Comments on: Ten Commandments of the Overworked Freelancer

By: 10 Gebote | A-Z Translations

10 Gebote | A-Z Translations — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 11:39:26 +0000

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By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:25:13 +0000

I do the same, Anne, but I'm not against subcontracting with the right freelancers. In one case, the writer made my job so much easier. She anticipated some additional needs and just did it. It was a great experience.

True that it can take time to manage, but I look at that as money in the bank -- they get the bulk of the work (and the check) and I get someone who now knows how to handle a project the way the client and I need it to be handled.

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:54:32 +0000

I don't subcontract… well almost never because the management of the project can take twice the time to do it myself… which is a shame, but… and when I get swamped I boost my rates.

By: Lori

Lori — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:35:51 +0000

Great point about subcontracting, Devon. If you're going to subcontract, it has to be okay with the client and you have to be willing to oversee the work (and redo it if necessary). I've been fortunate to know and work with true professionals, but I did have one instance years ago where the subcontracted work never got completed and I had to scramble last minute to get it done. And I did because ultimately, it was my responsibility.

Paula, that's huge amounts of work! I'm glad you had an editor who gave you an open-ended deadline.

By: Paula

Paula — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:58:52 +0000

When mentioned your husband's knack for stating the obvious, the first thing that went through my head was, "Why don't most writers think that way? That's how most business people think."

A couple years ago I was working on 13 articles at the same time. All for the same client. Thankfully they were very flexible with deadlines. One reason the editor said she was able give me more time was because she knew I always turned in clean copy, which made her job easier.

Will I ever again take on 13 articles due at the same time? Probably not. But after that, I know I'm up for almost anything.

I'm currently working on 6 articles for Favorite Editor, five of which are due at the same time. They're also a bit flexible with deadlines, but I usually wind up turning their assignments in early.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:48:52 +0000

Prioritize.

One has to be careful about subcontracting, though. Several of my best clients have "no subcontracting" clauses in their agreements,which I believe (in those specific cases) are worth honoring.

They do it for two reasons:
1. They hired me for MY particular quirky style, because the tone, voice, and viewpoint are different than anything else they've found and they love it. And yes, they can tell if someone else writes it.

2. They've been burned by writers who were hired and then subcontracted out before. The deadlines weren't met,the quality was poor, and it wasn't in the voice they contracted.

If I've got enough work coming in steadily, then, yes, I can take the downtime. However, if it's a feast cycle and I'm trying to make up for lost income, or I'm trying to get ahead because I know I'll be unavailable, I'll put in some extra hours to get it done, and then use famine times as downtime.

I do try to stay disconnected at least one day a week -- no phone, no internet -- I may still do some work, but the solitude is necessary.