jamie goode's wine blog: Working for free?

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Working for free?

Now that I'm a freelancer I have to be a bit careful how I spend my time. To put it bluntly, I need to have enough billable days each month, or I'll be in financial trouble.

Yet I still get people asking me to do things when they haven't got any budget to pay me. I don't mind people asking, as long as they don't mind me saying no, and as long as they don't make it difficult for me to say no, and as long as they're suitably apologetic or grovelling when they ask me to work for no pay.

This week I had an MW phone me up asking me to spend a day tutoring MW candidates on wine journalism, and how to write better [he did say he was desperate]. He's a nice guy and I'd love to have helped him out, but I have a lot of deadlines this week (paying work), and it would have been quite a task rearranging everything, preparing material, and then doing the gig. I asked early on in the conversation whether there would be a fee, and was told perhaps a bottle of wine or two, which isn't much good for paying the mortgage.

I feel bad asking for money, and I know that a lot of people give their time freely to help with the IMW. But these people are often salaried. Or they are MWs with a sense of duty towards the MW 'club'. Or they aren't busy, or have plenty of money already.

I know from experience that non-paying gigs don't bring out the best in me; I say yes to them, then find it puts pressure on my paying work, and I end up not doing such a good job with them because I can't justify spending enough time on preparation. It's generally much better all round if I charge my normal day rate (£400, which is pretty competitive) and then give the client my full attention.

I'm not saying that I won't do freebies, but people need to realize exactly what they are asking for when they expect a service but have no budget.

29 Comments:

At 10:33 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

nobody should be asking you to spend a whole day working for nothing - would they????

 
At 1:07 AM, Blogger Andrew Graham said...

I think just about every professional faces this conundrum now and again - so don't feel bad about saying no - Especially if you explain exactly why you are saying no.

 
At 1:41 AM, Blogger Michael Pollard said...

Well you could be like me and have a job that has nothing to do with wine so that your primary complaint in life is that there is never enough time to devote to wine.

 
At 4:31 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Get over yourself!

 
At 7:26 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting....there is the real world....and then there is the Magic Kingdom - that's where people who make childish comments like "Get over yourself!" live....

 
At 9:19 AM, Anonymous Laurence said...

One thing - is it a 'freeby' - or is it business development for you? (This one may well not be). Where does your work come from? Where would you like it to come from? What opportunities would you create by meeting a group of MW candidates (and doing them a favour)?. Further developing a network in a business sector that is both small but also increasinly competitive (with t'interweb we are all wine writers now!) can only be helpful. Maybe real issue was lack of notice from the MW!

 
At 10:48 AM, Blogger Jamie said...

Laurence
that's a good point, and one of the reasons that I do sometimes do stuff for free (conference presentations, as an example - but I'm still more likely to accept if ££££ are involved).

The invitation was v short notice, and when people come to you saying they are desperate, it makes you wonder how highly they rate your abilities in the first place.

Michael, until last February I did have such a job.

Andrew, I suppose so - although I can't see many people asking a lawyer or accountant to spend a day working pro bono unless they're family - it seems that people who charge really high fees are probably valued more than those who are more affordable, and so they are less prone to being asked for freebies.

 
At 11:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I can't see many people asking a lawyer or accountant to spend a day working pro bono unless they're family".

Happens all the time here: http://www.barprobono.org.uk/

 
At 12:59 PM, Blogger petoskystone said...

probono work has a tendency to be planned-- that is , the attorney has worked time into their schedule beforehand. however, when a short-notice request comes in, there are just going to be times when one's schedule can't be rearranged. that's just the way it is. a. graham is spot-on. a regretful 'no' sometimes is the best that you can do.

 
At 4:54 PM, Anonymous Jim Tims said...

Long day at work so have only gotten around to reading this post now, and as Jamie has already replied at 10:48 I'm not sure I'll get a response.

However, I would like to put it out there that the commentary scene in the wine trade seems to do very well at accepting non-cash ‘payments’; be they trips, favours or invitations (5-star treatment in Portugal from cork producers seems to come to mind). While I empathise with you Jamie that those in the wine biz should have more respect of your skills than offer you a bottle or two's payment as a last minute filler-inner, your brethren as a whole has sold itself so cheaply for so long that you can't blame some organisations for trying it on.

 
At 5:03 PM, Blogger Vinogirl said...

It seems a tad cheeky to ask for something for nothing in any walk of life. But I'm with Laurence...if there is any chance of it being business development, it would be hard to say no. Besides I love viticulture and oenology so I'll talk to anyone about it :)

 
At 5:17 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jamie, it's good to see you are a clever 'un and utilise the Blogger 'anonymous' feature for yourself...guileful, provacative, but still disingenious.

 
At 5:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can assure you that Jamie is not posting comments as "Anonymous" - instead it is people who observe others who make sarcastic and purile comments which add no value whatsoever.

 
At 6:02 PM, Anonymous Doug said...

In support of Jamie a certain MW charges 3-4K for a gig.

Whereas I think this is a bit stiff it is however important to charge an appropriate rate and not devalue the work.

Viz the classic quote:

Attorney-General: The labour of two days then, is that for which you ask two hundred guineas?

Whistler: No, I ask it for the knowledge of a lifetime.

 
At 6:02 PM, Anonymous Doug said...

In support of Jamie a certain MW charges 3-4K for a gig.

Whereas I think this is a bit stiff it is however important to charge an appropriate rate and not devalue the work.

Viz the classic quote:

Attorney-General: The labour of two days then, is that for which you ask two hundred guineas?

Whistler: No, I ask it for the knowledge of a lifetime.

 
At 7:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

No, I'M Spartacus!

 
At 7:23 PM, Blogger Jamie said...

In response to one of the comments by anon here: I'm an honest chap, and I can promise you that I have never left a comment on my own blog posing as anonymous - I have only ever posted here using my real identity.

I can't decide whether this comment suggesting I'm faking the comments on my own blog is funny or disturbing.

 
At 8:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

At least you get free advertising for your services on your blog - £400 per day for Mr G - could this be a bargin?
Do you offer BOGOF deals?

 
At 10:38 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"people ... who make sarcastic and purile comments which add no value whatsoever"

You can't spell "puerile" and my comment wasn't. You big dick.

 
At 11:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Exactly.

There are so many idiots on here who seem to think that this is one big Jamie Goode love-in.

If you can't accept criticism, take the comment option OFF YOUR WEBSITE.

 
At 1:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

you anonymous cretins are so pathetic - let me guess - the idiots posting the negative stupidity are unmarried ugly loners - spending lots of time very late at night in front of a screen...alone...how sad...but how transparently obvious....

 
At 7:59 AM, Anonymous Keith Prothero said...

Jamie---I really think you should delete the anonymous option and indeed have a real name policy.OK this may be difficult to enforce but I think most people who wish to make an intelligent comment will not hide behind a false identity.

As to the subject you raise-----certainly you must charge for your time and you are devalueing your "brand"if you do not do so.
Having said that,I am looking for a favour from you re Bid For Wine !! Ha Ha

 
At 9:42 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

you anonymous cretins are so pathetic - let me guess - the idiots posting the negative stupidity are unmarried ugly loners - spending lots of time very late at night in front of a screen...alone...how sad...but how transparently obvious....

Says the person who leaves a message at 1.47am, and leaves it as "anonymous"!!!

Idiot.

 
At 12:22 PM, Anonymous Tim Carlisle said...

Well said KP - this seems to have developped into a slanging match which does no one any favours.

There does seem to be a sense in the industry that because you are in it for the love of it then you'll do anything anytime for anyone.

And of course a feeling outside the industry that you have loads of money, spend your entire time on trips to Australia and New Zealand and have so much that you can give away some really decent bottles of wine.
It seems everyone is after something for nothing at the moment!

 
At 1:21 PM, Blogger petoskystone said...

i'm with kp--time to delete the anonymous option.

 
At 2:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

On behalf of the intelligent world I'm not participating in the attack-Jamie cowardly "anonymous" children morons anymore. These are very clearly unsuccessful attempted wine "journalists" who have FAILED and are JEALOUS of what Jamie has created. Robert Parker himself singled out Jamie's site a while ago as have all of the UK's best known writers - compare that to the ANONYMOUS critics - yes exactly - they will remain ANONYMOUS for the rest of their pathetic lives - so they should.

 
At 5:59 PM, Blogger Ole Martin Skilleås said...

Absolutely right of you to post this on your blog! Working for free is something all of us do for family and friends, and for causes we believe in. When, as in this case, it is something to do with the work you do freelance: charge!

If this kind of request keeps coming up, perhaps this real-life story is worth keeping in mind: "A doctor met a lawyer at a party, and complained that all the people he met socially only talked about their ailments with him. The lawyer said that the same had happened to him, but it had stopped when he started charging for his time. The doctor thanked him for a great idea.

Two days later the doctor received a bill of £200 from the lawyer for the consultation."

 
At 1:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everyone will have their own reason for choosing to remain anonymous - just as it is your choice to read a post by someone anonymous or not- anyway it is pretty easy to create a name for posting purposes.

Good on Jamie for not editing/removing comments

Back on the topic. Jamie you should charge more as a day rate!! if you then decide to discount this for individuals or organisation you decide then that is your choice.

I guess it is finding the balance of charging enough to make a living and not under selling yourself/your knowledge/your insight/your opinion ..
while recognising that it is becoming an ever increasingly competitive market.

Most important thing is to remain objective, independent and true to your yourself.

There will always be critics.

 
At 7:35 PM, Anonymous Sklenicka said...

Once upon a time, Johnny Cash, my favorite singer, was asked to make a show for his friend for lower fee than usually. He replied, I have just two rates. First is full rate for a normal show. The other is for free and it is for charity. So if it is charity, you can have it for free... Is it charity??? (:o)

 

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