Comments on: Worthy Tip: Know No Limits

By: Kimberly Ben

Kimberly Ben — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:43:55 +0000

Well said as usual, Lori. Thanks for the link love.:-)

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:44:47 +0000

Paula, so true. Urgency is a great companion for freelancers. You were smart to cut the loss. By the sounds of the pay scale and the hassle of getting the check, it took about as long to replace it as it would've been to get a few bucks.

Wendy, sometimes you can't win. I think in that case even asking very pointed questions wouldn't have helped. This sounds like someone who just can't make a decision and stick to it. At that point, turn on the timer and charge by the hour.

becky, try taking one hour of your day away from that job and put it instead on marketing (try it around lunchtime when you still have energy). I hate hearing anyone feeling locked into a no-win situation.

Valerie, have you talked to the client about the additional charge for the additional work? Not too late to correct it. It's great to be part of a team, but even the team members are compensated for ALL their time spent. You should be, too.

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:44:46 +0000

By: Valerie Alexander

Valerie Alexander — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:44:27 +0000

Oh, dear. This applies to me more than I'd like to admit. I do love knowing I can count on a recurring check - but it's funny how often the steady gig goes hand in hand with mission creep.

I'm guessing it's partly because the client feels like I'm a part of the team and can do more, and partly because the more I know about a company, the more I can deliver. My natural impulse is to always do the most thorough job I can, which doesn't always correspond to the paycheck.

Definitely food for thought. I will say I've never regretted letting go of a blah but steady gig. Funny how that doesn't always make it easy to let go the next time.

By: becky @ misspriss

becky @ misspriss — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:08:05 +0000

Guilty. *raises hand*

I took a gig right as I quit my job so I could work from home & stay with my son. It's very steady, but I work so many hours just to make a decent check that it leaves me with little energy to market & pursue other work. Or update my site and write some sample clips for myself so I can use them in marketing. I know I need to get out of this cycle. It has been tough when we have relied on the money to pay our rent. I'm in the in-between spot that sucks so much.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:31:51 +0000

I had a decent paying gig once from a client that constantly went back and forth on me. "Can you write it like this?" then "Wait, how about this way, instead?" then "Oh, I forgot to tell you about…" and so on. Once in awhile might have been okay, but when it was almost every project, I just couldn't take it anymore.

By: Paula

Paula — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:43:44 +0000

I dumped a bi-monthly business rag I's written for regularly for about seven years. I routinely had anywhere from two to five articles per issue. They only paid about 20¢/word (this was in the mid-90s), and they paid upon (read: after) publication. After the competent editors were ousted in favor of two utterly incompetent dweebs, they started butchering the work so badly I could barely recognize my own articles or use them as clips. Then they started "misplacing" invoices and dragging out the already too-long payment process. So I bailed. Never regretted it for a moment. It took more than six months to pick up the slack. That was the most difficult time I've ever had getting work, but I worked my butt off and landed some far better gigs - including a steady one that I still have.

Moral of the story: Had I not cut myself off from the stressful steady gig, I wouldn't have been nearly as motivated to find better work. Sometimes a sense of urgency can be your best friend.

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:25:42 +0000

I remember that gig, Devon. Very glad you're out from under it.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:49:14 +0000

I'm caught up in a gig where the work is disproportionate to the time and the payment. It is squarely on me for not putting enough safeguards into the contract. I will meet my commitment here, but have learned moving forward.

I dumped a steady gig a few years ago when the work wasn't worth the pay, the editing was so bad I couldn't use it as clips, and the editor wanted me to pimp affiliates within the articles.

I replaced that gig with one paying 3X the amount for 1/3 of the work within a week.