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“Just Send the Sample”
A short story written by ALANA DAO Member @shellpenwrites.
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I was 22 when I got my first maybe.
No one tells you how loud that word can get in your head. How it follows you from the café Wi-Fi back to your room with no electricity, whispering, "maybe this will be the one."
I had just finished National Youth Service. I was broke, hungry, and hopeful. Writing was what I knew. It was the only thing I thought I was good at. So when a company—big name, thousands of followers—reached out saying they loved my writing, I was ecstatic.
But they said, “We just need a few samples to know you're the right fit.”
So I wrote. Three full blog posts, original ideas, edited, SEO-ready.
“Thanks,” they said.
Silence.
Two weeks later, the posts were live. No credit. No payment. No response.
I was crushed, but I told myself it was part of the hustle. That exposure was currency. That one day someone would pay me what I was worth.
A year later, it’s the same story.
Another “trial task.” Another “this is outside scope but just help us with it, please.” Another, “Your rates are too high for someone from Nigeria.”
I'm not just a writer. I'm a firstborn. I send money home. I split my data subscription between job applications and my little sister’s school projects.
I am tired.
I am talented.
And I deserve better.
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Victor Aikabeli. 24 year old Creative Writer.
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