Giving it away... A calculated risk...

One of the most frequently-repeated tidbits of wisdom doled out to new writers by established pros is "never give your work away."

Don't write for free.

Usually, that's good advice.

Nonetheless, I am going to break the "no freebies" rule 50 times over the course of the next month?

I am writing 50 short articles absolutely free of charge. That's one free article for each of 50 potential regular clients.

In an effort to expand my client base, I decided to offer an abosultely free article--no strings attached--to 50 people. Breaking the rule? Nope. I am shattering it as part of a promotion.

Why would I violate the "no free writing rule?" I consider it great advertising. I am willing to bet that the quality of the free articles will convert many of those participating into consistent clients. I put this offer in front of people who buy content regularly and I plan on making a significant percentage of them Content Done Better regulars.

Could this be a bad decision? Absolutely. If I can't convert prospects into buyers, I will have given away valuable content without receiving a thing in return. It's a gamble, but I feel like the odds are on my side.

I can tell people that I produce great content at reasonable rate and bombard them with testimonials from past clients. However, in the end, "the proof is in the puddin'." I am handing out free puddin' samples.