Writers' Rights Hitt Woman

Emma Hitt is the medical writer who runs The HittList, a free subscription email sent weekly with info about staff and freelance science and medical writing and editing work. It sounds as though she's a freelance writer, and so should understand the concerns of those in the business. On the front page of her site there is a notice about a "$1500 prize for a true story about your experience as a freelance writer or your experience hiring a freelance writer." Apparently she's putting together a book on freelance writing and is looking for material. Well, fine, sounds like a Chicken Soup for the Soul type of formula; get writers to tell their stories, collect said stories, edit and publish for a profit. But get this clause (because the entry form is technically a contract):

Note: all entries will be considered for inclusion into a book about freelancing. By entering this contest, you agree that the piece can be published in this book after the final edited version has been cleared with you and that you relinquish copyright of your piece. You also acknowledge that the piece is true, not embellished, and has not been previously published. You will receive a free copy of the book if your piece is included in the book. Please do not submit your entry if you cannot agree to these conditions.

So, I send in a story based on my own experience and whether it's selected or not, I'm expected to give away the copyright? And only one of the entries will win the $1500 prize? That is ridiculous. Hell, she could be this rapacious and simply ask for non-exclusive anthology rights to include a piece in her book (and leave it at that), though I'd consider that outrageous as well. If there's not enough money to pay the people who actually create the content, why should anyone make money on the project? It's bad enough to see some Craigslist bottom feeder trying to get something for nothing, but someone who not only is a freelance writer but who runs a job list for writers ought to know better - and ought to act better.

Daring to be Wrong

I have often seen writers asking the most basic questions, even when they've been in freelance writing for a while. I don't mean fundamental questions, like what are some principles that can help me find my direction. I mean basic, such as do I mention that a mutual acquaintance the editor and I have suggested I pitch, or am I allowed to call an editor?

Although I do believe in the adage that no question is too foolish to ask, I think we all have to temper that with another: if you're going to ask a question, understand why you do. The answer for many writers, including a number who have many years of experience under the belt, is that they ask questions because they're afraid of making even the slightest mistake. That in itself is close to the biggest error you could conceive.

There is no way you can ever come close to complete certainty. As in any activity, you cannot just read how to do it. The only way to learn is to try and to make mistakes. There will be times you say or do the wrong thing. Don't worry so much. So long as you're not doing something like making up a story or delivering excremental effort to a client or insulting people, you're not going to do irreparable harm to your business.

It's as though people want a set of rules and checklists to follow that will guarantee success. But the more specific the prescriptions, the less flexible they can be and the more certainly you will settle on something that cannot work all the time. In other words, the more you try to get the complete and exact list of steps you need to succeed in business, the more you set yourself up for failure.

The important thing is to learn the underlying principles, not their specific applications in all circumstances, because what will work for you will not necessarily work for me. Just try to practice the following:

• Put your client's interests before your own.


• Do your best and then keep trying to surpass it.


• Remember what you need out of your business and don't dishonor it.


• Acknowledge all the help and luck you have had and do what you can for others.


• Say no to the unethical and odious.


• The business is about relationships, not about words.


• The sooner you make the first 5,000 mistakes, the sooner you can learn and improve.

Anyone who can't deal with your being mortal and human is probably not someone you'd want to do business with anyway.

Journalistic Ethics - the Short Version

Someone on Freelance Success pointed out the story of a WMAQ reporter in Chicago who didn't step over the journalistic line - she swam over it. On her day off, she accepted an invitation to take her two sons swimming in the pool of "the estranged husband of a missing Plainfield woman.":

Sources said Jacobson told her bosses that she was on her way to the East Bank Club in River North to go swimming with her sons Friday when she received a call from Craig Stebic's sister, asking her to come to his house to talk about the case.

And then a competing station that had a camera man staked out in a neighboring house caught her on tape. Uh oh. And now she's resigned from her position.

I've seen many freelance reporters ask about what is ethical and not. I know a few who are hyper-vigilent willing to go to extremes to avoid anything that would smack of a conflict, and I know others that often look for ways to get yet another freebie. To stay on the right side of the line doesn't mean memorizing a list of rules, just understanding a few principles:

• Avoid appearance of conflict. It may be that you can actually get close to a source and still write in a reasonably fair and unbiased manner, but it's not just a question about what you can do. The issue is what impression you'd give by doing it. Assume that anything will come to be known by the public. If a third party would be suspicious of your motives, then don't do it. And if you find yourself trying to argue that the person really wouldn't mind, then assume that the person actually would. This is a case where the reporter doth protest too much.


• Avoid freebies. This can be tough, particularly if you review products, performances, or music. You shouldn't be paying for such items unless you're getting reimbursement from the publication. But if the freebie is not necessary to conduct the review, or if the ultimate subject of the review can directly influence and control your experience (as with a restaurant meal), don't take it.


• Don't be beholding. If you find that you want to moderate your story because the company or PR person may not give you the same type of access to people, products, or situations in the future, you shouldn't be writing the piece. Bite the hand that feeds you and watch yourself in the future, because you are displaying the inclination to tilt coverage for personal reasons.


• Don't use friends and acquaintances as sources. It's convenient to interview people that you know, because you have no fear of them and it's likely that you will get cooperation. But unless the person is a real expert in the area and you may not find someone as qualified, keep on moving. You are unlikely to want to present someone in a bad light, which means subconsciously you will probably censor the questions you ask and conclusions you draw. This gets particularly bad - and dangerous - when you use fellow writers as sources, because editors may well recognize the names and decide, rightly or wrongly, that you are slacking. Keep on your toes and find other sources. (And you can check here for some pointers on finding people.)

It comes down to common sense - and applying it when you're in the middle. The biggest tool you have is when you find yourself asking the question, "Is this ethical?" The answer is probably, "No."