It’s true – schedule just one half day or a few hours off and the client projects come out of the woodwork. Today is a much-awaited hair appointment to cover up the stress remnants of the Labor Day client crunch. Tomorrow, I’m off in the afternoon to try making it to Erie by bedtime. And naturally, there are three must-have-by-yesterday projects tossed at me yesterday.
Thanks to Kathy at Screw You! for this post on marketing when she’s too busy to market. While Kathy points out the dangerous thoughts that cross our minds when we’re too busy to market ourselves, she also realizes the famine is soon to follow.
In discussions, posters lamented that they’ve marketed, only to turn down those offers because they’re too busy. People, please. There’s a simple solution – it’s called outsourcing.
Obviously not all writers are insanely busy at the same time. Why not tap into their talents when your cup runneth over? I’ve been in the sweet position of being the source of other writers’ outsourced projects in the past, and I’ve come very close to outsourcing my own work to my hand-chosen writers should my own cup breach the top. The arrangement I’ve set up is that when sending work I scored to another writer for completion, I keep a percentage, usually 10 percent. And vice versa. As the person sending out the work, you’re grateful for extra help and you’ve managed to score a percentage for simply securing the work and facilitating the delivery. As the outsourced help, you’ve now established a working relationship with another writer.
Just be careful when choosing writers for help. In one case, I was nearly hung out to dry and almost lost a great ongoing gig as a result of another writer’s bad behavior. Know your freelancer – not just on friendly terms, but on working terms. What’s that person’s record for delivering on deadline? Is this a specialized area requiring a writer who understands that area? If so, is your writer qualified? If not, how much time are you willing to take to bring that person up to speed? Have you seen the writer’s work? If not, ask for samples. Hey, this is business. Your name and your reputation are on the line if the product is anything less than what you expect. Also, is the writer’s work similar to your own? That’s important in creating a smooth transition from your writer to you to your clients. You want someone who works within your same parameters – it avoids a lot of hassles and headaches.
Have your go-to writers on hand now when things are slow. That gives you plenty of time to determine who best fits your writing style, your audience, your needs, and your own work habits.
Do you have any outsourcing arrangements? Any that have gone south? What are your experiences?
Lori, I like this post. I have been dealing with this very issue. I have not had the best experiences with outsourcing. I’ve been burned. I requested samples and everything. Maybe it was just the luck of the draw, but ouch did that hurt!
Keep trying! The key is to really pay attention to how the writer is received, how the writer conducts him/herself, and what others have said about the writer’s work. If you can, ask around. Get references from both clients and other writers who have worked with this person.
lori, I once asked another writer for outsourcing advice and she also mentioned that I should check references in the future. I have another big project coming up, so maybe I will try it again. I would LOVE to find another writer to send work to when I’m overwhelmed and vice versa. Thanks for the helpful advice:)
Wasn’t Kathy’s post great? I always forget about outsourcing, even though you and I have both done it — together! Thanks for a great reminder. 🙂
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When you outsource to another writer, do you worry that the client will then stay with the other writer, and not come back to you? Is there some kind of unwritten etiquette to a situation like this?
Lori, I have the same problem. It’s like getting ready to go on vacation sets off some kind of Bat signal and suddenly clients are banging down your door step.
I haven’t tried outsourcing yet (thought I’ve been the outsourcee before). I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so it seems like checking references and potentially overseeing the project could take up almost as much time as doing it yourself. Any thoughts on that?
Eileen, I’ve never had a problem with clients going to another writer I’ve introduced them to because I serve as the writer’s source of contact and I communicate with the client – the other writer doesn’t. It’s not to block the other writer from getting close to the client. It’s because I want to present a steady presence to the client. In most cases, the client doesn’t know I’ve outsourced. In one case, I had five other writers working with me on one huge project. Everyone knew. The client didn’t care as long as the project met the deadline.
Susan, checking references can be as simple as sending an email or making a call to the client asking for feedback on the writer’s work ethic and quality of what was delivered. Remember – do all this well BEFORE you need the help, when it’s not such a time sink for you.
To be honest, I did this once. The other writers I rely on are ones I’ve watched working over the years and I know they’re good and they’re reliable. A few of them I trust to tell me their limits, and they do.
Ah, thanks for ‘splainin’, Lori. That makes sense.