Comments on: The Problem With Free http://copywriterscrucible.com/the-problem-with-free/ A melting pot of copywriting tips, insight and words for hire by freelance copywriter Matt Ambrose. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:21:33 +0200 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Laura Spencer http://copywriterscrucible.com/the-problem-with-free/comment-page-1/#comment-40315 Laura Spencer Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:25:12 +0000 http://copywriterscrucible.com/the-problem-with-free/#comment-40315 Great post! Unfortunately, we have all gotten a sort of fast food mentality and everyone is looking for the "value menu." The mindset shouldn't carry over into copywriting, but unfortunately it does. I know that my rates turn a lot of perspective "clients" away (and they aren't even that high). Great post!

Unfortunately, we have all gotten a sort of fast food mentality and everyone is looking for the “value menu.” The mindset shouldn’t carry over into copywriting, but unfortunately it does.

I know that my rates turn a lot of perspective “clients” away (and they aren’t even that high).

]]> By: Matt Ambrose http://copywriterscrucible.com/the-problem-with-free/comment-page-1/#comment-39780 Matt Ambrose Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:50:48 +0000 http://copywriterscrucible.com/the-problem-with-free/#comment-39780 Hi Tom, I feel the same way when I get informed by a new startup that they only have limited funds and cant afford to pay my full rate. My feeling is that if that's the case they haven't thought through their business plan properly and have got caught up in the hysteria of being the next Facebook. Consequently alarm bells start ringing in my head and I'm even less inclined to take any risks with my pay cheque. Why does everything have to be free or cheap? Trying to do everything as cheaply as possible just presents more risks which will cost more to fix later on in my opinion. And that includes the lost customers who wont come back because of the poor copy. Matt. Hi Tom,

I feel the same way when I get informed by a new startup that they only have limited funds and cant afford to pay my full rate. My feeling is that if that’s the case they haven’t thought through their business plan properly and have got caught up in the hysteria of being the next Facebook. Consequently alarm bells start ringing in my head and I’m even less inclined to take any risks with my pay cheque.

Why does everything have to be free or cheap? Trying to do everything as cheaply as possible just presents more risks which will cost more to fix later on in my opinion. And that includes the lost customers who wont come back because of the poor copy.

Matt.

]]> By: Tom Chandler/Copywriter Underground http://copywriterscrucible.com/the-problem-with-free/comment-page-1/#comment-39661 Tom Chandler/Copywriter Underground Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:49:28 +0000 http://copywriterscrucible.com/the-problem-with-free/#comment-39661 Unlike so many others, I thought Anderson's "Long Tail" was something of a crock when I read it, or more accurately, it was a restatement of some fairly obvious principles (as the cost of deliver goes down, smaller markets become potentially profitable) I wasn't surprised when a later look at the hard data didn't exactly support his conclusions. The new book sounds even less tenable. Sure, storage and bandwidth costs have fallen, but exactly how is all that "free" storage going to populated? User-generated isn't the whole answer; after all, to attract users you've got to develop some expensive technology, and to keep attracting them, you need to keep developing it. Of course, some seem to expect writers to also work in the "free" mode to make the new "free" business model work, and sadly, there seems to be more than a few willing victims. Let somebody else work for free. Baby needs a new word processor. Unlike so many others, I thought Anderson’s “Long Tail” was something of a crock when I read it, or more accurately, it was a restatement of some fairly obvious principles (as the cost of deliver goes down, smaller markets become potentially profitable)

I wasn’t surprised when a later look at the hard data didn’t exactly support his conclusions.

The new book sounds even less tenable. Sure, storage and bandwidth costs have fallen, but exactly how is all that “free” storage going to populated?

User-generated isn’t the whole answer; after all, to attract users you’ve got to develop some expensive technology, and to keep attracting them, you need to keep developing it.

Of course, some seem to expect writers to also work in the “free” mode to make the new “free” business model work, and sadly, there seems to be more than a few willing victims.

Let somebody else work for free. Baby needs a new word processor.

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