By Erin Dalpini

Whether early on in your writing career or later down the line, if you’re good at what you do and people begin to notice, it’s likely the time will come when you’ll be faced with this dilemma: to pro bono or not to pro bono?

That is the question.

Perhaps the noble ring of a pro bono gig sounds enticing or maybe you’d rather jump off a cliff than sign on for that “sea of troubles.” (Anyone catch that Hamlet reference?) Here’s a handy rundown of things to keep in mind if you ever encounter a pro bono request . . .

First, let’s be sure we have the definition of pro bono squared away: a Latin phrase, pro bono means “for the good” and is commonly used to describe work done for no payment for the good of the public. Although lawyers are well known for their pro bono services, it’s plausible any professional can provide pro bono services to those who simply cannot afford them. An example of freelance pro bono work might be writing up a monthly email newsletter for the cash-strapped nonprofit animal shelter in your neighborhood.

Freelance pro bono writing, however, is quite a hot topic. Why? Well, most speculate that’s because in the professional realm, a good amount of freelance writers are still paid pretty poorly for their services, therefore many writers refuse to do it on principle.

So why do pro bono writing at all? A few compelling reasons . . .

* It’s a great way to get your name out there. When you’re just starting out or returning to work, freelance pro bono writing—as long as it’s for a credible source—can be a nice addition to your portfolio.

*It might help you make connections. Assuming your client was impressed, your good work for this particular organization could lead to another paying project, as word of mouth travels fast.

*If the pro bono assignment is for something you believe in or an organization or individual you care for very much, it can be intrinsically rewarding to share your talents for the good of the public. Perhaps the subject matter is one that you’re passionate about—that’s a great reason to sign on as well. To quote Sheryl Crow, “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad . . .”

And now the counterarguments . . .

*Time = Money. You’re giving up other paying gigs to do this one. ’Nuff said.

*Be wary of the size and scope of the project. If expectations aren’t managed on both sides of the project, you could end up doing more work than you originally planned. At what point does this pro bono job become too labor intensive? Communication is key.

*Some writers say that professionals should never give away their work for free, especially in a business arena that doesn’t always give credit where credit is due. Are you undermining your worth in taking this project? Only you can answer that.

Bottom line: Only sign up for a pro bono freelance project when you know full well what you’re getting yourself into, and ultimately, what you’ll be getting out of it. If you feel confident that the time and energies you’ll be committing to this project have some added value, go for it. If you’re feeling hesitant or obligated to help, that’s not a good sign—just say, “Sorry, I can’t.”

Like this advice? Want to hear more? Visit www.freelance-zone.com where you can find tons of information on how to “work smarter, not harder”.

Due to popular demand, the organizers of Freelance Camp San Francisco 2010 have created a new sub-brand, Freelance Camp PRO. This “unconference” will target attendees who have been running a freelance business full time for a year or more. The event will be smaller (+/- 100), topics more advanced, and participation is expected to be at a higher level than the past camps.

The morning will kick off with coffee and pastries, and a brainstorm of desired topics. Participants with something to contribute or a specific topic idea generate the breakout sessions which are then scheduled throughout the rest of the day. Freelance Camp PRO will culminate with an after party to further the networking and knowledge exchange in a casual, social setting.

Throughout the event, Freelance Camp PRO will share live tweets with the #freelancecamp hashtag and updates to the Wiki page, so the fun and learning can be followed outside of the space!

OUR SPONSORS
We have been blessed with a phenomenal outpouring of sponsorship offers this year so we wanted to give a quick shout out to some pretty special groups that are nurturing this year’s event!

24 Seven

Bottom Line Law Group

Colliers International

Cosmic Design Company

Elance

MBO Partners

Mozilla

NextSpace Coworking San Francisco

Outright

PariSoma Innovation Loft

Pennbrook I CAIB Insurance Services

Popchips

Shane & Peter, Inc.

Speck

Freelancer Forum interviewed Rebecca Brian, Shane Pearlman, and Jeremy Neuner about Freelance Camp PRO and the movement that is sweeping the nation.

A two day conference called The Future of Freelancing: Redefining Journalism, Reinventing Yourself, produced by the John S. Knight Fellowships program will be held at Stanford on June 18-19.  The  conference is designed to help experienced journalists explore their evolving careers and stay inspired to do their best work.

Editors from the New Yorker, the Washington Post, Esquire, Mother Jones, AOL, the Bay Area News Project and many other traditional and online outlets will talk about their publications, freelance opportunities and the evolution of the craft. The first 40 writers to register will have the chance to meet one-on-one with an editor.

Keynote speaker David Granger will discuss the future of magazines, the media and what it means for writers.

Other speakers include:

• Daniel Zalewski, features editor, The New Yorker
• Sydney Trent, editor, Washington Post
• Mark Robinson, senior editor, Wired
• Clara Jeffery, editor, Mother Jones
• Jonathan Weber, editor-in-chief, Bay Area News Project
• Marcia Parker, West Coast Director, AOL’s Patch.com

The first 40 writers to register will qualify for a one-on-one meeting with an editor, assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration opens April 9 for ASJA members, SPJ Northern California members, and current or former Knight fellows; April 16 for the general public.

The Future of Freelancing conference is sponsored by the John S. Knight Fellowships for Professional Journalists, the American Society for Journalists and Authors (ASJA), ASJA Northern California, and The Society for Professional Journalists Northern California Chapter.

For more information, visit http://freelance.stanford.edu/ or e-mail freelance@lists.stanford.edu.

Registration Opens April 9 for Members of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, or the Society for Professional Journalists; April 16, registration will open for other experienced journalists.

Call to Action: Proposal makes businesses tax collectors and forces small biz to make interest-free loans to state.

California continues to have a severe budget crisis – $20 billion in the hole. Unfortunately, one of the solutions being proposed in Sacramento is yet another budget gimmick – an onerous 3% independent contractor withholding mandate on businesses and public agencies.

Any business/agency hiring an independent contractor (anyone who receives a 1099-MISC) will have to reduce every payment by 3%, and is responsible for remitting that money to the Franchise Tax Board, the state tax collection agency.

· Almost all companies, agencies and non-profits of any kind will have to withhold.

· Almost anyone who receives a 1099-MISC will be withheld upon, including builders, plumbers, real estate agents, attorneys and health care providers.

Under This Proposal:

· The 3% will be withheld even if the business owes no income taxes for the year due to losses/slim profit margins.

· The state gets to use the money-interest free until tax return time the next year.

· Money is taken out of the pockets of businesses that is needed to keep business afloat, make payroll and pay bills.

· Implementation will be extremely costly and complex for businesses and state and local government agencies.

· The mandate is ongoing and permanent for businesses/agencies.

All for a one-time money grab that is merely an acceleration/borrowing that generates very few new revenues for the state!

Call to Action

1. Add your business’s name to the growing coalition against this proposal! To be added, simply e-mail laurie.lively@calchamber.com. Your business’s name will be added to the coalition fact sheet.

How are you going adapt to the changing economic climate? What’s the key to business success in 2010?

(see full article at www. Entrepreneur.com)

http://econnect.entrepreneur.com/group/7/discussion/3100/8912/

Utilize your internet resources:
http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/blog/

FreeLance Camp

The concept is easy. Show up. Express interests and ask questions. Break into small groups and exchange knowledge. Become a better freelancer…
Freelance Camp is a place to discuss and explore the different approaches to running a successful freelance business / service company. We have based our events on the Barcamp format, which is a network of user generated participatory events whose content is fully provided by the participants. Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to join.
Some of the events are free (thanks to our sponsors) while other charge a token fee to help cover overhead. Each camp is run by a local team of volunteers and is put on for the benefit of the community (not profit). Any left over proceedes are donated to the organizer’s charity of choice. All the events to date have included breakfast, lunch and an after party.

Who should come? If you sell your services (or are considering it), you are a perfect fit: developer, designer, accountant, blogger / journalist, realtor, lawyer, carpenter, engineer, financial adviser, marketer, sales, musician, artist, inventor… Historically, the bulk of attendees are from hi-tech. We encourage all types of owners to come to provide a balanced perspective to business.

* Get experience based answers to your questions.
* Network and meet people running successful freelance businesses.
* Form partnership and collaborate.
* Find clients.
* Help others and be a person of influence.

The founders of the network hub, gorgeous coworking space up in Vancouver have announced they plan to run a freelance camp early in 2010. If you are up in the area and are interested in helping to plan the event, drop a comment and we will put you in touch.

When people asked me 10 years ago what I did (freelance developer), most nodded their heads but couldn’t relate. Well it seems that a whole lot more people do now. According to money magazine, 31% of Americans are now freelancing, part time workers or self employed. Personally, I don’t get the difference between the first and third, but that point aside, holy cow that’s a huge shift in our economy and the work life balance.

We are very excited to bring the Freelance Camp event to Reno-Tahoe but unfortunately we have to postpone the event. Freelance Camp Reno-Tahoe will now be taking place on November 7th. Our new venue is being finalized this week but the event will be taking place in downtown Reno.

RSVP for Freelance Camp Reno-Tahoe

This is a small blessing in disguise as we are confident that Reno Collective will be opening its doors on November 1st and we may be able to host the event at our building.