Double post from me on Monday. The reason? I goofed up in scheduling. No biggie. Just go back and read at your leisure.
I was on a LinkedIn Group for a good while, but last week, I just couldn’t any longer. It was a group specifically for freelance writers and editors, and I kind of knew for a while that the members were in the beginning or growing stages of their business. That’s why I hung out there — I’ve been through what they have, and I wanted to offer help where I could, and see what others are offering (we learn from everyone around us, right?).
It was a job posting that caused me to leave the group and tell them why before I departed.
We all have our boundaries, and I don’t expect anyone else’s boundaries to be like mine. So know that my reaction is just that — mine. You may feel differently, although I suspect most of you won’t.
The jobs section had a post from a guy who was looking for writers. Essay writers. College essay writers. His goal was to sell content to college students.
Yep. BIG no way from me.
I earned my degree by going to college and doing the work. While it may not seem like a big deal to some people, paying for someone else to do your homework, to me, is cheating. Moreover, there are plenty of professors who grade on the curve — if you deserve an A and someone else gets a higher score, you’re getting a B or a C.
That changes things, doesn’t it? So suppose you work your ass off to write a killer term paper. Six weeks of your life are wrapped up in the research and writing. But hey, Tony gets the A. Why? Because Tony paid for his term paper — he hired someone else to do the work so he could focus on more important things, like beer pong.
Does cheating matter to you now? Damn right it does.
Not only that, suppose Tony’s term paper was for a class in his major. Let’s say his major is Finance and the term paper was for his Ethics course.
That guy right there might be doing your taxes one day. You okay with that?
Given the usual state of my tax returns, neither am I.
Now you may understand why I left that group. But it’s more than just Tony and his shady practices. It’s about what kind of image I want to have attached to my business and my reputation.
If I hang around in a group where writers are openly vying for these jobs, what will potential clients think if they see my name in the list of group members?
I like the group moderator, but liking someone isn’t a license to accept everything verbatim. When someone pushed back about the ad being the antithesis of what writers should be doing, she defended it. Had she removed it and said something that indicated any kind of remorse (even if it was to claim “Oh shoot, I didn’t vet that!”) I would have stayed.
To defend it is to promote it — I see no distinction between either action.
While this might be an odd example, protecting your reputation is essential to survival. How to remove yourself from the situation you’re facing depends on what it is.
A client who acts unethically
To me, this is an easy one. If that client is asking you to do something you know is wrong, or if they operate just on the outskirts of ethics, end it. Period. You can dodge the reasons why with the “I just took on three big projects and I’m afraid I’ll have no time…” spiel or you can be honest (and I always suggest being honest) and just say “That’s not how I operate, and I cannot work with you any further as a result.”
A writer who stretches the truth
“Multiple awards” or “award-winning” claims are so easy to make. But look closer. If that writer who’s about to charge you for coaching or workshops is claiming the “best blog in the tri-state area (of 500 people)” as an award, rethink your connection to that writer. Then there are writers who thinks it’s perfectly fine to write college essays, to “rework” existing articles that they didn’t write, to help a client lie about a product’s benefits, or who steals from others. Those people you want to remove from your orbit immediately, no explanation needed. And don’t engage their emails or anything they say or do online. They don’t exist because in your world, only the ethical writers are welcome. No ethically challenged writers need darken your email.
Angry clients
Even the best-paying clients can turn into raving nightmares. I’ve had perfectly wonderful people give me emailed tongue-lashings over minor things. One client took me to task when, as I was giving him a weekly update (my idea, not his), I superimposed the page count on a very large project. He called me everything from a slacker to a liar. And he never apologized when I said I’d just made a mistake when I’d typed. That’s not okay. They’re allowed to express disappointment if things aren’t going well, or if they get X when they expected Y. They are not allowed to unleash on you and expect you to take it. Ever.
Twitter or Facebook followers who post horrible content
Yes, even clients do this, but my current offender is a friend. I unfollowed and told him privately why. While he apologized, his apology was laced with reasons why he thought a racist joke wasn’t all that bad, thus further justifying my decision to lose him out of my feed. I’ve had clients post politically charged content, gotten in other people’s faces with their opinions, and circulated fake news (yes, the real fake news, not the stuff we’re supposed to believe is fake but isn’t). That’s when you mute someone. You may have some reason to remain connected (such as they’re paying you to write their blog posts or other tweets), but if you don’t, stop following them. There are plenty of other clients out there who would never post inflammatory, questionable content.
Writers, what situations have you found yourself caught in?
How do you remove yourself from it?
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