A friend of mine called me last week. She had an inquiry about a writing gig and, on the surface, that sucker sounded great.
The dilemma — the client needed someone ASAP for a large project. My friend was already tied up with a big project and wondered if I had room on my calendar. The details: a 15K-word manuscript, five-figure fee, paid trips overseas, and eight months to get through the draft and revisions. Sounded good.
Yet as we both pulled back from the client’s need-a-decision-quickly maelstrom, the details came into focus. She would have to squeeze it in because she was already working on a five-figure client project that had her attention for two to three months. I had prior commitments (a daughter who is due at the same time they’d want me to travel). Then there was the offer itself. Five figures — low five figures — for the amount of work and interviewing (the trips were to meet with client experts in weeks-long interviews) was, well, too low. It amounted to $1/word without factoring in the revision process and the time spent with interviews. A more appropriate price would have been double what they were paying, and even then, there would be little time for any other client work.
We both passed. Neither of us regret it, either.
Yet it’s so easy to get sucked into a project if you’re not paying close attention.
[bctt tweet=”How to really vet that #freelancewriting opportunity and avoid bad choices.” username=”LoriWidmer”]
Lesson #1: Put on the brakes.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the client’s fire that you tend to forget you’re not the one who started it, nor are you necessarily the one to put it out. Stop. Breathe. Step back. Now look at the opportunity with a more critical eye. How many words? How much residual work will you have to do? What’s the rate they want to pay? Can you get that to a place where the work and the pay are in line? Think it through. That client can wait an hour (really, they won’t explode). Talk it through with a friend or work it out with a calculator and a piece of paper.
Lesson #2: Don’t be influenced by the “perks.”
When my friend mentioned that the gig included traveling to two places I’ve been itching to visit, I’ll admit it. I was enamored. I wanted that gig, despite my kid needing me to babysit the grandson. I thought it was a great chance to travel. On reflection, I realize the “travel” would be from hotel to office building (amid a pandemic — are we serious?) with little time in between because hey, there’s a deadline. The “perks” in your case may be enticing and manageable, but you have to weigh them against everything.
Lesson #3: Consider the deadline.
About that deadline. Eight months to get a manuscript written and published (15K words) seemed quite manageable. Until you realize that you’re now working with an international team through a marketing firm through several layers of people with different ideas of how this product should turn out. Every person included in the communications loop, from expert to contact person, is going to need to review and approve. Suddenly, eight months seemed ambitious.
Are the deadline and workload sensible? Is there wiggle room in the schedule? An arbitrary deadline or an actual schedule that needs to be met? Work it out with the client now. Trying to get extra time later is problematic. If you don’t think the timeframe is conducive to the work you need to put out and the client isn’t budging, pass.
The unspoken part:
Lesson #4: Trust your gut.
Your instincts will tell you if this feels right. As much as I was intrigued by that gig at first, something inside was detecting issues. I hadn’t landed on anything yet, but I felt it was off somewhere.
That’s in you, too. Don’t just take the job because someone is dangling money and perks. Listen to your intuition. If it doesn’t feel right, it never will.
Writers, how do you vet a freelance client prospect?
Have you ever taken a gig that you regretted later?
7 responses to “How to Vet that Freelance Gig”
I’m in the midst of a ghostwriting gig right now that was screaming at me from the start to refuse. I’ll know for next time. It’s turned into a right pain in the bum. I’ve told her to stick it twice, but she’s pulled back, apologised and asked me to continue. She’s tried dangling more money in front of me to get me to do stuff quicker or over and over again (so we’re not moving forward). I told her to stick that too, as there are still the same number of hours in the day and throwing a few more dollars at me doesn’t change that. She has given me two bonuses, though, so perhaps my tantrums have hit a nerve. Can’t wait for it to be finished, though. (Soz for essay! lol)
That sounds like a nightmarish gig, Diane. My word, any time a client has to apologize, dangle money, and give bonuses is an indication that the client herself has the issue.
Were you the first writer, do you know?
I believe she asked a few of us to pitch for it and I knew I didn’t want the work, so went in quite high, which is fortunate. Unfortunately, she liked my style! Duh! I should’ve gone in much, much higher, obviously.
The work has turned out to be nothing like what she asked for, though, which I have pointed out to her several times. That’s when she tried dangling the extra cash. I already went in high, I should have gone in *at least* double. Next time, I’m sticking an extra zero on as well!
But you went quite high. That’s a really, really good thing. Though I’m guessing no amount of money would have been enough, am I right?
Fingers crossed that this ends for you soon, Diane. That sounds brutal.
Correct. The fact I went in high is the *only* sweetener, really. BUT… the end is nigh. If I stand on tiptoe, I can even see it!
So true about a rush! Anytime someone wants to rush my decision, my instinct pops up and says, “Whoa! There’s a reason someone wants you not to think about this more.”
Similar story: My neighbor got carpet cleaning bids. The dude said $450, which to me sounded outrageous. But he kept saying, “I can do it this afternoon.” “Let’s get this scheduled for tomorrow.” My neighbor actually said to him, “Let’s slow this down. There’s no rush to decide.” Love that.
Good for your neighbor! That’s someone who’s starved for work. I get it, but I’m not willing to roll the dice just yet. At that price, I wouldn’t rush, either. I’d walk. Right into Costco to buy my own carpet cleaner! LOL