Article writing "for hire" - advice?

[fov]

I have a client who's trying to get more recognition for a new company. My work originally started as marketing writing (web copy, etc.) and I have done a small amount of PR work for them, including a recent press release at the client's request that I was iffy about from the start and that, as I suspected, ended up having very little impact.

Now the client is asking about me writing and pitching articles to magazines that quote the company as a source. (Or possibly them writing and me doing an editing pass, but the article would be published under my name to make it appear objective.) I'm not comfortable with this for a couple of reasons. One, I'm not going to put my name on something I didn't write, and even if I did write the articles from scratch, it seems like a conflict of interest since I've already worked for them in a marketing / PR capacity. And two, if I'm going to pitch magazines, I'd rather spend that time to pitch my own projects. I have dabbled in magazine writing, but all in a very focused area that's completely different from this. I see magazine writing more as a fun extension of my own writing / hobbies than as a core part of my business. I also don't think the client understands how much work, time, and uncertainty goes into pitching and I'm fairly certain they wouldn't be able to compensate me for the effort it would take. (They want to send me a draft and have it picked up by a magazine by the end of the week...)

So, I understand why I want to say no. But I'm not sure how to explain to a non-writer why this is not a good idea, and especially don't want to burn bridges by making it sound like what they've suggested isn't "important" enough for me to take on. I'd also like to be able to make suggestions on how they *can* look for placement in magazine articles. My PR brain says they should be looking for articles similar to the type they're hoping to have written about them -- profiles of competitors, pieces in the same topic area that this client could offer a different spin on, etc. -- and then reach out to the magazines or writers behind them to pitch article ideas. For those of you who do magazine writing, would you be receptive to receiving this type of contact? Would you expect (or prefer) to hear it from a PR rep, or from the principal of a small company? And are there writers who will do this type of article writing for hire -- basically let the client hire you to put their opinions / services / etc. into article format, as opposed to objectively using this company as one source among many -- or should I set the client up to expect that they're not going to be able to find writers who will help with this type of coverage? (Not to mention magazine editors...)

Sorry for the ramble... but thanks in advance for any suggestions you can give!

[escritora]

and especially don't want to burn bridges by making it sound like what they've suggested isn't "important" enough for me to take on.

If a magazine ever found out that you're trying to pass an advertorial off as an article, you're reputation will be sullied. Present your case for not taking on the project in that manner. I'm sure they will understand. They probably haven't considered their proposition from that angle.

My PR brain says they should be looking for articles similar to the type they're hoping to have written about them

Before I made a name for myself in my industry, I read articles on my subject matter and emailed the journalist my thoughts on the article. I never pitched a story or asked that the journalist contact me for future columns. Even so, within a month I was contacted by every reporter I wrote to and was quoted in the WSJ, Newsday, and interviewed by The New York Times. Maybe this strategy will work for your client.

[CatMuse33]

Some niche and trade magazines do accept articles written by a representative of a company or their PR rep. In these cases, the publication does not pay, but they expect an unbiased article. (Although the company wouldn't be expected to quote competitors as sources.) Case studies are great for these type of stories, too.

The company/writer needs to be upfront with the magazine editor from the start. Some editors refuse stories like this but magazines with tight budgets often like the free content. I've written many stories like this, where the company pays me. I quote whatever rate the magazine *would* pay normally or what would be fair for that magazine.

These type of articles can help establish the writer/company as an expert or thought leader in their field and, if it's going to the right market (customers, rather than business-to-business) can also result in leads.

You won't get your client into the major national magazines this way, but you can get into niche/trade or local publications. And as long as you're upfront with the editor, there's nothing underhanded about it or nothing that will ruin your reputation. The bio (if your byline is on it) would read something like [Writer] is the CEO and founder of [PR Agency] who represents [your client.]

Having said all that, Fov, in your situation, you said you'd rather pitch your own stories to magazines. So I think you definitely have to pass on the assignment. Doing PR in this way is very different from writing marketing copy or writing a press release that goes out to the world via PR Web. You may want to recommend they use a full-service PR firm for this type of thing, who would use their media mailing list to get the word out, make follow up calls, and launch a full-scale PR campaign.

If they decide to go the route of a ghostwritten article with their company name on it, please feel free to give them my name and contact info, www.allcotmedia.com. Like I said, I've done this type of ghostwriting before and I'm very comfortable with it. If they have a list of publications, I don't mind pitching the story -- again, being upfront about who I am, who I'm working for, and what the client hopes to accomplish.

[fov]

Thank you both for the replies. I ended up explaining how freelance writing generally works and why I wouldn't be comfortable with what the client suggested, and they were okay with it (and thanked me for the explanation!)

CatMuse, thanks for the info -- I figured there had to be some situations where ghostwriting an article would work. If it comes up again I'll pass along your URL.