Words on the Page

Monthly Assessment: July and August 2015

Posted on by lwidmer

SOLD OUT: Sorry, but the FREE Marketing Q&A webinar hosted by Jake Poinier and featuring yours truly has no room. However, you can get on the list for the next one! Get on the list here What’s on the iPod: The Loneliness and the Scream by Frightened Rabbit This week’s marathon is nearly complete. I have…

8 Traits of a Professional Freelance Writer

Posted on by lwidmer

SOLD OUT: Sorry, but the FREE Marketing Q&A webinar hosted by Jake Poinier and featuring yours truly has no room. However, you can get on the list for the next one! Get on the list here What I’m reading: Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie What’s on the iPod: I’m a Mess by Ed Sheeran Another week…

Free Advice Friday: This Job, Not That Job

Posted on by lwidmer

SOLD OUT: Sorry, but the FREE Marketing Q&A webinar hosted by Jake Poinier and featuring yours truly has no room. However, you can get on the list for the next one! Get on the list here Remember that relaxing I wanted to do yesterday? Didn’t happen. Just as I exhaled, a favorite editor sent over an…

6 Ways to Prove Your Writing Chops to Prospects

Posted on by lwidmer

SOLD OUT: Sorry, but the FREE Marketing Q&A webinar hosted by Jake Poinier and featuring yours truly has no room. However, you can get on the list for the next one! Get on the list here Can I breathe yet? By the end of yesterday, I’d finally dug myself out from under a rather massive…

The Writer’s Guide to Negotiating Like a Pro

Posted on by lwidmer

FREE Marketing Q&A: Join Jake Poinier and me September 14th at 1 pm ET for a FREE one-hour Marketing Q&A. Reserve your spot today It’s only Tuesday? Why do I feel like last week just blended into this week? I had a weekend — a good one — but I came to the desk yesterday with a list…

Free Advice Friday: Excuses That Will Sink Your Writing Business

Posted on by lwidmer

Doing anything September 14th at 1 pm ET? Join Jake Poinier (a.k.a. Dr. Freelance) and me for a FREE one-hour Marketing Q&A. Reserve your spot today This week, I tried doing the impossible — make more time show up between Monday and Friday. With several deadlines this week and early next week, I was looking at a…

Freelance Technique: Capturing Your Writing Client’s Voice

Posted on by lwidmer

Have marketing questions? Want to find out what works best for successful writers? Join Jake Poinier (a.k.a. Dr. Freelance) and me for a FREE one-hour Marketing Q&A. Reserve your spot today What a week so far. I spent five days away, two of them on the weekend, yet I’m working like I’ve been away a…

14 Go-to Sources for Clients

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright Well, back to work today. After a nice week off with family and other relatives, I’m playing catch-up this week. One of the questions I hear a lot from new and struggling writers is “Where can I find clients?” If you know me, you know I’m not…

Free Advice Friday: Streamlining Article Writing

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Timeless by The Airborne Toxic Event I’m still on vacation, though I’m now south of the Canadian border. Because of my unusually heavy summer workload, I needed to step away for a full week. It’s a combination of detox and much-needed cleaning. We talked a few weeks back about how to…

5 Ways to Navigate the Writing Client’s First Draft

Posted on by lwidmer

I’m out of the office this week — at least I hope I am. As I write this post Thursday afternoon, I’m certain I didn’t go anywhere on Friday. My car decided it wasn’t done bleeding money out of me. A day after I paid $850 for new struts and an alignment, the brake hydraulics…

KeriLynn Engel

Yep, I've had two clients who reacted really badly to the first draft, but then refused to tell me what was wrong or what they didn't like about it. Both in the same month last year. I did get an upfront payment in both cases, so at least I got reimbursed for my work.

One of them actually approached me a few months ago to inquire about hiring me again, but I told them my schedule was completely full. I won't work with someone like that twice.

Other clients have requested edits, sure, but politely. I refuse to work with rude people. I admire other writers who can, but it just pisses me off and stresses me out too much. I want to enjoy my work, and the people I work with! 🙂

Cathy Miller

I lost a new client over this very issue. I clearly explained the whole draft thing and had even said that because they were a new client I expected we'd need changes until I became more familiar with their business.

They ignored repeated follow-ups from me regarding the draft. When they did finally respond it was to say that I didn't "get" their business. They were polite about it but that was the essence of their feedback. Yet the funny thing was when they sent their revised copy, it had minimal changes. And, no, it wasn't a tactic to avoid paying me. They paid promptly and in full. I was disappointed to say the least.

Ashley

Thankfully, I've had very few instances in which a client came back with major edits, and only one of those instances turned out badly. I hate not hitting the mark on the first try, but most of my clients understand that it happens occasionally — and they've taken the time to talk to me about what they like and don't like. And then, of course, I edit and make it right. Love, love, love those clients!

Paula Hendrickson

A few years back, a new-to-me client sent me the edited copy with tons of questions and "problems" to fix. They'd used Track Changes, so I could see which of the two editors had done what. And what do you know….one of them introduced some of the problems I was being blamed for. I guess they didn't like that I politely pointed it out — "What I wrote was….., so I have no idea what this phrase refers to. Perhaps we could changed it to…..?" — since they never hired me again. Well, there's also the part that I didn't send them any additional article ideas.

Jake Poinier

Back in my corporate days, I had a custom magazine client that used to destroy the first draft of his publication, regardless of how good it was. (Including the graphic design.) So, the art director and I would purposefully do something that we knew he wouldn't like, so that it would draw his attention! A few years back, I came across a nifty little article where the author calls it "the blue boat" strategy:
https://practicalbusinesstips.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/business-marketing-the-blue-boat/

He ultimately was a fantastic client, albeit with insanely high standards. After I left my corporate job, he became a loyal freelance client, too.

Paula Hendrickson

Jake, my dad (a graphic artist & cartoonist) said he always included one tiny, easy-to-fix flaw for certain clients he knew would have to change something to feel as if they were doing their job, or had some input. I never knew the stealthy strategy had a name. Thanks!

Lori Widmer

KeriLyn, I don't blame you. Once into the fire is enough, isn't it?

Cathy, that sounds like a client I had (and I believe you remember him). I wonder if the issue was they simply didn't know what they wanted? That's probably more likely than you not "getting" them.

Ashley, we've all had those instances. I think it's a matter of some clients never having worked with a contractor and not knowing what to expect. Or it could be they suck at conveying what they want, which also happens.

Ah Paula, you became the scapegoat. 🙂 Sounds like you couldn't win that no matter what. You're better off.

Jake, I remember you mentioning that strategy! It's a great one. It removes the need for the client to put fingerprints on the work. You give him/her something to revise and everyone is happy. 🙂