Comments on:

By: Barb

Barb — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 18:56:00 +0000

I'm a little late reading this, but WOW! "Designers do real work and hiring you would be a silly waste of money." Wow!

I completely respect designers - they have a skill set I don't have. But as writers, we have a skill set that others don't have.

It IS a balance, and shame on clients who thing that it's otherwise.

By: Barb

Barb — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 18:55:00 +0000

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By: ChristineKane

ChristineKane — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:44:00 +0000

As a performer, I go through this ALL the time. Learning to say no gracefully without getting completely angry with “them” or scared for me. And yes, I think it comes down to valuing yourself and not getting hooked by those people who don’t get it. A friend of mine is a web designer and I watched her go through a year of turning down people like this. Now, her clients are amazing because she simply doesn’t take any crap!

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 18:47:00 +0000

you’re up in my first carival http://www.thegoldenpencil.com/2006/06/14/about-freelance-writing-blog-carnival-june-15-2006/

love and blessings,

http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 15:25:00 +0000

Excellent point, Char. I don’t think anyone would argue that bad design can be saved by good writing–it definitely goes both ways!

By: just shami

just shami — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:10:00 +0000

Hi Lori,

Very good article and a message that’s very applicable in many industries where dollars and sense are in opposition.

As a site designer, and writer, I can attest to the validity of writing being the meat and potatoes for a website. I do, however, feel compelled to say that it’s a balance. Without a good design and easy to navigate site you create frustration and that distracts the user from the content.

I tend to think of a website like a book: a well-designed cover leads the reader inside, well-designed interiors create the reading experience, and then the content has to deliver the message. A book, or a web site, can easily fail if all three are not equally attended to with time and money.

Char
http://illuminatedesigns.com

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 11:56:00 +0000

$750 was a generous price on your behalf. You know what? They'll get what they pay for. They want to succeed? They won't with mediocre writing.

Excellent piece, Lori.

By: Irreverent Freelancer

Irreverent Freelancer — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 00:16:00 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree, Lori, except when the offer is insulting I have a REALLY hard time remaining professional about the whole matter! I’ve never regretted walking away from an insulting project, no matter how slow business was. A better one is always lurking around the corner.

By: Matthew C. Keegan

Matthew C. Keegan — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 16:31:00 +0000

Well said, Lori. I am afraid that all of this "private label" stuff is lowering employers' expectancy and their price point as well.

I simply cannot *afford* to work for beans!

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 15:06:00 +0000

Right on, Lori…

Anne
http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com