. My writing was appreciated by those influential people I met, and I was complimented every time I published an edition.
Writing the newsletter was fun. However, it was time-consuming and got monotonous at times.
So What’s the Takeaway?
Writing solely for exposure can be helpful depending on your attitude. If you are ok with growing your skill as a writer but not your references or your pocketbook, have at it.
For those of you saying, “No pay? No way,” Let’s just hold your horses. Writing for no pay honestly sucks sometimes. The feeling of constantly producing work only to do it all over again next quarter is monotonous and can drive you up the wall.
HOWEVER, if you look at the skills you are building, the relationships you are growing, and the experiences you are having, I would argue that it is all worth it.
The Task May Be Boring
Writing for the airports’ association was a tedious task, and producing articles on the new row of hangars being built on the airport tended to stretch my patience as I described the square footage and heated floors these hangars would have.
Even with the monotony, I grew not only my writing skills but my interviewing techniques, my graphic design style, and my note-taking habits. Had I not spent four years being an unpaid writer on the side, I would not have had the confidence to begin writing on this very website.
Don’t discount the opportunities to write for exposure. Some tend to frown upon the idea, but look at it this way: The exposure you seek may not be the exposure you need. You may not be recognized by high-profile people, be paid, or even get any other writing gigs from this opportunity.
What you will receive, if you choose to have the right attitude, will be an enhanced writing style complimented with a quiver of writing tools at your disposal for when you decide to launch into a writing side-hustle or career.
