Comments on: Listen Up!

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:46:47 +0000

Hugh, I can see how that may be the perfect answer in that situation. :)

And yes, that's the bottom line. It's the crux of what we do - provide the best possible work to best reflect that client's business needs.

Anne, I LOVE it! I'm going to use lines like that, too! LOL

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:38:41 +0000

lol... wonder how often that does happen... friends, the guy in the next cube... some of our clients have no confidence in their own judgement so they don't trust the people they hire... us.

I've gotten more confrontive than I used to be like, "are you sure you want your ex's new husband telling you how this should sound?"

Okay, I made up that example, but the theory works.

If after an explanation and a confontive question they still insist... I do it as quickly as I can so I can move on.

thanks for the post...

By: hugh.c.mcbride

hugh.c.mcbride — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:37:52 +0000

"Don't you hate when you give advice to someone - advice that you have a particular expertise in giving - and they look at you as though you've grown three heads?"

As a former high school English teacher, I usually offer an involved, introspective & ultimately unsatisfying answer to the question "so, why did you decide to stop teaching?"

If it's OK with you, from now on I'm just gonna use the first sentence from this post (in fact, I may even print it up on business cards to save time :-)

Reminiscences aside, I really like the sentiment expressed in "I'm paid to do him right ... sometimes to his objections." This doesn't solve every problem, of course, but it's important to remind oneself (& one's customer) that editing decisions aren't personal value judgments, but honest (and experienced, and educated) efforts to put the content -- and, by extension, the customer -- in the best possible position to succeed.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:03:51 +0000

Kathy, that's the frustrating part. You can't use it as a link because the final version isn't something you'd want anyone to think you're connected to.

By: Irreverent Freelancer

Irreverent Freelancer — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:48:08 +0000

It's happened to me a lot as well. Usually, I tell them exactly why I wouldn't make the changes. If they still insist and we're still within agreed-upon revisions, I will make the alterations they ask for, but with the explicit instructions that my name is in no way attached to the final copy. Sometimes it particularly ticks me off when the finished product would have made a great portfolio link, but in that case, I save my preferred version and send it as an attachment as opposed to a link.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:26:51 +0000

Yeah. I'm constantly asked on forums for advice by those starting out. I've answered questions in detail dozens of times, and these people can't be bothered to check the archives? Or take a look when I tell them I've already answered that and berate me for not repeating myself?

Lazy.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:30:09 +0000

Exactly, Devon. I get the generic "How do I start?" questions. That's the toughest one to answer, and frankly, it shows a bit of laziness, for blogs around the Internet give step-by-step guidance, this one included.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:09:15 +0000

For me, it's more wanna-be writers with no pub credits asking for advice, with a preconceived notion of what they want to hear, and then arguing with me when they don't.

It's fine not to USE advice if you disagree with it. But when you ask, especially from people who have more experience than you do, be gracious. Say "thank you" . Whether you choose to use it or not is a personal choice. But don't be an ass about it.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:53:46 +0000

Oh Kim, I really feel for you! I had one client a long time ago reintroduce every mistake I'd edited out. Run-on sentences, incomplete thoughts, you name it. He didn't want me changing the "sprit" of his book. He didn't mind me taking the blame when his "editors at the office" found the mistakes I'd carefully removed and he'd carefully reinserted.

Just put it on record your objections and reasons why. What I do is mention the effects of the mistakes on their reputations (subtly, but they get the idea, I hope). Like in the case of one guy who insisted on a slew of ellipses in his book - I told him that they indicate incomplete thoughts.

By: Kimberly Ben

Kimberly Ben — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:11:46 +0000

OMG, Lori I'm dealing with this VERY issue right now! I wrote an ebook and sales letter for a client and when he sent it back to me for revisions, I also ended up editing a lot of HIS "improvements" (e.g. redundancy, run on sentences, using words that don't actually exist in the dictionary, etc.).

I have explained what I'm doing and why. He has allowed most of my edits to go through, but insists on holding on to some of these "improvements."

When I got the copy for the final revision today I just shook my head, sighed and decided it's easier for us both if I just give him what he wants - whether it's good for him or not. I've done all I can do by gently explaining why I made the original changes. It's HIS baby now.