Business

Improving Your Vision

I attended an academically rigorous high school, where As were hard to come by. My senior year, I taped a handwritten note above my desk that simply said HONOR ROLL. It was a constant reminder of what I wanted to achieve.

Truth be told, I missed the honor roll by one letter grade in the final term. Still, it was the closest I’d ever come to making it . . . and I was confident that putting my goal in writing (and in a place I couldn’t ignore) had pushed me psychologically.

Fast forward to life in the working world. During my early career in magazines, the goals weren’t of my choosing, but they were clear: Brainstorm the topics, assign the articles, hound the writers, edit the copy, get it into the art department’s hands, and stay up late gorging on pizza when it was closing week and we had to send everything to the printer. Rinse, repeat.

Putting Your Goals in a Place They Can’t Be Ignored

As freelancers, it’s on us to determine our goals. At least once a year, I’ll sit down at a local coffee shop for a few hours and write down an unedited list of things I want to achieve over the near and long term. But I made a mistake two years ago: I left the list inside a notebook, which I filed and forgot about for months.

If I’m honest with myself, it’s probably because it’s a bit overwhelming — and maybe counterproductive — to look every day at a piece of paper with 50 or more handwritten goals on it. That’s where a vision board comes in. Much like my honor roll reminder way back when, being able to glance at a poster board helps with inspiration. (If you’re interested in some great info about vision boards, I highly recommend Christine Kane’s process.) For me, it’s an extra step toward keeping the big picture, quite literally, right in front of me.

Obviously, a vision board doesn’t solve everything. You also have to create systems for your freelance business, a broader topic for another day. Nonetheless, for a daily reminder of why I’m doing what I’m doing, investing in a poster board, some magazines, and a glue stick pays significant mental dividends — especially since a vision board is far too big to tuck away and forget!

Here’s to a fantastic, prosperous year — whatever your vision is!

Jake Poinier
The Freelance Expert

Jake Poinier made the leap into freelance writing and editing in 1999 after a decade of positions in the publishing industry, giving him key insights from both sides of the desk. As the founder and owner of Boomvang Creative Group, he has worked with a diverse array of Fortune 500 and small businesses, consumer and trade magazines, and independent authors. Jake is committed to helping freelancers improve their businesses and shares his knowledge and experiences frequently as a speaker at industry conferences, through webinars, and on his blog.

Don’t Feel Obligated to Give an Off-the-Cuff Estimate – with 1 Exception

Friday, June Post a comment

You don’t have to be in business very long before you’ll have a conversation like this:

Prospective client: “What do you charge for X?”

You: “Honestly, it depends on how many words/pages X is.”

Prospective client: “Well, we’re not really sure yet. Can you just give me a ballpark number on what you usually charge for X?”

You: “I’d be able to give you a much more accurate estimate with additional information. Do you have time to answer a couple of questions?”

Prospective client: “Well, we’re still really early in the process and trying to figure out our budget. If you can provide me a basic number, I can take that back to the team.”

It’s a bit like an improv comedy skit, but unfortunately, it’s never funny. At the risk of seeming evasive, you really should never feel obligated to give an off-the-cuff estimate over the phone. If you do, there are three primary negative outcomes and a ton of permutations:

You tell prospects a number that’s too low — and then they’re shocked when they get the actual, much higher “real” estimate, once you’ve calculated the scope of work.
You give them a number that’s too low — and they want you to stick to it, as if you signed some sort of magical contractual agreement.
You provide a number that would be too high for the actual project parameters — and you scare them off without a chance to understand their needs and come to mutually agreeable terms.

Sure, you might happen to guess a number that works for the client, gets you the job, and results in a lucrative project. The odds are heavily against this, however, and it’s generally not worth the risk. You have no written documentation, just a verbal offer: the weakest, least persuasive position to be in. An estimate based on fuzzy information can be hazardous to both your business and your sanity. And there’s no way to price the latter.

What’s the Exception to the Rule?

If an existing client — one you have an excellent relationship with and have done multiple jobs for — asks you to give an over-the-phone quickie quote, there’s no reason to be coy. This individual knows you are an honest businessperson, and he or she is just trying to get some information based on limited facts, not trying to trick you into saying something you’ll regret later.

Even so, you’ll still want to provide a conservative range and offer a disclaimer that you’ll need more information to estimate accurately: “Sara, those types of projects generally run from $900 to $1,400, but as you know it’s going to depend on how long the actual document is, how many interviews I need to do and other factors. Sounds like a great opportunity, so please let me know when you have the details and I’ll turn around a more accurate bid the same day.”

This post was adapted from Jake Poinier’s The Science, Art and Voodoo of Freelance Pricing and Getting Paid, available on Amazon.

Jake Poinier
The Freelance Expert

In Spite of Barriers, Women Make the Best Leaders

Friday, June Post a comment

Studies show the ideal leader today is ethical, honest, trustworthy, and fair regarding employee expectations. These traits earn the respect of followers and are closely aligned with women leaders.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women comprise 47% of the U.S. labor force, yet lag substantially behind men when it comes to representing leadership positions. The good news is even though the gender wage gap has declined in most professions, the number of women climbing the ladder to management ranks has increased. But in spite of these achievements, women still face leadership challenges in the workplace.

Leadership Barriers Women Face

The glass ceiling metaphor and other limited opportunity metaphors like glass door and glass cliff remain as popular today as they did 10 years ago. When things go wrong and the group fails, women leaders are likely to get blamed even if the failure was caused by events that took place before they came on board. Women report having fewer support networks at work, not getting needed information, and not being acknowledged for their efforts.

Women are also more likely to experience burn out and become disillusioned with their jobs and organizations and may end up quitting as a result. Cultural expectations also work against women who aspire to become leaders. Many never seriously consider becoming leaders because the process of socialization has taught them leadership professions are only open to males.

Negative stereotypes and discrimination can lower the self-confidence for some women and make them reluctant to take risks or strive for leadership positions. And since our culture highlights nurturing roles of women, many enter service professions such as teaching, nursing, clerical work, or roles that support the larger organization.

Changes on the Horizon

Fortunately, attitudes toward women in leadership are changing, especially among the younger generation. As more women succeed in management roles, stereotypes will continue to erode. When this happens, women will experience less prejudice and more opportunities.

As global environments become more competitive, management styles are shifting away from old leadership styles to more transformational styles that emphasize communication, teamwork, and responsiveness. These leadership styles will benefit women in today’s workforce.

Gail McShan-Elly is a writer and blogger. She is married and believes greatness is achieved by serving others.

7 Telltale Signs It’s Time to Get Over Yourself and Get Support

Monday, December Post a comment

As freelance writers and editors grow more successful, they often find themselves becoming scattered and busy with tasks that aren’t directly related to writing or editing. Christine Kane points out that clinging to off-target tasks steals time from what you’re really meant to be doing, and suggests that outsourcing or hiring help is a major step in becoming more productive and profitable.

Back when I had a lawn, I used to mow it myself. I was a tried-and-true DIY gal. I prided myself on it.

Only problem: I freakin’ couldn’t stand mowing the lawn. I dreaded it all week. Even when I was happy once it was finished, I started dreading it again the very next day!

At that time, I was beginning to uplevel my life and business. I began seeing my time differently. I realized that the simple act of writing a song like “Right Outta Nowhere” could pay me—in the long run—WAY more than the money I saved by mowing my own lawn.

In other words, I learned how to value my work. I learned how to act on that value. Was it scary? Yes. But when I finally hired someone to mow my lawn every week, I learned all about success and the value of my time. In other words, I got over myself and my fear of lack.

These days I’ve taken it to a much bigger level, and I have a team working for me.

I now teach my clients new ways of valuing their time as they expand into more success in their own lives. They always end up realizing the ROI (return-on-investment) of getting help!

Here are 7 telltale signs that it might be time for you to get some support, too:

You don’t have enough time to do the thing you’re best at.

What are you good at? What do you want to be good at? How much time do you actually spend doing that thing?

If you’re running around getting menial tasks done – and you have no time to pursue your passion, or engage in your high-pay-off, high-delight activities – then ask yourself why.

Even if you let go of one item (like cleaning your house) you’re telling the Universe the value of your time. (And you know what? The Universe always says Yes.)

You resent people who don’t struggle.

This is a big one.

If you hold resentment for people who live life with joy and ease, this could be a sign that you are waiting for rescue. That just leads to more struggle.

Only YOU are in charge of whether or not you struggle. Rescue yourself and learn what true empowerment feels like.

You’re worried about the economy.

Waiting for the economy to get better before you’ll hire someone? Why not become a part of the solution and use your money to improve the economy?

While everyone else is pulling back and firing people; you can experience what it’s like to be the change you wish to see in the world!

No one can do it as good as you.

If you just shouted “Amen Sister!” then please step away from your computer. Go to the bathroom mirror. Look into your eyes and say the following aloud:

“I have a bit of a control issue.”

The belief that no one can do it better than you serves only to keep you in the role of the martyr. Unless you are, say, a brain surgeon, then there are many people who can (and will) do it as good as you. (And I doubt that brain surgeons run around cleaning the floor after surgery!)

You’re playing not to lose.

Ask any coach or athlete about this.

When you play to not lose, all you’re doing is surviving, relying on yourself, and hoping no one notices you.
When you play to win, you take risks, you keep your mental attitude strong, you rely on the team, you look for the goal. Decide that you want to play to win.

You’ve used this phrase at least once in the past month: “By the time I show someone how to do it, I could just do it myself.”

This is the mantra of someone who refuses to succeed. It’s the mantra of the struggle-addict.

Learning how to delegate is empowering. Not just for you, but for others as well. Besides, when you show them how to do it once, they can keep doing it so you don’t have to!

You dread certain things so much that they don’t get done.

It’s okay to not enjoy aspects of your work or your life. This is the exact thing you can hire someone to do.

What items do you dread? No matter what they are, when you get them off your plate, you’ll experience more energy just knowing they’re getting done, and you don’t have to worry about them anymore!

Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses, and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers.

[Editor’s note: I loathe the bookkeeping and accounting parts of having a business, but kept doing it for a long time because I felt I couldn’t afford to outsource it. When I finally did, my productivity shot up, and I began finishing projects that had been lingering for months or even years, which raised my income more than enough to cover the cost of the outside help. Christine’s right– outsourcing is a step up in your career, and you probably need to start doing it.]

Better Outcomes Begin with Shared Understanding

Saturday, February Post a comment

When I came across this quote from developer John Cutler, I found it insightful both for its simplicity and the deeper questions it evokes. “Walk a mile in your customer’s shoes, then figure out how to remove that mile altogether.” So, what exactly does he mean by “remove the mile”? One interpretation might be the distance between the process of doing and the achievement of done, and the speed at which we deliver for our clients. Another interpretation could be the distance in our understanding between what we think the customer needs and what they actually need. Or perhaps just finding more intentional ways to reduce our overall separateness – Client and vendor – us and them, getting better at aligning our shared goals. Perhaps all of these apply.

For most, the primary measurement of progress is tangible outcomes; seeing is believing. To begin removing the mile between ourselves and our customers, it behooves us to find ways to do the groundwork first, before jumping into action, going deeper at the outset to deliver on the actual need rather than just the perceived need. Instead of Idea>Action, the goal is Idea>Plan>Action. To create a plan, we first need to feel the pain our customers feel, to internalize their hard realities, for an hour, a day, a week, whatever it takes to achieve the “I get it” moment so we can begin to chart a course that will yield the desired result.

When we align with our customer at both a practical and emotional level, we achieve shared understanding and clarity of purpose and clarity of priority toward the desired destination. This results in a more accurate context that informs our creative problem solving. To be clear, the customer isn’t always the buyer. The customer may be our supervisor, boss, co-worker, partner, colleague or anyone else we aim to serve. The customer is the person, team, or organization that bestows their confidence and trust in us to deliver a solution to their problem.

In Agile parlance, one tool we’ve found that works well is the user story – a short wish list item expressed as a brief human story from the customer’s perspective. Example: “As a sales representative traveling to clients, I often schedule back-to-back appointments. I would like to quickly access my notes from the home screen without having to drill-down, so I can save valuable time before each appointment. ”

The format is simple: As a <type of role>, I would like to <complete some task> so I can <achieve some goal.>

Add User Stories to your planning process and project participants who may not have the benefit of direct customer interaction, can peer into the history, context and origin of the thing they’re tasked with building. This places everyone closer to the customer’s experience. In the story example of the sales person, compound their pain in the form of lost time over days and weeks and we have the real opportunity to create a meaningful difference for them.

Project planning that brings us closer to the customer ultimately drives more impactful outcomes, meeting the need and saving everyone the added cost, delays, and headaches of re-design and re-work. aka “that isn’t really what we had in mind” moments.

“In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

User stories are effective when they’re visible. Add them to your roadmaps and sprint boards, virtual or otherwise, so they’re front and center when work actually begins. That way, the pain and desired outcome is expressed in human terms and doesn’t become a a distant abstraction. It’s no longer just a feature, it’s improving someone’s life.

Whether it’s a new app, product, website, campaign or any other project you’re charged with delivering…consistent, accurate deployment starts with clarity of understanding at the human level, serving to eliminate the mile between us and our customer.

Stephen (“Steve”) Colwell is the founder of Clarify Media and Completing, one specializing in marketing and brand strategy for B2B and B2C firms; the other focused on growth operations training and consulting for teams seeking more scalable ways of operating. Steve brings 15+ years experience leading high-performing creative, technical, and operations teams across the globe. A certified Agile practitioner and Fractional CMO, Steve helps teams of all types and sizes save time and accelerate growth by implementing the same proven methods and routines practiced by today’s top-performing companies. Steve has helped national and global brands in technology, healthcare, education, finance, consumer goods, travel, entertainment, blockchain, and a number of other industries.

Your Fast Track to a Bestseller

Saturday, February Post a comment

(with apologies and thanks to Steve Harrison)

If you’d like your title to be a bestseller — maybe even a New York Times Bestseller — then this post is for you.

An author emailed me after one of my recent panels on ghostwriting. She said, “Claudia, you know so much about the book business. What do I have to do to make my book into a bestseller?”

She had been writing all her life and had a Creative Writing degree from an impressive school. Her teachers loved her book. Her friends and family raved about it. She got 4 and 5-star reviews on Amazon.

But when it came to actual sales — those just trickled in.

I suspected the reason her book wasn’t selling well had nothing to do with her ability to spin a tale, create wonderful characters, or bounce nouns off verbs.

She obviously had good writing skills.

What she didn’t have was a formula for taking her ideas from concept to bestseller status.

So I sent her the seven simple questions below.

(If you’d also like your book to be a bestseller, ask yourself these questions and see if you can answer “YES” to each one.)

Question #1 — Do you have a strong first draft, AND a well-structured second draft, punchy lined-edited third draft, and carefully copy-edited fourth draft?

Question #2 — Do you have the three strongest, most diverse BISAC Subject Headings attached to your nonfiction ISBN? Do you have the best-niche BISAC Subject Heading attached to your fiction ISBN? Do you have the three best Amazon.com categories and 10 top keywords to position your book as a bestseller?

Question #3 — Do you have honest reviews from total strangers who you haveNOT paid but who have actually read your entire book?

Question #4 — Do you have a list of high-volume buyers AND a one-sheet that gets them to say, “Wow, this is great! We need your title”?

Question #5 — Do you have a marketing kit that connects your title to a current, hot, or “sexy” news topic?

Question #6 — Do you have a business plan for online AND offline marketing and promotion? Do you have a list of organizations and groups that need to hear about your book AND a one-sheet that gets them to call you to speak?

Question #7 — Do you have a ready supply of physical books to sign and sell at the back of the room?

My new pen pal responded “NO” to most of the questions. (She had written a strong first draft and she had a supply — a large supply, in fact — of physical books to sell.)

So I wrote back, “That’s wonderful–now you know the missing pieces you need.”

This is the Point Where I’m Supposed to Pitch My Services-

…but I really meant to write more of a post than an advertorial, so let’s leave it here:

If you answered “NO” to any of the questions and would like my help filling in the gaps of your “bestseller plan,” email me at claudiasuzanne@gmail.com or call me at 1-800-641-3936 (USA) or 1-714-954-0580 (International).

If you want to do the heavy lifting yourself and need a coach or a guide, I’m here for you.

If you want referrals to other great people who can help you, here’s my short list:

Flo Selfman’s copy editing
Devon Blaine’s book publicity
Penny Sansevieri’s online marketing
And (of course) Steve Harrison’s publicity and speaking programs

I look forward to seeing your bestseller!

Claudia Suzanne is a consummate ghostwriter/teacher, understanding what authors need in order to successfully complete their book dream, and she has a finely honed talent for communicating what she knows to her students and clients. Popularly dubbed “The Einstein of Ghostwriting,” Claudia has entertained and informed tens of thousands of writers, editors, journalists, and aspiring authors at countless writer and professional meetings, conferences, radio and BlogTalk radio broadcasts, webinars, and podcasts. Claudia was an invited expert on Penguin’s Author Solutions Expert Video series and a featured entrepreneur in Orange County Business Journal and Norwegian Business Daily. Her signature title, This Business of Books: A Complete Overview of the Industry from Concept through Sales, earned her a 2018 Author of Influence Award from Connected Women of Influence.

Why Authors Need a Website

Tuesday, December 1 Comment

Why does an author need a good website? And why should they pay for one instead of using one of the many free ones? Or isn’t it easier to use Facebook or the writer’s blog they have been using? However, the best answer for writers is to have a website is yes. Unlike social media and blogging, an author website means you will spend time building your writing platform. Every author’s online platform is their most significant asset, and creating one is vital for your long-term success.

Of course, some writers may point to using their profiles on Facebook, X, Instagram, or other social media sites because they have friends following them. Yes, there is value in social media profiles for writers. However, social media platforms come and go. Just ask anyone who used MySpace or AOL. With your website, you will always have control over whether it lives or dies. You will work to keep it alive, as that is the one stationary spot for potential readers who are searching online to run across your website.

More reasons for having a website:

You get to control what messages about you and your writing projects go on your site. Even if your site is filled only with static pages, you can decide what content goes on those pages.

You can write your own content, provide readers (and other media and publishing professionals) with the best way to contact you, share links to your social media profiles, give information about your writing projects and books, and much more.

You have to figure out how much to invest in your website. It may start with you locking down your domain name. Next, it may be creating an essential static website. As your writing career expands, you may want to invest more time and money in the website.

Besides readers, some companies will find out about you through your website, and you might get contacted to do a three-day weekend book signing, like what happened to me this year. Busch Gardens Williamsburg, an amusement park, contacted me a few months back to schedule a weekend in October to sign my books at the park. I agreed and signed a contract. The event gave me the opportunity to meet potential readers.

So, go ahead with that Facebook page, Instagram, or other social media, but think about a website. As that is where your author brand will shine the best as a beacon of light on the internet.

Pamela K. Kinney gave up long ago ignoring the demanding voices in her head and has been writing ever since. Her horror short story, “Bottled Spirits,” was runner-up for the 2013 WSFA Small Press Award and considered one of the seven best genre short fiction for that year. She has various short stories and poems published in fiction and nonfiction anthologies, magazines, and online zines, a science fiction novella, an urban fantasy novel, five nonfiction ghost books, and a nonfiction cryptid book. Her horror poem, “Dementia,” got her mentioned in Best Horror of the Year, Volume Thirteen. She has stories and poems in two horror anthologies to be released in 2024, plus a YA dark fantasy novel, Demon Memories, first book in the Moon Ridge trilogy.

How To Choose When To Add New Services in Your Writing/Editing Business

Tuesday, July Post a comment

As a freelance writer or editor, you can broaden your business in two ways with new services: (1) niching into other writing/editing services or (2) stepping out into other freelance niches like marketing, video, or audio work, or administrative work.

But how do you know if it’s the right time or fit for you? Throughout my freelance career, I have pivoted into other freelance services and niched down into other freelance writing options, too. Here’s what to keep in mind.

Taking on Other Kinds of Editing/Writing Work

This is perhaps the easiest pivot, since you already have a track record of delivering in the writing and editing space. You have a better handle on pricing and can also bring over the lessons learned from your existing business (AKA how not to work with nightmare clients, which contract provisions protect you, how to set deadlines.)

For example, if you’ve been largely focused on academic editing services, you could continue to do those or dial that work down to shift over into business editing or fiction manuscript editing. Although the projects will look somewhat different, you aren’t making a huge change. It might be difficult to land those first few clients in your new service area if you’ve done a lot of work “branding” yourself as the academic writing expert.

When to consider making this kind of change:

You’re feeling too much “sameness” in your work (if you look at one more academic journal article, you’ll lose your mind). New service offerings, even if you’re not pivoting into them full-time, can help add variety.
You’re getting bored with your work and feel you’ve taken your current service offering as far as you could take it. (After 11 years of writing personal injury law blogs, not a single thing about it was challenging for me anymore.)
You don’t want to learn something entirely new, but you do desire a little bit of change

Taking on Entirely New Work

It’s a much bigger change if you’re going to start offering book cover design either instead of or in addition to your current editing workload. That’s not to say it can’t be done. In fact, some writers and editors love zooming out to the big picture to make themselves more of a one-stop shop. With this, however, comes thinking about how you’re going to market yourself differently and whether you need new work samples. If you’re not as familiar with the standards, pricing, client types, and deadlines in this new service area, allocate more time to get up to speed. It can be a bit clunky especially when everything feels so smooth in your existing editing and writing business just due to your experience in that field.

For example, after years of content writing, I shifted over to offer Amazon Ads for published book authors for a time. It was a big change even though I was familiar with publishing in general. I was talking to an entirely new group of potential clients and did not have all the kinks worked out yet. More on that later as I walk you through how to approach a test run of a new service area.

Here’s when to consider making a shift like this:

You’re increasingly bored or frustrated with your existing service offering and want to see if you can retire it or dial it down to 20% or less of your total work. Trying out a new service area helps you see whether that’s possible in terms of income and whether you like the new offering enough to do more of it.
You feel stagnant and want to continue growing or you want to protect yourself from risks, downturns, influence of AI, etc. that you’re worried about with your current service offering.
Your clients keep asking you if you offer service XYZ and you’re saying no, meaning you’re losing the opportunity to do more work with clients you like. An editor who also loves cover design could be a killer combination!

Managing a Test Run

A new service offering, even one similar to your existing work, is not always a good fit. Therefore, don’t put the cart before the horse and invest in a total rebrand. I’m really glad I didn’t do this with my Amazon Ads offering, because I ended up phasing it out after just four months. The great thing about trying something new is that you’re not obligated to stick with it so long as you didn’t promise people that it’s your new focus.

Instead, here is how to approach that:

Set up a test run of a few months or a handful of projects. Ideally, this will come from your existing clients or people who already know, like, and trust you. Bonus: these projects can be your first work samples and/or testimonials if they go well!
Offer special pricing for these first few projects with clear boundaries and endcaps. For example, with my Amazon Ads offering, I made it clear I was trying this out and only signed three-month contracts with a few people who I already liked and had asked me to run ads for them. This gives people an incentive to try out this new offering while not locking you in to some big project/long timeline in case you end up hating what you’re doing. This also prevents long-term underpricing since the special pricing is for a limited period.
Set a deadline for when you’ll decide if you will continue to offer this new service. I chose four months because during that time I’d be able to work on several of these projects.
Do not build a website, pay for a new logo, spend all your time on LinkedIn, etc. to make it seem as though this is your “new thing.” If you need to pick up a few test run clients, you can market this as a special opportunity: “I have openings for up to three clients with my new service.”
If you hate the new offering, conclude your contracts and exit the service. No harm done: you learned something new. And now you can try another service offering if you want!

I stopped offering 1:1 Amazon Ads because I just didn’t enjoy it; the clients wanted too much in terms of reporting, the results were randomly effective, and I did not like the constant back and forth emails. So I wrapped it up and put that behind me.

Keep these tips in mind as you think about whether offering a new service makes sense for you.

Laura Pennington Briggs is the founder and CEO of the Freelance Coach. A two-time TEDx speaker on how freelancing is changing the economy and the host of the weekly Advanced Freelancing podcast, Laura has helped over 15,000 freelancers start and scale their business. She’s an expert on systems, project and client management, marketing a solopreneur business, delegating to team members, retainers, and developing multiple income streams for writers of all stripes. Laura is the author of five books, including the Six Figure Freelancer, How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business, and award-winning Remote Work for Military Spouses. She’s also the founder of Operation Freelance, a national nonprofit providing free entrepreneurship training to military spouses worldwide.

Four Signs of Toxic Freelance Clients

Thursday, March Post a comment

Many freelancers end up working with clients who are not an ideal fit for them especially at the beginning of their business, but bad clients and even toxic clients can still land in your lap as your business grows, and as you get savvier. Understanding what makes a toxic client is critical for helping you to determine how to avoid them, how to spot them in an onboarding call or intake call, and how to respond and terminate the relationship if necessary.

What Is a Toxic Client?

We’ve all had our share of less-than-ideal clients, but a toxic client goes beyond that.

A toxic client, simply put, is someone who drains your energy and treats you poorly. You begin to develop a sense of dread or frustration in dealing with them. Toxic clients are typically overwhelming and overbearing, cross communication boundaries, and have numerous extra requests for you and most of the time they want these done without any additional pay.

Toxic clients tend to generate an emotional response in the freelancers they work with and it’s common to feel things like anger or frustration, but in the worst-case scenario, they cause you to feel entirely burned out. If you work with clients, you generally enjoy working for, it’s a little bit easier to identify toxic clients because your feelings about these people are so much different than your other clients. Recognizing some of the patterns for what can develop into a toxic client is critical for helping you stop this situation before it escalates.

While it’s important to do everything you can to possibly identify a toxic freelance client, you cannot always identify them in advance. Sometimes these people sneak up on you and come out of nowhere. They seem fine in the intake call or don’t give you information that would indicate their true nature. If one slips through the cracks, however, try to notice the signs of their behavior sooner rather than later.

Here are four signs to keep in mind when identifying toxic clients.

#1: Mismatched Expectations

If your freelance client is pushing you to be available around the clock, or expects you to answer text messages, phone calls or emails overnight or over the weekends, this is an early sign that they may need their boundaries adjusted. In some cases, with a normal client, you’re able to walk this back and explain your business office hours and why you won’t be able to respond during these times.

You may even be able to redirect them into a weekly or biweekly call to avoid all of these issues stacking up in your email inbox. With a toxic client, however, they will refuse to adjust their behavior and leave you suffering the consequences. They may even argue that you’re being unreasonable.

Likewise, if they ask for five rounds of revision on a smaller project or bombard your first submitted piece with far too many comments and change requests, beware.

#2: Bad Discussions About Past Freelancers

How a client talks about their past freelancers tells you a lot about their experience in this field and whether or not they understand how to interact with freelance professionals appropriately. If they mentioned in a call that their previous five editors or writers all failed or were difficult to work with, the odds are there’s a problem with the client, not the freelancers.

It’s normal for some of your clients to come in with bad experiences with a handful of past freelancers, especially if the client was new to things and perhaps hired the wrong person but listen to the way they talk about their freelancers. If they’re using strong language like this person was an idiot or this person almost destroyed my business, be aware that they may have unrealistic expectations and are likely to blame you for problems that probably weren’t your fault.

I like to ask clients, “tell me about your experience working with freelancers in the past,” as an open-ended question and see how they respond.

#3: Demanding That You Prove Your Worth

Toxic clients tend to want you to prove your worth or talk about things like ROI or how your work will transform their life or business immediately. Toxic clients might push you to prove your worth as early as the initial phone call. They may not be willing to sign a contract for longer than a month or do anything other than a sample project because they don’t trust you.

They may be comparing you against five or six other freelancers to see who will allow them to push the boundaries. Toxic clients may try to pay you 10% upfront and then claim they’ll pay the rest when they are satisfied with the completed project. Be aware, this is a potential trap and a major red flag as they may never actually be “satisfied” enough to send the remaining funds owed.

#4: Refusal to Pay on Your Terms

Each freelancer comes to the table with their own requests about payment, be it late payment fees, deposits that are due or regular payment schedule. If your client is requesting that every aspect of your contract be updated to adhere to their terms or pushes back when their invoice is due and they’re not making the payment, this is an early sign you may be involved with a toxic client.

In general, it’s a good idea to have some measure of good faith, such as a significant deposit or full payment upfront to ensure that the client has the means to pay you. This keeps you from chasing after the client for weeks or months, especially if you have the client who says they’re not satisfied with the final product and refuses to release that money until you are finished with a version they appear to be happy with.

What To Do If You Think a Client Might Be Toxic?

Not every client is a full bad apple. Some of them may have no idea how their behavior is affecting you and I always suggest trying to walk it back unless the client has crossed some major line already. Here are a few tips for how to handle clients who are pushing the boundaries:

Call the situation out early and address it.
- Example: “I’ve noticed we’ve had a lot of back and forth on the first draft. Here are some ideas I have to streamline that process.”
- Example: “In the future, please direct all communication to the Google Doc/Email/Trello board. I’m not available to answer texts or Facebook Messenger, especially after hours.”
If the client speaks to you unprofessionally, reference it in the moment and explain why it’s a problem. You can say phrases such as, “I don’t know if you mean to come across this way”, or, “I want to make sure I understand what you just said because it feels inappropriate”.
If you are in a relationship with a toxic client, decide if you can part ways. Regardless of the value of the total project, it can be detrimental to the rest of your business to continue working with a toxic client. Think about the actual amount of time you’re putting in with this client and you can probably figure out pretty quickly that you’re not getting what you’re worth. They may also be causing a physical, mental or emotional toll and these clients can push you to burnout.

One of the biggest problems with working with someone who is extremely difficult is that these negative aspects tend to bleed over to your other clients even if you don’t intend them to. You may be showing up frustrated or less able to focus for your other clients.

Over time, you might determine red flags specific to you. As a business owner, remember that you’re in the driver’s seat to determine whether or not you want to work with someone.

Laura Pennington Briggs is the founder and CEO of the Freelance Coach. A two-time TEDx speaker on how freelancing is changing the economy and the host of the weekly Advanced Freelancing podcast, Laura has helped over 15,000 freelancers start and scale their business. She’s an expert on systems, project and client management, marketing a solopreneur business, delegating to team members, retainers, and developing multiple income streams for writers of all stripes. Laura is the author of five books, including the Six Figure Freelancer and How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business. She’s also the founder of Operation Freelance, a national nonprofit providing free entrepreneurship training to military spouses worldwide.

Seven Ways to Find a Literary Attorney

Friday, March Post a comment

Finding an attorney when you need to prepare or review a writing or publishing contract is not always easy, especially if you live and work outside most major cities. Often, it isn’t that there are no literary attorneys in a particular state, but that they practice publishing or literary law under other names.

Keep in mind that an attorney who reviews or prepares writing- and publishing-related contracts might not include the word “literary” in the description of their law practice. Attorneys who handle literary matters include those whose advertised expertise might be described as business law, contracts, trademark, and copyright as well as entertainment, publishing, or intellectual property.

So how do you find them?

First, decide what state to search in. If your agent or publisher is located in Missouri and you live in Oklahoma, you might want to consider retaining a Missouri attorney.
Second, if you know other writers who live or work in that state, ask them for a referral.
Third, do some online research under the practice categories I mentioned above —most attorneys have an online presence.
Fourth, contact the state bar association in the relevant state. Most bar associations maintain lists of attorneys under their respective practice areas. Many also have panels of attorneys in particular practice areas who will review the contract either free of charge, i.e., pro bono, or for a reduced fee.

Be aware, though, that attorneys who offer to work for nothing sometimes do so because they are looking for more experience in that subject area. Thus, be cautious but also appreciative. Even an attorney who has little contract experience is going to know more about contracts than the average author.

Fifth, contact a law school in the state and ask an intellectual property or contracts professor on the faculty to identify local attorneys who handle literary matters.
Sixth, if you’re not ready to retain an attorney yet, pay attention to those attorneys who are quoted about copyright and publishing issues on TV, the radio, and in print and online news articles. Jot down their names. They might not be located in the preferred state but they might know others who are.
Seventh, contact both local, state, and national writers’ organizations.

A publishing consultant as well as a licensed attorney in both California and New York, Denise Gibbon represents and educates authors about contracts, copyright, and other publishing issues.

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