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I don’t know what it was yesterday, but by 2:30 I could not stay awake. I wanted to hit the sofa for a few hours, but instead I laced on the sneakers and took to the basement. Exercised it away to some extent, but something is just off. I have some sort of respiratory thing going on that’s sapping my energy and making my lung feel sore (if that’s possible), so off to the doctor sometime this week.
I got some work done yesterday, but not the amount of writing I intended to do. Today I have some interviews, then I get to concentrate solely on the novel. Unless something else pushes its way in….However, I’m making the novel the first thing I do today, so if it’s going to break loose, it better do so before 7:30 am.
I heard from a writer not long ago who was working a ghostwriting project with a few other writers. The project was decent, however the end result was one of the most bizarre client meltdowns I’ve ever read through.
It seems the client had hired different writers for different aspects of the project. That may be fine, but when the book hit the online market, someone posted a lousy review. If I were the project owner, I think my first thought would have been there were too many writers involved.
If only this project owner thought that normally.
Instead, the writer shared with me what amounted to reams of email pages – a virtual tirade about how this “author” was now ferreting out the culprit using his own method of detective work. If anyone balked at his request to volunteer to help find the person responsible (and one he was certain was someone he’d hired), he targeted them as suspects. One person in particular became the sole source of this guy’s tirade, right down to his tearing apart the writer’s credentials in a group email. His sin – telling the guy he’s crazy for expecting him to waste time on unpaid, weird pursuits.
Most clients are great people with good work ethics and business skills. However, not all clients are cut out to be clients. Some are better left untouched.
How do deal with a client such as the one described above:
Keep all conversations short, to the point, and neutral. In cases where clients have started the meltdown before my eyes, I got the best outcomes by just restating the purpose, removing the emotional language, and not addressing directly the inflammatory or odd language at all. In one case, someone read an article of mine from three years ago and went on to send me seven successive emails over a three-hour period lashing out at me because my article – about background screenings – apparently caused him to remember he was fired because of a background check. In that case, I didn’t respond at all. I couldn’t say anything that would appease him because A) I didn’t know him from anything, B) he’d already decided I was guilty by association, C) he wouldn’t care that the article, in a client newsletter, wasn’t even my idea, and D) I couldn’t tell if he’d turn violent or not.
Refuse to play. In the case of the client who went on the tirade and involved all the other writers, my writer friend did the right thing. She stayed out of it. She responded to him, but let it drop from there without confrontation or questioning. Smart. Engaging someone like that keeps the flames shooting high and often ignites other battles.
Turn down future work. Hint: telling this guy “I can’t work for you because you’re crazy” isn’t the best way to walk away. Try this instead: “I’m booked solid for the next four months. Thank you for thinking of me.” Or simply “I can’t, but thank you.”
Take action if you need to. In the case of the writer being blasted to other writers, I’d say let it go. It’s a limited audience, and most of the other writers know the guy’s reputation. However, if the client takes it to the Web, it’s time to call a lawyer. Supposition is one thing. Direct confrontation is also acceptable. However, moving any of that to a public venue is potentially damaging to that writer’s reputation and grounds for legal action.
Have you had encounters with oddities such as these? How did you handle them?
Wow! I'm grateful I haven't had that type of odd client. But I've had to tell a few clients I couldn't work with:
You have been fortunate, Damaria! I will say I've had a very small number of, well, odd clients. The vast majority are super people.
Thankfully I haven't had any clients act that way, but I have been involved in local groups and associations with people just as bad. Being polite and ignoring their vitriol is the only way to survive. Why? They either can't figure out how to interact with a civil individual and give up, or they make themselves look like fools for constantly trying to stir things up.
Either way, the majority of witnesses will easily be able to determine the real source of the problem and laud you for not allowing yourself to be dragged into the fray.
Great post, Lori. I'm glad you thought I did the right thing (that's why I'm using the anonymous option here). I think other writers reacted the same: backed off fast…but wow. The only other example I can think of is how the author of 'The Greek Seaman' acted on Amazon. That is very close to how this client behaved. Your advice is spot on and I hope no one reading ever has to deal with what the writer this guy picked part dealt with.
wow Lori you've got some powerful blog here, I had to write some stuff down actually …:)) very useful and…inspirational tips . Congrats..I suppose that's why you have so many friends :).
Paula, even in person some people just cannot behave. 🙂
Anon, thanks for sharing the story with me. I was scratching my head a week later, so I knew it was a chance to learn something.
unikorna, I'm glad to see you here. I've enjoyed your blog for quite some time. Honored to have you here!
Well, I can't imagine a ghostwriting project by committee unless it was totally separate chapters or something.
And I think I would have told the author something like every book gets bad reviews… and I won't help you find who wrote that one.. Sounds like that's what your friend did.
And yeah, I wouldn't go near that client every again.
If the author takes it public there's not a whole lot that can be done except gather support from folks who support the writer… she can tell her side once, and that's it. (Speaking from experience.) The author will soon reveal himself to be a nut case.
well shoot, that's me above, I hit the wrong button.
The Greek Seaman. I remember reading the author's tirades on a book review blog. Perfect example of acting in a way that makes the opposition's point for them.
In a slightly related point, during my tax protest hearing, after I presented charts showing the long-term vacancies and foreclosures on my block alone, a woman representing the assessor's office actually asked, "Well, how do you KNOW they were vacant?" I said, "When you live next door to a vacant house, you know. It's obvious." Here's hoping that helped make my case for me!
Anne, that the client had hired so many ghostwriters was weird, but I'm not privy to his thought process entirely. His reason may have been good, though I'd think one ghostwriter is going to give you a more consistent voice than a group would.
Honestly? If I'd even consider telling my story publicly, and I'm not sure I wouold, I'd tell it once – here – then drop it. These things get out of hand because people will continue to engage as long as there are new comments.
Paula, I remember that tirade, too. There's a current one posted on Scott Stratten's blog that's even worse, if you can imagine:
http://www.unmarketing.com/2012/01/10/worst-use-of-social-media-of-2012-boners-bbq/
Great way to shoot your business down.
Hang in there with the tax office.