Wendy, having been there myself with my own son, I know it's frustrating. Continue to be present. Be that mom whose name they know. Scout out other schools and options, too. Your son may benefit from a specialized program specific to his needs. Hang in there, toots. You're doing a great job, I'm sure.

Go get 'em, Paula. 🙂

I learned that time really does move too fast. Was it really the 4th Writer's Worth campaign? Hardly seems like it.

I have to admit I haven't done much of anything regarding writer's worth. For the past month, it's been all about Mom's worth. My son's school IEP assessment meeting didn't go well.

The special education department leaves a lot to be desired right now. I figured out that I have more special needs experience than the two of them put together. Mom is now taking things into her own hands.

You know I rushed and deposited the funds as soon as I tallied it all up and made sure I knew exactly what was paid for.

Devon, that's a really good point. There are clients whose projects no longer fit. I had one, and it took a lot to remove myself from the situation. The money was good, but the work was becoming impossibly demanding. I didn't want to be doing that the rest of my life, either. I moved on. I still take on those types of projects, but not to the same magnitude.

Those things can get us stuck in an awful, boring rut. (And you didn't seem the least bit grumpy.)

Thanks, Paula. 🙂 It is encouraging to know this isn't a singular issue. We all struggle with price and negotiations at some point. Arming yourself ahead of time with your bottom line helps immensely.

Ashley, you should be satisfied. You're standing up for yourself in ways others won't do for you. That has to feel rewarding in itself!

I bid for a job last week that I didn't get. I'm satisfied, though, because I quoted a price that reflects what I'm worth as a writer. They didn't say they chose someone else for a cheaper price, but if they did, I'm OK with losing the job.

And that leads into the best advice I've received: Do not hesitate to ask for what you're worth. Thanks to you, Lori, and everyone in this community you've built, for being such a great support team!

I'm still processing a lot of last week's information, but it's always encouraging to know so many others are out there trying new ways to improve their writing businesses, and are willing to share their own ups and downs with the rest of us.

We may work independently, but we are not alone.

I'm learning to extricate myself from some clients whose work no longer fits the vision of where I want my career to go. It's not about the money, it's about the bigger plan. They could offer me 20X what I'm getting now, and I'd still say no. It's not that I don't like them, or they're doing anything snarksy, it's just that the time needs to be spent on a different type of work.

Saturn Retrogrades wear me out.

I loved hearing about changes in publishing a book in your post over at Devon's side. It was new to me and I think a lot of times the ignorance of not knowing any better is what gets us behind the eight ball. So I appreciated the education.

The best advice I received was to treat this new career as a business – my business.

Thanks for all your hard work and passion on this, Lori.