Comments on: My Nightmare Freelance Writing Client

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6 Key Provisions Every Freelance Writing Contract Needs - Productive Writers — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:59:18 +0000

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Weekly favorites (Aug 19-25) | Lingua Greca Translations — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 09:47:22 +0000

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By: John Soares

John Soares — Mon, 19 May 2014 21:26:57 +0000

In reply to Annette Gilbert. I'm sorry you had a similar experience Annette. I haven't worked through an agency since this experience. Not that I definitely wouldn't again; I know writers who have had positive experiences with agencies. Just definitely not my first choice.

By: Annette Gilbert

Annette Gilbert — Mon, 19 May 2014 21:21:04 +0000

John, I saw the link to this post in one of your answers in the Freelance Writer’s Den. Sorry you had such a bad experience! I agree, my most frustrating experiences involving miscommunication and scope creep have been with third-party agencies. Like you, I ended up making less than my bare minimum hourly because I had a feeling I wouldn’t get paid if I didn’t do the extra work. So the lesson I’ve learned is to avoid situations (if possible) where I can’t deal directly with the actual client but need to rely on a go-between.

By: Steven J Fromm

Steven J Fromm — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:03:55 +0000

John, this is a cautionary tale for many industries. In my legal practice, I do not do anything with a new client unless there is an engagement letter and retainer payment. I have gotten burned too many times. The rule for us to not do a thing until there is a contract and hopefully some up front money.

By: Brian Dalton

Brian Dalton — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 01:16:18 +0000

Your story rings sadly true to me, as well. While freelance writing for a client, I had written about 50 articles on a particular topic for a niche site. When all was said and done, he decided to go another route. I didn’t feel like arguing the issue, for it would have probably led to more headaches than it was worth. That’s a big reason why I starting developing two of my own sites. I do all my own writing and only have to answer to me. I still freelance from time to time, but I’m careful about what jobs I choose. Great site by the way.

By: st thomas taxi

st thomas taxi — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:23:43 +0000

Amazing, what a bad dream, John! Happy you got paid and much obliged concerning imparting these lessons to us. I suppose most authors have no less than one story as that – I as of late turned down a composition gig since they needed to hamstring whatever remains of my innovative yield through a non-contend proviso. The statement was initially intended for programming engineers, yet I could perceive how it could destroy my composition profession assuming that they tried to uphold it, so I needed to walk a

By: John Soares

John Soares — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:24:35 +0000

In reply to Pinar Tarhan.

That’s a painful story Pinar. I’ve found that there are more likely to be problems with a client when she or he is just starting a project. That’s what happened to both of us.

We learn from the process and move on…

By: Pinar Tarhan

Pinar Tarhan — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 14:09:21 +0000

My client started out as a dream client. We got along well, we even met in person to discuss the projects. I should mention I was hired also because of my local knowledge and contacts as she was from another country. She liked my ideas.
But then it turned out she and I had completely different views of the industry. And while I did my best to include her suggestions, she was never satisfied with the rewrites. The problem was what she expected and what she said she expected turned out to be truly different.

I was also supposed to be the first and the only writer of the website, and this meant I had nothing to guide me to find the tone she was looking for. She’d sent me a couple of links to posts she liked, but those posts were for another country, the posts were too long and the language was different than the one she wanted in my posts. Long story short, it’s not a great idea to be the “first” writer of the project. I didn’t get paid, she didn’t end up using anything I wrote. And there should be contracts, detailing expectations from both sides.

By: Adrienne (scieditor)

Adrienne (scieditor) — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 13:30:24 +0000

In reply to John Soares. Exactly! I have just met a non-compete clause for the first time in 16 years. I question the legality of them. As a freelancer in Canada, my understanding is that a client cannot legally interfere with my ability to earn a living. Otherwise, I 1) deserve fair (total and comprehensive) compensation and 2) become an "employee" in the eyes of the law. I think I need to consult an expert in employment law. Thanks for sharing your story, John. This happens far too often.