See Emily, that's what I mean. If they're willing to try and you're willing to put the work into it, why not? I wouldn't lie to a client, either. That's just setting yourself up for a huge fall.

I actually love researching, and I've become somewhat of an exert in a couple of industries that I had no prior knowledge of, because clients have given me the gig even though I've admitted I didn't habe the experience. They liked my 'writing style' and we clicked so they were happy to take the chance – and both projects were a huge success! I would never lie to a potential client, I would hate to massively fail and have to admit I'd lied. I'd rather be honest and miss out on the job.

This has taken me 20 minutes to write, so iI think it's nap time . . . on another note, this is why I'm glad I have a financial backup, I'm on bed rest for two weeks and can't see me being able to get much, if any, work done. Luckily I don't have any urgent deadlines, and I've been honest with my clients and told them I'm laid up, luckily they're all very understanding!

For everyone not part of our conversation, the nutshell version was I told Lori I'd replied to a job listing seeking writers with a certain specialty. I don't have professional experience in that area, but they're hiring people to write consumer-facing blog posts, so I told them about my personal experiences with their industry, then tried to sell them on the notion that a writer from outside their industry might be well suited to write the kinds of posts they're looking for. To me, clear and easily understood also means free of industry buzzwords and jargon.

It's a long shot, but at least I didn't lie.

You're right — you don't have to be an expert in every subject. I think it's okay to say "No, I haven't done that, but I've done this related stuff." I think you'd get more respect that way.

I hear you on the jumping in without taking into account everything you need to do and understand. If you take it on and it's over your head, either get busy learning what you don't know or tell them right now and let them find someone who does know.

If you aren't sure how to do something, say so. If you don't know the subject matter, say so (and don't expect to be paid more later for extra research time due to ignorance about the subject matter — research better be accounted for in your initial quote). And if you aren't a good fit for the gig, don't take it! Don't waste your time, and a client's budget, when you should be looking for gigs you're actually qualified to take on. Clients don't turn to freelancers so they can do half of our job for us. Our job is to take some of their load off their shoulders.

That's not to say you have to be a subject matter expert for every gig. Not all gigs require it (though ones that do tend to pay significantly more). But if the topic isn't your specialty, research darn well better be. It's not a client's job to provide that research material either, unless it's research into their own company or access to staff for interviews. General niche or industry knowledge is your responsibility to figure out. If the client is willing to provide more, that's simply a bonus. But it should never be expected.

You know, it never ceases to amaze me that freelance writers jump into gigs without really understanding what a client expects from them. If that isn't 100% clear and you aren't 100% prepared to take on the subject matter or properly research it, then you didn't ask enough (or the right) questions. And that's nothing short of irresponsible.

But really, when I see other freelancers telling new writers to just lie their way into a gig to get past their ignorance and learn only after lying, it makes me want to scream (or worse).