Ethical Questions for Writers

As professional writers, each one of us must determine what we will and will not write in return for pay. As a freelancer, there are times when I take projects that I don’t particularly want to do in order to pay the bills. But I draw an ethical line at certain tasks, and I’m wondering if other freelancers feel the same.

I won’t write sales copy for scams.

From time to time, I’ve been hired to write sales copy for products or services that turn out to be scams. Through the course of researching the product or service, I’ve turned up results including people complaining to the Better Business Bureau, people alleging that the products have dropped spyware or keyloggers onto their computer, or people complaining about how a product or service is a rip-off. If I uncover anything like this, I cancel the project. I won’t write copy designed to enable people to rip other people off, either outright or via installing malicious software. I personally feel that it’s unethical.

I don’t make false promises in my copy.

Everyone wants their copy to sound the best. People want to differentiate themselves in their niche, and give readers a reason to use their product or services instead of their competitors’. Occasionally, I get a client who wants me to highlight certain features – features that don’t function in the way the copy implies, or features that outright can’t deliver what the copy promises. I draw a line there. I’m adept at spinning copy to make a product or service sound like an ideal solution – but only if it actually works. If it doesn’t do what the seller is trying to promise it does, I won’t say that it does. In other words, I won’t write copy that lies.

I won’t work on projects I find personally offensive.

If I find a project personally offensive, I won’t do it – period. I would never want my writing associated with something that offends me, because writing is personal, and that would be akin to a tacit endorsement. At best, it’s hypocritical, which I strive not to be; at worst, accepting money to write about something personally offensive is an outright moral compromise, and that’s something I’m not willing to do for my job. This especially includes projects that promote hate, elitism, or contempt for one’s fellow man. I just won’t do it.

I won’t write biased reviews for pay.

This one gets tricky, because I started my freelance career writing ‘buying guides,’ which included reviews of certain products. Pretty early on in this project, I ran into a product that I didn’t feel warranted a positive review. I found a better product, and contacted my client to determine whether I could write about that product, instead. I explained the issue, and my client was supportive in my changing the product and writing the review about the better product.

Since that time, I’ve been very careful to avoid taking projects that entail writing a biased review. I’ll write honest reviews for pay – reviews that cover both the positive and negative aspects of a product – but I won’t write reviews that make a product sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread if it’s not, just because someone is paying me.

I don’t take projects I don’t believe in personally.

This is another tricky one. As a freelance writer, I occasionally find myself writing about something that doesn’t particularly matter to me. When I’m indifferent, I try to find an angle that does interest me, just so the copy isn’t bland and dull; as it typically is if a writer doesn’t care about the subject. I’m fortunate in that I enjoy learning about new things, so I can almost always find an angle that interests me in something that I don’t particularly care about otherwise.

But in my mind, that’s different than taking a project in which you outright don’t believe. For example, when I’m sourcing projects, I see a lot of projects in the self-help field, relating to wealth building and a number of other related topics. These are topics in which I actively dis-believe. I personally feel that these topics have no value, so I don’t bother to bid on these projects. My lack of belief would come through in my writing, and I feel it’s unethical to write about something in which I don’t believe; it’s like letting my copy lie for me. This really straddles the line, and I’m not sure many people would consider it actively unethical, but it violates my personal ethics, so I don’t do it.

I’d love to hear from other writers about this. Do you draw ethical lines at certain projects, or do you feel that doing so unnecessarily limits your potential project base? Are there any projects you feel strongly about taking, or not taking? I’d love to hear your thoughts.