I’ve seen some of those same arguments on forums and in groups. I will never understand how anyone thinks arguing with a potential client is a great way to A) change their minds, and B) build a good relationship.

I’ve seen jobs that fit me to a T — except for one or two must-haves that I know I can’t deliver on. Usually, it’s the location or the in-house requirement. That’s not my job. I’m not their writer. And that’s okay. They need what they need, and I don’t know their situation enough to argue that. Nor would I.

For the in-house work, maybe they work closely with teams or production, or they have last-minute work that requires more of a hands-on approach from a team. Or they have the equipment or capabilities in-house. Or they simply like face-to-face better. That’s not my business nor my criteria to change.

That argument about school-aged children making it impossible for the writer to assume those hours is fair, but why assume the job is yours from the start and then berate the client? I suspect the job had something to do with watching overseas markets or something that would require hours outside of a normal work day. How did that writer think that arguing is going to fix that?

Something you said here troubles me. Not that you said it, but that it speaks to the issue many, many freelancers have with marketing. You said: “It won’t always work.” And right there is why too many freelancers say marketing doesn’t work. Because it doesn’t work every time.

Thank you for the reminder that marketing is a long game, not a guarantee of instant success. Thank you as well for reminding writers and other freelancers that while it may not work the first 20 times you try, the 21st time might hit the mark.