Ever have one of those clients who is with you all the way…until they show your editing or writing work to a friend, neighbor, pastor, or checkout clerk and suddenly you’re that fool they’re wasting money on? Having had my fair share of those in the past, I’ve amended my contracts to avoid it. If…
How Perfect is Too Perfect?
Lorraine Thompson at MarketCopywriter Blog talked last week about perfection as a time sink. What I love about her post is that she’s tapped into the most common fear we as freelancers have – not getting it right the first time. Her reminder is that the writing process is just the first step, that we…
Worthy Tip: Say No
Oh, that’s the word we don’t use enough, isn’t it? We say yes to nearly every client who graces our email or jingles our phones. So why do we do that? My theory – it’s because we love acceptance, or, more likely, we hate rejection. If the client spells out the terms, even if we…
Monthly Assessment: March 2010
Before I get going, have you seen Google’s news? It’s hilarious and kudos to them for picking up on an ongoing story, and for the impeccable timing. What a great way to start a busy Thursday. No fooling here, March was a mighty busy month. Another month of shooting past the monthly earnings target. I…
What We Don’t Do
An open letter to clients – Dear Clients: We writers love you. We appreciate the trust you place in us every time you hand us your projects and agree to pay for a higher level of service. We do that, too. We match your project needs with your voice, your intended message, and your audience….
From the Ashes
It’s quite a coincidence that I live in Phoenixville, a town that celebrates the legend of the Phoenix every year. A coincidence because the freelancer’s life is a lot like that. No? You’ve never lost a client only to gain a better one or have a new opportunity arrive at your doorstep? I bet you…
Averting Tension or Disaster (or both)
The top stressors in life: marriage, divorce, death, moving, new job, new baby, loss of job… Then there are the small stressors – an April 15th deadline for not one, but four related projects (one rather massive) and relatives appearing the week before and staying for an unstated amount of time. Oh, and let’s just…
Planning for the Obvious
This month, two clients dropped projects that netted me over $1K monthly. I saw it coming, too. No, they never said they were thinking about it, but the vibe was there. You know that vibe – it starts with communication waning or disappearing altogether. Emails go unanswered. Same with phone calls. Invoices get paid, but…
Worthy Tip: Know No Limits
Avid Writer Kimberly Ben blogged about taking on low-paying work and then never letting go of it. Urban Muse Susan Johnston blogged this past week about the steady freelance gig. Both ladies came to the same conclusion: the steady paycheck is not always the mother lode we think it is. I agree totally. I had…
The Writing Chameleon
This is going to sound like really strange advice coming from me, the proponent of finding your voice and refining it to its own uniqueness. Yet it’s advice that may save your career someday – Mock your clients. I don’t mean point, laugh, and tell them their mothers dress them funny. I mean get inside…