What’s on the iPod: The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Did you have a wonderful weekend? If I were to paint a picture of the perfect Easter weekend, we had it. Sunny, warmish, everything was green and in bloom, and we were compelled to take two walks on Sunday because of it. First, we strolled by the river in Valley Forge Park where the bluebells are in full glory. Just blankets of blooms greet you and lead you for miles down the path. Then we headed west of town to an area where the Waldorf school is, and walked through the woods among the trumpet lilies and spring beauties.
The walk brought home more than nice memories — I was watching tv and out of the corner of my eye saw something moving on my hair. Turned out to be a wood tick, a big one. That was enough to send us all to the showers to scrub away whatever might be taking up residence. We’d sprayed our legs for deer ticks, but didn’t do the same for the rest of our bodies. Plus we had to wash off the poison ivy. Lovely.
Last week we talked a bit about the things that get my gears to grinding. A reminder to you business owners (and if you’re a freelancer, you’re a business owner) of what isn’t okay:
It’s never okay to work for chump change. Call it an arrogant statement, or call it a wake-up call. Those who do the former will always be content to be underpaid for their efforts. Those who do the latter will begin to treat themselves with the respect they deserve. Think back to the link sent by Meryl Evans last week — Do you really need a dollar that badly?
It’s never okay to compromise your standards. They promote animal testing. You’re a member of PETA. Even if they’re paying you obscene amounts of money, is it really worth it to you personally? Never be afraid to turn down work that doesn’t align with your own beliefs.
It’s never okay to allow someone to define your rates. It’s your business. Why are you allowing that client to tell you your rates are too high? I had a potential client once respond to my rate by saying “Ooo, we’ll need you to lower your rates.” I resisted the urge to tell him what to do with his suggestion. Instead, I said, “Perhaps you need to increase yours to accommodate mine.” Funny how the same thing coming from me didn’t sit well with him.
It’s never okay to allow anyone to compromise your boundaries. That means no one tells you how to work (only what to work on), how to bill, where to work, when to work, with whom you can/cannot work, etc. Nor should any client attempt to own your writing process. You are the project gatekeeper on the writing/editing side. You determine how you’ll complete the work.
It’s never okay to undervalue yourself. I don’t care if you’ve been writing a week or 589 weeks — you have skills that others are willing to pay for. Sure, you won’t make as much at the beginning of your career as you will somewhere five years out. Still, that doesn’t mean you should give away your work, nor undercharge for it. Several tools exist to help you determine your rate and determine what the industry norm is. Use them. Ask other writers for advice.
What things are never okay with you?
6 responses to “Things That Are Never Okay”
Great list, Lori. I can't tell you how often I'm told I'm "unprofessional" when I won't take a gig that conflict with my beliefs. Why would I write engaging copy to convince people to do something I believe is wrong? I don't care how much money is involved.
That's why it's important to research the client thoroughly BEFORE you pitch.
Excellent list. In addition to not taking a gig with work that compromises your beliefs, don't take a gig with application requirements that violate your standards. For example, I was asked to take a drug test (!?!) – to write marketing copy! Sorry, nope.
Devon, anyone who drags out the word "unprofessional" to get you to do what they want is exactly that — unprofessional. It's a guilt word for some. The ones who use it automatically disqualify themselves as my clients.
Jodi, great point! I once had a gig that required $2 million in insurance coverage — for one job. They fought me when I said no, but in the end I was able to do the work without the additional insurance. Stupid rules written by attorneys who don't have an iota of a clue on what freelancers do.
What's never okay with me is a client who is disrespectful (to me or to others).
I'll be recovering from my weekend for a few days. Two days with all-day cleaning and cooking followed by one day of scraping and painting. (We barely made a dent in painting the windows – as my brother said, "I forgot how many windows there area and how BIG they are!")
Which reminds me of another thing I'm never okay with: Empty promises. The neighbor who'd said for WEEKS we could use her extension ladder, saying she could pop it in her truck and bring it over (about 3 blocks) in 10 minuets said to remind her Wednesday because she'd rather get it here earlier than later. Wednesday, "Remind me Friday." Friday, "Great. Not a problem. Call me at 9 AM Saturday and I'll bring it over on Saturday." Called her. No answer. Called again around 3PM. No answer. She calls back an hour later, "Don't panic. You didn't have to leave me 5 or 6 messages." [TWO. I left TWO.] Said she could drop it off that afternoon, then asked what time my brother was arrived Sunday, then added, "Why would you do that on EASTER?" Um, because we all live in different cities and only gather together every so often – which I'd told her about ten times already. You guessed it. No ladder. Had a back up plan with another friend who has a ladder but no truck. Just before we were going to go over to get her ladder I saw the guy across the street outside smoking (his wife won't let him smoke inside). I knew he had a big ladder. I asked if we could borrow it – voila. Problem solved. Lesson learned: Don't rely on the other neighbor to follow through on anything.
I love that you included the it's never okay to compromise your standards. Even if it's a gray area for you, there's a good chance you won't be able to put any passion behind it anyway, so why do it?
Disrespect and empty promises: both red flags, Paula. I agree.
True on the lack of passion, Cathy. Taking on what we don't believe in can't have any good results, can it?