Projects From Hell (and why you should be pickier)
At the moment, I’m feeling the weight of an unending project bearing down on me. The clients want to see it completed. I want to see it completed. But it goes on and on…. and guess what? The amount of stress this project is causing is not offset by any great amounts of money. I bid low, thinking it would be much easier than it turned out to be. Shame on me.
Here’s a lesson for you – no matter what project you’ve taken on, make sure you take it on at a price you can live with. This one I’m steeped in at the moment was big – and the per-page rate seemed fine. I knew the parameters and the page setup, but I took it thinking the page setup wouldn’t make that much difference. And yes, you guessed it; the page setup is such that I’m actually working for peanuts-per-hour. I’d dump it, but I’m not the type to dump clients just because the workload is heavy. So I slog on, hoping my inches of progress get me to the finish line someday. And honestly, I don’t ever want to get the reputation of not following through on a project for ANY reason, especially one so whiney as “the work is too hard!” Work is hard. Life’s a b*tch, etc., etc.
So how do you know what you’re getting into? Oftentimes you don’t. What I suggest to you (and what I’ll be doing from now on) is to really examine the project from the outset. Before there are any contracts or agreements, look at the work the client expects to be done. Clarify any parameters in writing. Make sure you understand that 44 lines per page, for example, is the equivalent of one and a half single-spaced pages, which nearly doubles your output. Know all the requirements and really look at them before you sign the contract.
If your parameters aren’t clearly defined, you will need to work some safety nets into your contract. For example, suppose you’re ghostwriting a book that you think will take four months of your time. Make sure you state that in your contract – that payment is due upon completion and delivery of the manuscript (and make sure it’s stated so that it’s when you deliver it, not when the client says it’s completed) or within four months, whichever comes first. Otherwise, you could be waiting much longer for your payment.
Before you start any project, give yourself a reality check. Can you complete it in a specified amount of time? Is that in your contract? Is the work you agreed to the type that might turn out to be harder than it first appears? Are you and the client in agreement about just what’s expected and is that spelled out in a contract?
And finally, is the price quoted enough to compensate you for your time? If the answer is no, turn it down. Nothing’s worse than a project that makes you hate dragging yourself to the computer every day. But if you find yourself stuck in one that doesn’t seem to end, don’t take it out on the client by delivering sloppy or late work. It’s not his or her fault that you bit off more than you could chew.
“But if you find yourself stuck in one that doesn’t seem to end, don’t take it out on the client by delivering sloppy or late work. It’s not his or her fault that you bit off more than you could chew.”
Very good advice. One of the ongoing writing gigs I have now has increased in assignments, and the first few weeks were hell. I wondered what I had gotten myself into. But I refused to crap out some stuff on paper (um, .doc) and submit it. I am a firm believer that the quality of work you present is a direct reflection of yourself. And I’m not a half-asser, regardless of the work load.
Amen, Alicia!
At the same time, if they’re piling it on you without any increase in compensation, it’s okay to say no, or to ask to renegotiate, I would guess.
You’re like me – there’s no way they’re getting garbage from me. I respect my work and myself much better.