Many established writers give new writers this advice: Never, ever write “on spec.”

Is this good advice? First, let’s define the term. “On spec,” short for “on speculation,” means:

1. You don’t have a contract
2. The editor never promised to use the piece or pay you for your work
3. There’s no guarantee your work will be published.

Essentially, you’re “speculating” in the financial sense. A speculator is one who takes large financial risks in the hopes of even larger returns. Except, in writing, the returns usually aren’t significantly above average. (You’re probably not going to make six figures on one article). Then again, neither is the risk. You’re taking a chance that the editor will like you’re work enough to publish it and pay you for it. The risk is the time you invest in the article with no guarantee of pay. The rewards are:

• Getting paid for the article
• Getting your foot in the door at a quality publication, even if you may not have relevant clips to convince the editor to give you the assignment with a contract
• Creating a relationship with that editor, which could lead to more work

If you build a career as a freelance writer doing business this way, you could lose a lot of time. And time = money. But sometimes writers submit “on spec” and don’t even realize it.

If you write for a content publisher like Demand Studios, you’re writing on spec. You’re work might be rejected or sent back for a rewrite. By the same token, if you write for a magazine that doesn’t give you a contract (and you don’t submit one yourself), you’re writing on spec. If you write for a magazine that offers a contract but doesn’t offer a kill fee if your work isn’t published — that’s the same as writing on spec, because the editor can reject your work and you won’t get paid.

Different Levels of “On Spec” Writing

There are different levels of writing “on spec,” some with a greater risk than others. If you query an editor and he says he’d like to see the article, but offers no promise of publication and no kill fee, that’s “on spec.” However, the risk is relatively low, since the editor has expressed interest. On the other hand, if you submit an article without a query, this is called an “unsolicited submission.” Some publications don’t accept unsolicited submissions at all. Others will consider them, but there’s less of a chance of acceptance, because the editor hasn’t asked for the piece. I often write articles after an editor has accepted my query, but it’s very rare I’ll ever submit an unsolicited submission. What if the editor has something similar in the works for the next issue? He won’t use my piece and I’ve wasted my time, when a short query would have clarified the matter and I could have come up with a different angle or submitted my idea to a different publication.

When to Write “On Spec”

I’d like to tell new writers, “Never write on spec. Always demand a contract with a kill fee equal to at least 50% of the price of the article.” But that’s not always practical. As a magazine editor, my publishers wrote contracts that were non-negotiable. I didn’t have the budget to pay for articles I couldn’t print. If the writer didn’t follow the assignment or the quality of the work didn’t reflect the quality of the query, I had the right to reject the piece. As the editor/client/customer, I have a right to satisfactory work.

It’s always worth asking about kills fees, especially with startup magazines or magazines that seem to be on shaky financial footing, but, like any financial speculator, you need to weigh the risks against the opportunity and rewards. If the editors of Cosmopolitan or Oprah or Parenting magazines say they want to see an article based on my query, I’m not going to quibble about a kill fee. I’m going to write the best article I can and expect them to publish it.

If I were a beginning writer with no clips to my name, I’d write on spec if:

• the publication seems to have staying power and a solid reputation
• I can use the work elsewhere if they turn it down
• the article is likely to lead to other assignments and opportunities, with that publication or others

Today, it’s easy to find a home for work, even if you just submit it to an article directory to promote yourself as a writer. No writing is ever wasted. That makes it easier to say yes to writing on spec, but I wouldn’t want to build a career out of that philosophy. When there’s a good opportunity to create a relationship with an editor and getting steady work, writing on spec is a pretty good gamble.