Words on the Page

Wednesday Wisdom: Finding Writing Advice That Fits

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Laundry Room by The Avett Brothers Yesterday was interesting. Instead of working on projects, I spent much of my day chasing the trash company. Our usual pickup time is Friday, yet Sunday the trash was still here (and not pleasant to be around). We called first thing Monday morning and were…

Detox Weekends

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Overjoyed by Bastille So how do you recover from two weddings in two weeks, a huge rehearsal dinner, and guests to entertain? You run away. That’s just what we did. It was my birthday gift from my husband, and it fit like it was made for me. We cut our workday…

The Evolving Writing Career

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Yes I Would by Frightened Rabbit After all the nuptial hubbub this month, I’m finally settling back down into work routines. I’m lining up interviews for an article assignment and I’m doing some prelim work on a query I intend to send out today. Plus, the marketing and LOIs continue in…

Finding Expert Sources

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: More Than a Feeling by Boston Yesterday was one of those days where I thought I’d get so much work done. I had plans. I was marketing. I was writing. I was lining up sources for an article. Instead, I lined up pillows on the bed and took a long nap….

Wedding Redux

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison Over. The weddings are now part of our immediate past, and the house is slowly returning to normal. The second wedding occurred on a beautiful Midsommar day and involved all the pageantry and color befitting Midsommar (or Midsummer, depending on your preference). Appropriate, since our groom (my…

Writing Banging Queries

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore It’s a week off for me. Not intentionally, but the projects were finished early and others that were supposed to show up didn’t, so I get some much-needed time to myself. This house is cleaner than it’s been in years, and today is the day the…

Picture Perfect

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Everything by Michael Bublé Meet my daughter and new son-in-law. On a picture-perfect day in an oak grove in Lancaster, PA, these two crazy kids agreed to marry each other. Nothing marred the day — not weather, not stress, not anything. The day started early with a spa trip for hair…

Free Advice Friday: When Clients Hold Checks Hostage

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: 1985 by Bowling for Soup Tomorrow. Tomorrow, my little girl becomes a wife. She’s waited for this, planned for this, since the first day boys became more than just playmates. I’m off today getting nails done, packing, and heading to the rehearsal venue in Lancaster, PA. A slow workweek was an…

Handling Controversial Writing Assignments

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Best of My Love by The Eagles You are what you write, aren’t you? If you’re good at what you do, no. Recently, I wrote an article on a controversial topic for a favorite editor. I knew when I wrote it there would be debate. And boy, there has been. I’ve…

Writers, Work, and Weddings

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Magnificent by U2 Today starts a week we’ve been waiting for. Five days from now, my youngest will become a married woman. But until then, there is much to do. At this writing, I am printing wedding programs. After I write this post, I’ll be marketing for an hour, then stapling…

Jennifer Mattern

I really don't know how you do it. I remember how crazy things can be with wedding planning especially with two so close together (remember how insane I was dealing with mine plus my brother getting married two weeks off?). I don't envy you. I hope they're both beautiful though and that you get to enjoy quite a bit of downtime once they've passed. 🙂

And great tips on the freelance front! I've used a mix of these tactics in the past, and they all have their place. I've found that most clients are extremely flexible, and the ones who aren't often don't use the work on schedule anyway when the project is completed (sometimes waiting months to release something simply because they lose track of time). In many cases they're happy to wait a bit to get the writer they want. And worst case, I refer the work to someone else. The client often still comes back for something else later. And if not, I don't worry about it. The more referrals you give, the more you tend to get, and it all balances out in the end. 🙂

Paula

I've referred projects to other writers when time is too tight for me to accept another project. But I've found some clients will give you extra time when they know you're busy. Many will wait an extra week to get your full attention instead of fragments of your time.

I know one writer who would rather write herself into the grave with too much work than risk losing a client to another writer. It's a two-way street, but that writer is a road hog who thinks it's a one-way street. Guess which writer I'd be loathe to refer to a client in need?

Lori Widmer

Jenn, I'm not sure how I'm doing it, either. Right now, it's kind of all up in the air and somehow juggling just fine. 🙂

Paula, the weird sense of competition among writers never made sense to me. We work differently, and there are more than enough clients to go around. I'm inclined to think that if my client decides to work with a different writer, then that writer fits better. Maybe your writer friend is thinking she's being talked down to her clients? If so, she needs new friends AND new clients!

Eileen

In my experience, 99% of deadlines are arbitrary and/or negotiable. If you have an ongoing relationship with a client, chances are they'll be okay with waiting a few more days. Most of them, in my opinion, would rather have the security of knowing they'll get a good quality product a few days later than ideal, versus scrambling to find an untested writer who can bring it in on a shorter deadline. I had a case last year where I wasn't free to take on a project for 6 weeks. The client welcomed my referral recommendations because they said they needed it ASAP, checked out my referred writers, and 6 weeks later still hadn't pulled the trigger … and when I checked back with them, I got the work.

Cathy Miller

I'm with Jenn. I don't know how you do it all.

I also agree with the consensus here that most clients are pretty flexible, especially if they have been working with you.

I have run across the occasional one who due to their own procrastination have an aggressive deadline. But you know the old saying, Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine. 🙂

Ashley

As busy as you are right now, Lori, a little extra time to stay SANE is important! We always need to take care of our clients, but we can't do that at the expense of our own health and well-being. Great tips on how to juggle without going crazy. You're doing an exemplary job!

Paula

Lori, I think that writer friend is probably just a bit insecure. She knows there are a lot of good writers out there. Sometimes she might forget she's one of them. You'd think she'd realize her long-term clients are loyal to her for a reason: she always delivers exactly what they want when they need it. No one-shot substitute writer will ever match that.

Lori Widmer

Eileen, that's been my experience, too. When they push back, it's usually because their boss is wanting it yesterday.

Cathy, that's a life-saving statement, isn't it? 🙂

Ashley, staying sane is scheduled. 🙂 They're all at work now, and my workload is light, so I've got a date with a book later this afternoon.

Paula, you're probably right. Her insecurity may be feeding that drive. I just hope she can keep reaching that high bar she's set for herself!