Today’s not a how-to advice-y kind of day. It’s a chat day. I’ve been burning it at both ends this week (thank you, NanoWriMo for sucking up my time). I have nothing left in me. This is what you get. If you don’t like it, move along. I’ll be back to normal soon.
Got an interesting note from a client with whom I’d parted ways recently. The problem was the pay, and because I had tons of work in the in box, I had to say goodbye. There were a few other somewhat disturbing things that happened that made me leave, but in general the pay did the trick.
I got the note we all want to get – how much do you want and what do we need to do to get you back? I write specialty stuff. The original pay wasn’t specialty rates. I endured it because of other higher-paying stuff from the client, but when that price came into question, buh-bye. I don’t kill myself for anyone if they don’t value what I do. But here was the proof that they get what they pay for – they were asking me back at my price. Amen. And if the price is high enough, I won’t harbor any ill will for their original oversight. It must’ve been one hell of a search for a replacement. The words “bad experiences” makes me wonder just what they ended up with. But that’s one more client who gets it. Time will tell if my price will be accepted. If not, I’ve got lots of other things keeping me busy.
Sat in on a client conference call/demo yesterday. It was neat to see a long-planned project coming to fruition. This is one smart client and I hope the impending launch goes well. I’m happy to be part of it and glad my work is valued. I’ve been struggling along with this particular client for two years now, doing occasional work as the funds become available. Patience has paid off – the funding has arrived. Lots of work in the pipeline.
I’ve put some serious time into NanoWriMo this year. I had a manuscript with 15K words and I’m determined to finish it. What better way than to use it as my headstart in the Nano contest? I know, not fair to start with that much but hey, there are no prizes beyond knowing you finished something, so no harm done. I need to finish this book. I promised coach Lisa Gates. I don’t break promises.
An ongoing job is piling on the work lately, but it’s also sucking the very life out of me. The work is fairly easy, but I’ve been doing it for three years. I’m feeling burned out. When a freelancer dreads opening the in box, it’s a sign the job is no longer fitting. I got some good advice to drop the job to make room for another, better job. January is my goal. I will phase out the work and phase in new stuff. It’s not a bad gig, but it’s been keeping me too busy and stressing me out. If I wanted stress I’d take a full-time job.
So what’s new with you?
With the client asking you back, make sure you're absolutely blunt that's it's not JUST the money, but also some of the circumstances, and BOTH have to meet your criteria for you to come back.
Keep going with Nano, and you know how I feel about the vampiric-style job.
I'm prepping for both a site job and DC, trying to get a bunch of fiction projects done before that, and keeping up with articles.
I will so regret not staying on top of the marketing, but at least I realize it.
Devon, you helped me come to a difficult decision. You were right – I need to get out from under it. It's happening. I'm scaling back next week and phasing out by the end of January. Time to work on other things.
The other one is probably discussing my rate. I'm not sympathetic and I'm not about to negotiate. I gave a fair price. They asked me to name my price. Now it's up to them to decide if they value their business enough to pay for professional help.
Halfway to my Nano goal and the ideas are flowing like Niagara Falls. :))
That's great news about the client coming back. I've had that happen too. Funny what happens when we stand our ground on pricing.
In other news, I've just launched a new blog for writers called Writer Abroad. Hope you'll check it out!
Okay, I just had to put this in here- “This is what you get. If you don't like it, move along. I'll be back to normal soon.”
Don’t you know that people like posts like this once in awhile? It shows there’s a human side to Lori. She’s not all business; all the time. I, for one, appreciate that.
Glad to hear that your efforts paid off. When you act like a professional you attract things like this. When you don’t… well, I think we all know the answer to that.
As far as what’s new with me:
My son has been sick the last couple of days, so that’s where a lot of my time has been spent. I have no looming deadlines to worry about right now, so that hasn’t been an issue. I have been contacted for a large project that I need to do some thinking on. With all the time that would be spent on this project, I wouldn’t get most of my other clients’ work done. If I do go forward with it, then I will have to quote a different rate. Today will be spent crunching some numbers to see if it will be worthwhile to me. Outside of all that, everything is running smoothly.
I'm burning at four ends this month: swamped with work; dealing with dad's medical issues and running him around to appointments (second full-time job, unpaid); trying to do NaNo (not very effectively); and determined to complete the Poem-a-Day challenge. I REALLY need a vacation. Fortunately, I have one scheduled for the first full week of December, if I make it to then.
Just want to add congratulations to you on two front, Lori:
1. For making a client accept YOUR terms; and
2. Your awesome progress with NaNo.
Woohoo to you!
I'm always glad to hear when the light bulb clicks on for a client, and they begin to realize the value of the writers they're depending on.
I had to drop two clients a long time ago. It was difficult, since I was in the worst, and longest lull I've ever had. (In retrospect, I wonder if my sheer desperation for assignments was coming out in the endless queries and LOIs I was sending out.) But when one editor – of a high-end business newsletter that had been paying 50-cents a word – tried to assign me a 600-word-or-less article at 10-cents a word, and demanded I include at least 12 of the sources she'd provided, I said, "Sorry. Even at $1 a word that would be an impossible task. A mere $60 is not worth the time, effort, and stress of trying to meet your requirements. Why not try to do it yourself?"
The other time I've mentioned before – when the magazine took 11 months to pay me for an article. It was so hard to sever ties with a place where I'd been earning the bulk of my income, especially in such a lean year. But as soon as I quit, things started turning around. It wasn't easy for the first couple months. (You know the proverbial six months worth of savings? It's never enough.)
There's something empowering about standing up for your needs and being the one to step away. Perhaps that's what really makes the difference.
As for what's new…I have two fun assignments to work on. Thankfully I have until year's end to work on them, since one is creating a time-line for a long-running series that tends to have time jumps. I don't think a chronological time-line is possible when some season five events happened prior to season one. This will be a challenge, but a fun one!
Wendy, I'm glad. :)) I like chatting more than anything. Careful what you wish for…. Hope your son feels better soon.
Chantal, I like your new blog! Did you see my comment there? I put you in the feed, too.
Kathy, sorry to hear Dad's still not doing so well. And WOW! You're doing both in the same month? I'm impressed!
Good for you, Paula. I suspect the same will happen here. I'm nursing it through the holidays, then all bets are off.
I'm in the same place you are right now, Lori — burning it at both ends, I mean. I'm also doing NaNoWriMo on top of my client work, and all without sacrificing any of my horse time. Where I think I'll get all the extra time, I don't know!
By the way, I'm also using NaNo as incentive to finish a fiction project I started earlier this year. I had 3,721 words before November first, so I just am subtracting that from the amount I report to the NaNo website. That way I don't benefit from "cheating," other than (hopefully) finishing the novel. :o)
Wait a sec — that's not true, that I don't know where I'm getting the extra time. Blogging is where I'm getting it, as you may have realized if you've visited my blogs recently. ;o)
Lori–I know the feeling of dread of which you speak, and I congratulate you on doing something to fix the situation.
I saw you clicking off the word count, Katharine! Way to go! 🙂 I wouldn't worry about the blog – it'll come when you're ready. There have been times I've neglected my blogs for other things.
Amie, I figured you would. You had similar ones, didn't you?
Lori, you're damn right you promised me. I haven't forgotten. AND I'M SMILING ALL THE WAY TO TEXAS THAT YOU'RE DOING NANO!
What you provide to your readers here is undoubtedly the kind of attention, clarity and professionalism you offer your clients. You deserve everything you ask for, and you're really good at asking.
I think YOU should be the coach.
🙂
Oh girl, I could never coach the way you do! I'm impressed to my bone marrow with your talent. 🙂
You may not realize it, but you're my accountability partner. 😉
I'm in for the long haul. And I want to read the galleys (as the old farts say).
LOL! I know that term! (what's that say about me?)