When I’m not writing (or I’m avoiding work in general) I like to read about writing. So I haunt a few news groups and forums. A few days ago I ran across an interesting thread in CopyWriter Mastermind.

What they say about us.

The thread started with someone who wanted to sell writing services to Marketing Directors. Marketing Directors, or MDs, are huge users of writing services and in the off line freelance world MDs are high grade targets. What caught my interest was the responses and advice from former MDs. Especially the gripes about freelance writers. Here’s the list:

• Freelancers who focus on money and contracts over a working relationship. “Don’t talk money before we even get the details hashed out. I want to be convinced you are the right person for the job before I have to think about the mechanics. I know you have to get paid, you seem like an amateur if you jump into contracts and payment too soon.”
• Freelancers who aren’t committed. “I managed my local staff, my cross country staff and my overseas staff. If one dropped the ball, I had recourse by going over their head or impacting their salary review. I could manage their behavior because we were on the same team.
  If my freelancer dropped the ball, I had no recourse. Sure, I could deny payment but I still looked bad to my bosses. Since most of them didn’t seem to care if I ever hired them again, I had little power to get the work done…well.”
• Freelancers who lie. “Maybe they need the work, and that’s why they lie. They tell you they have skill X or Y and it’s plain, after you get started, that they just don’t. Samples are a good start, but there’s no substitute for having something done for me directly. And too often, for whatever reason, they just can’t produce what they claimed. Along with this comes the excuses. Unlike ‘real’ employees, freelancers seem to feel they can just stop work or do a poor job if they have any sort of personal or equipment problem- it’s a disease.”
• The Prima Donna Syndrome. “I write, and I hire writers. I have to- there is plenty of work; more than enough. But some writers think they are the be-all and end-all of writing. As if I couldn’t hire another two or three whenever I wanted. I’ve got lots of things in the works, I don’t have the time to deal with wannabe Stephen Kings (if you are Stephen King, I’m not hiring you anyhow). Bottom line: You work for me. So work.”
• Whiny, needy freelancers. “Pretty much the same as above, but presents as: ‘The job is too hard. I don’t have the resources or the time.’ These folks have an endless series of complaints and excuses. And if I have a criticism, don’t take it personally. I can’t stand it when freelancers don’t listen, when they get piqued because I need a change. I’m not out to offend, I just want the final product to meet my expectations and my vision.”

This isn’t me, is it?

I’m a professional. I don’t do any of these things.

Yeah, that’s what I thought. Life has a funny way of punching you in the face with undeniable examples.

The very next day, after reading all these comments from MDs, I became the jerk they were talking about. I was due to write a few blog postings for a new client. This client had some clear particulars and objectives in mind, and for whatever reason, I focused almost entirely on the formatting constraints. She wanted certain links and images in each post.

I wrote one to specifications and, being happy with it, sent it off.

The reply included some comments about tone and style. My first attempt wasn’t personable enough and didn’t meet the listed criteria in that sense. The formatting was OK, but the content wasn’t up to par.

Oh boy! I was miffed. Someone hadn’t immediately fallen in love with my writing. That night, I sent off a snide email (oh yes, as writers we do a great ’snide’) implying that the work was too hard, underpaid, and suggesting they hire another writer. In short, I was being the petulant child. Just the opposite of how I think of myself and precisely the model of what MDs hate.

A happy ending.

Thankfully, and beyond all reasonable expectation, she wrote me back the next day perfectly calm and businesslike. She graciously left me an opening to try again and said she hoped I wasn’t quitting.

Of course, by this time, my Mr Hyde had calmed. I could see clearly what a jerk I had been. I apologized and took up the reins again. I got lucky- I was dealing with a grownup.

The bottom line.

As freelancers, we live mostly with ourselves, mostly in our own heads. We need to be careful that we don’t catch the disease of thinking the world revolves around us and our individual concerns. It takes a bit of self discipline and watchfulness to avoid becoming a jerk. We are kings of our own little worlds, but we have to be good diplomats when we seek to trade outside our small kingdoms. It’s all about relationships. Don’t be a jerk.

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