I recently acted as sub contract writer for my buddy’s agency – he had his agreements and professional engagement docs in place, but he (therefore also I) was screwed for the balance of that really excellent work.

I wrote off the anger and the loss, as I was not the prime. They overturned 4 drafts because they didn’t know what features of the very technical product they wanted to highlight. A moving target, despite weekly reviews, and my voluminous on-line portfolio of past work.

There will always be crappy, low class business that will impugn your work product, break contract clauses, and generally weasel out of paying the bill. Spec is just one way that an industry overburdened by amateur writers and analysts deals with the competitive labor surplus.

We were engaged to create a web site for a large financial institution. The work included everything–a total re-working of their internet presence.

Part of the gig was, of course, design. We asked several designers to submit their work, given parameters that matched the clients’ needs.

This is much like what advertsing agencies are asked to do every day; in order to pitch their work, they SHOW THEIR WORK. In a creative situation, this is (all but) necessary.

My point: yes, a lot of time being asked for spec work can mean you’re getting scammed. But not always.

Jeff Yablon
President & CEO
Virtual VIP

However, they paid each and every candidate for their work.

That way they get a no obligation way to see if you are any good. You get paid for the work done and you get an opportunity to see if the people in question are worth working for — and if they pay their invoices on time.

I told him how I felt and he thought it was “normal”. No it’s not. It was a good debate between me and my partner so now I get to forward him this article. Thanks WWD!

If there isn’t enough respect to pay for the initial work, there won’t be enough respect throughout the working relationship to make it worth it or positive.

At least in that instance, the risk is presented up-front, and can be considered in its proper context… but still amounts to “probably not gonna get paid.” One’s sanity is probably better served by investing time in a self-driven effort toward developing a source of recurring revenue.

I say NO and put the incident out of mind without delay, so I can’t recall any specific offers.

Conversations with friends and the application of my google-fu both yield the same result:

At best, prospects who request spec work don’t know what they want and intend to figure it out at someone else’s expense.

At worst, they’re going out of their way to steal.

Either way, the only appropriate response is “figure out your needs, find a shop that makes a good fit, and good luck to you when it finally comes together.” No lectures, no whining, just a quick, quiet blow-off.

…And the politeness of the approach suggested by the NO!SPEC template is too polite, in my opinion. Clients who lack either clue or integrity (if not both) are going to be Bad Clients even if they come around and agree to a contract.