Today’s post was supposed to be a triumphant one. This week I had closed the gap completely and in less than 4 months figured out how to cobble together the pieces to cover all of my expenses with freelance work. That changed around 2pm yesterday when I decided that my integrity was worth more than a steady freelance writing assignment I’ve had since June.
It’s tough for me to see someone take credit for my work, no matter how well they compensate me. It happened quite a bit at my last company before I went out on my own and it’s happened to me to varying degrees as a freelance writer. In some companies, it’s a common scenario and unless you’re prepared to leave your role, it’s not an easy thing to prevent nor correct. As a writer, I’ve sometimes taken on assignments as a ghostwriter but the terms were quite clear and for only a very short period of time.
What happened to me yesterday was on another level entirely.
I have been writing a series of articles for a startup incubator since I left my corporate job. The placement was decent and the PR person placing them seemed genuinely interested in my work. Then I noticed that he began to append his own name to the byline as an editor of my work when he had not edited a shred of content. What’s worse, he not only included his name but also added in a link to his other company that had nothing to do with the startup incubator.
I wasn’t sure if this was a common industry practice so I reached out to my friend and colleague, Amanda, a tremendously talented and accomplished writer and editor. I was concerned that perhaps I was being a bit too sensitive about my work. She called BS on this kind of practice and suggested I do the same. I spoke to the PR person and his elaborate explanation for his decision made me feel even worse. I decided I couldn’t continue to write for him. The trust was gone.
I felt badly about it all afternoon but when I finally decided to walk, there was a lightness that appeared. I was spending a lot of time on these articles and though the rate was decent, I couldn’t compromise my values to keep that check coming in. Also, I need to focus my energies towards some bigger projects coming down the pike that need and deserve much more of my attention.
More importantly, I left my job 4 months ago determined to do work that generates joy and satisfaction, to create things that make this world a better place. I wasn’t doing that with this writing assignment. I was just treading the same old water when I really need to be out there charting new territory.
It would have been nice to stop using my savings to finance my new venture 2 months ahead of schedule but that would have come at far too high a price. So my time to hustle is not yet up. Luckily, I can hustle with the best of them.
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
4 thoughts on “Leap: Keeping Your Integrity as a Freelance Writer”
Sounds like you did the right thing Christa, it is terrible when you know you are being taken advantage of. I hope it all works for you.
Thanks, Leanne. It’s challenging sometimes to walk away from a gig, but I know this was absolutely the right thing to do. Must mean I need to make space for something new!
and you hustle with dignity and integrity for the good of the whole. Kudos to you Christa – and you know that when you let go of what doesn’t serve you, there is something more magnificent waiting in the wings. Soar girl soar!
Sounds like you did the right thing Christa, it is terrible when you know you are being taken advantage of. I hope it all works for you.
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Thanks, Leanne. It’s challenging sometimes to walk away from a gig, but I know this was absolutely the right thing to do. Must mean I need to make space for something new!
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and you hustle with dignity and integrity for the good of the whole. Kudos to you Christa – and you know that when you let go of what doesn’t serve you, there is something more magnificent waiting in the wings. Soar girl soar!
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Thanks, Mary. Ready-ing my wings 🙂
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