Comments on: Stepping Back

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:56:37 +0000

Well I love having you read the blog, Journaling Woman. :)

Damaria, don't you hate that? I understand they want to help, but sometimes they simply want to get their message out regardless of the client's needs and requirements. Frustrating.

By: Damaria Senne

Damaria Senne — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:24:34 +0000

I also had a similar issue, but on a minor scale, last week. We were in the final run of the approval process, and instead of signing off ( source had seen text before), she decided to completely rewrite it. The result was waffly crap and padded my 200-word text into 450 words or so. So I emailed the new text to the client with a note explaining why i can't use it, and asked my client to explain my position to the source. Client was happy to deal with it.

By: Journaling Woman

Journaling Woman — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:10:27 +0000

I love the word wonky. If I had another child I would name he or she- Wonky.

On your question. I don't know, I don't have clients. But I love reading your blog.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:44:05 +0000

Hi John! Welcome.

That's the best outcome - the client realizes the fault rests with someone else and doesn't blame you. That's as it should be! I've yet to have the finger pointed at me, but for some reason I look for that to happen this time. I don't know why, but it's a gut feeling.

By: Dr John Peragine

Dr John Peragine — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:36:53 +0000

Agreed I had a similiar situation with a client and source a couple years ago. In the end I backed out and let them work out the issues. I did what I was hired to do. I am not sure how it ended except that the client apologized greatly and we went a different direction with the project.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:40:16 +0000

I saw the quotes. 🙂 I get the same sense sometimes, Wendy. I'm "just" the writer, so I can be walked on. Nothing doing. I'm a champion for the client. If it's not in my client's best interests, I'm not budging. And like you said, the beef is not between writer and source.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:35:59 +0000

Some sources can be quite the pain in the butt and unfortunately we find ourselves trapped in the middle between client and source on occasion. In my case, the client works furiously to get the source to direct their anger to them and not me, but some of the so-called professional sources prefer trying to control everything by treading on me as I'm "nothing but the writer." Notice the quotes?

I don't respond. It's the client's beef not mine. If I did respond to them, I probably wouldn't be professional about it, so I leave it to the client. I do, however, send any copies of emails of any issues the source brings up to me, to the client. Mainly because I don't want to be accused of invoking the source's anger.