Comments on: What We Don’t Do

By: Caroline G. Keyser

Caroline G. Keyser — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:05:21 +0000

I love this post! As a newbie freelancer (I just left my staff writer position less than a year ago), I'm still discovering that freelancers have to constantly educate people on what we don't do. It amazes me the amount of ads that ask for "someone to build and write my Web site."

Lori, what do you do when clients expect you to take care of their marketing/publicity/design/placement, etc? Do you ever help them at all with those things, or do you just say "no" and give them a referral?

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:45:39 +0000

Meryl, I think it's natural that they ask us publishing questions since we're probably a little more familiar with it. But when they expect that their fee is paying for us to market, sell, and promote the book, that's just nuts.

Eileen, that's funny! It doesn't occur to him that he could just print them himself? LOL

Yo, these are things that have happened over the career span. If they had happened at once, I'd be working the drive-up window at McDonald's. ;)

You're welcome, Kim. :)

By: Kimberly Ben

Kimberly Ben — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:57:57 +0000

Thank you for saying it!

By: Yo Prinzel

Yo Prinzel — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:32:17 +0000

Your post made me extremely tired because it was like having every "bad" experience happen all at once. Bad experiences? You're soaking in them.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:57:37 +0000

I had a guy once want to hire me to write a salesletter – and asked, "How many copies do you print me for that price?"

By: Meryl K. Evans

Meryl K. Evans — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:21:26 +0000

I've been fortunate not to run into these. I did have one prospect (I didn't take the project as it didn't feel right) who was asking publishing questions even though he would've hired me for editing.

I'm sure many of you get questions where you can simply point to the internet or "Let me Google that for you..." I try to give a tip or two to kickstart their research without saying -- Go that way.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:04:58 +0000

Thanks, Colin. How are you?

By: Colin Galbraith

Colin Galbraith — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:15:36 +0000

A great article, Lori!

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:32:18 +0000

How's the creek holding out, Devon?

Paula, I've had people assume that I distribute, handle PR, work the talk show circuit contacts, drive the sales, and hey, even secure the publisher. It's kind of funny if it didn't happen so often.

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:19:20 +0000

It's scary how many small businesses/potential clients assume hiring someone to write a press release also means the writer will handle the market research and distribution. (Some expect the price will include printing and postage costs for snail mail press releases.)