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Writing ‘On Spec’ Vs. ‘On Assignment’: What’s the Difference?
The other day, I casually mentioned to my husband that I rarely write ‘on spec’ and was thrilled when my project was accepted.
“What does writing on spec mean?” I was asked.
A little bell went off in my head and knew this would be a good topic to mention here, especially with all the recent posts related to article pitching.
When replying to a pitch request, or call for submission, you might be asked to submit a summary of what you plan to write about, or even a polished first draft.
Writing ‘On Spec’
The latter, submitting a draft, is essentially writing on spec, or on speculation. You’re submitting a fully fleshed out idea, for consideration.
Then you wait to learn if your proposal to the publisher will be accepted or rejected.
Many times writers working on spec have a specific story they want to explore with a publication and audience in mind, and present the piece to the publisher, hoping they’ll like it and publish it.
Writing on spec is a common approach for book authors, essay-writers and poets.
