Work-for-Hire: What It's All About...


by Jennifer Gibbs - Date: 2007-03-13 - Word Count: 724 Share This!

If you're like a lot of business and website owners, you've probably been looking for new and better ways to get the most out of your copy and content.

But all of that tweaking, editing, optimizing and drafting can take up a lot of time - especially if you're not an experienced writer. And even a writer who excels in the off-line world will struggle with the demands of writing for the Web.

Unfortunately, that can mean that you'll have to devote a disproportionate amount of time in order to accomplish your goals - at the expense of other urgent, high-priority tasks and obligations.

Many people make the mistake of thinking they'll never accomplish their dreams; that it'll never get done. They give up, throwing in the towel, closing the door on what could have been a very successful opportunity that won't knock again.

So, what do you do if you're not a writer? You hire one!

But, if you want to own all rights to the final work - whether it's Web content, an article, a book or a press release - then you can't hire just any writer. You need a professional that works within the constraints of what is known as a work-for-hire assignment.

Work-For-Hire: What It Means

When you hire a freelance writer to create a work-for-hire project, there are a LOT of benefits:

You can require that the writer signs an NDA (non-disclosure agreement)When the project is complete, you'll own 100% of the rights. You can sell it to a publisher, list it with an agent, put your name in the by-line and keep all of the credit.Apart from the money you'll pay the writer who completes the assignment, every penny the written work earns belongs wholly to you!You save a lot of time and stress! You simply hire a writer with a style and reputation that you trust and go about your regular business. Aside from the a few updates and revisions, you can sit back and relax. And, if you've done your homework, you can be confident that your assignment will be completed on or before the agreed upon deadline.

But, it's only fair to admit, work-for-hire writing CAN have it's drawbacks...

Work-for-hire writing fees are often a bit (sometimes quite a bit) higher than other freelance fees. That's because the writer wants to be (and should be) compensated for missing out on the royalties and reprint payments that projects only requiring 1st North American Rights normally yield.

I'll tell you one way to avoid this pitfall in a few moments.

Unless you're VERY explicit in your project details, there's a chance that the completed prose may be significantly different that you'd hoped or planned.

You can avoid this obstacle by thoroughly detailing EXACTLY what it is you're looking for - even down to the seemingly minor things.

Unless your writer offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee (in writing), there's a risk that you may wind up stuck with an incredibly flawed manuscript, and all of the money you've already released.

If you don't want to find yourself caught up in this mess, consider looking for your ideal writer on a secure, mediated, third-party freelance network like Guru.com. This site, and other similar ones, offer third-party invoicing and escrow services that protect you from writers that promise the moon and leave you with a big, ugly crater.

On A Budget? Barter!

I promised you a solution earlier and now I'm going to give it to you. If you're in need of a first-rate writer, but you're working on a shoestring budget, there are ways that you can still creatively "purchase" writing services at steeply discounted prices.

The way to do it is to look for writers willing and able to work as a work-for-hire writer in a barter exchange situation.

How does it work?

Well, I can't account for everyone out there, but when I perform barter exchange projects, I'm willing to drop my cash fees by up to 75%. The remaining balance, which is usually 50-75%, is "paid for" with services or items of value to me and/or my business.

Popular barter items include things like:

AdvertisingGraphics designSolo mailingsTravel and flight accommodationsJoint venturesYour business's productsA share of the royalties, etc.

When writers and their potential clients are willing to try creative measures like these, everybody wins. And there are several writers (even big-shot writers) who are more than happy to make the trade.

So, before you give up hope, take a closer look at work-for-hire arrangements!


Related Tags: writing, hiring, author, trade, freelance, barter, work-for-hire, writing fees

Jennifer Gibbs is a coveted freelance writer who also runs a small, talented work-for-hire writing agency. Although she's ranked in the top 1% of all writers on Guru's global network (ID: 83444), she's thrilled at the opportunity to work under a barter exchange solution. For more information, please send an email to info@jennifergibbs.com or stop by her website at http://www.jennifergibbs.com

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