Freelance Freedom #106

Dejá vu feeling! =P

The perfect comic to describe what’s happening to me right now! Although sadly, I’m doing it as a freebie!

It definitely isn’t making me want to get into this game you guys call Freelancing!

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been asked to write a personal bio for someone or some company I’ve never met or don’t know the history of…

“just make something up. But make it snazzy. And give it pep.”

… for the love of God…

And this is why there are copywriters. Bring one on board at the project’s beginning, and you won’t have this problem.

I hear ya, good one once again.

Good one

You signature looks like the word ‘new’ when I quickly look at it.

why? why do they do this?

yep. been there….way too many times

Haha, I never take the time to comment on Freelance Freedom (though I do love it so very much), but this one just hit way too close to home Spot on.

Next thing I’d say: “I can also write your copy, but since that wasn’t in our original project agreement, there will be an additional charge. I’ll get the revised agreement over to your office today.”

Then the onus will be on the client to pay me to don my copywriter’s hat or to get me his/her copy.

“Oh just write something for now. I’m sure it’ll be fine. We can revisit it later, we just need some filler content on the site.”

Aaaugh!

@DenisBB – I thought the same actually. Hadn’t noticed it in previous strips though.

The last request for copy information had “Officially begging” in the subject line!

Oh my, don’t remind me. I keep repeating “D-E-S-I-G-N-E-R, not C-O-P-Y-W-R-I-T-E-R” too often. What do you mean “but you’re a blogger!”? Of course I am, but I don’t do copywriting. Why some people can’t just understand this?

Been there, done that… soooooo many times.
Some clients just don’t have a clue about what they want and expect us to figure it out.

I know that feeling completely and it has been happening quite often recently.

It’s tough when you know this is the perfect gig with the right amount of money, and they never get back to you. Your hopes and dreams are shattered like glass.

It’s an almost painfully accurate reconception of my current situation with an inhouse sort of clientel:( It’s only worse when after bothering them with it over and over again, you come to learn, in their eventual reaction that they’ve decided not to wish to be included in any sort of online writeup:( It would be nice if the truth were out there in such convos from the beginning. I could’ve been spending the time I was nudging them to find some other sort of angle to go with, I’m sure. ~sighs~

In general, being a client for professional services is hard work. You have to pay attention to and cooperate with the service provider. If you just throw a job over the wall to your designer, programmer, writer, etc you can usually expect garbage to come back.

But, some clients are clueless about this fact. If I hire someone and they have no questions of me, I get *very* suspicious.

Is it really necessary to walk on eggshells with customers when they aren’t attentive to the reality of the project?

Deja’ vu all over again! I have learned to be VERY specific at the initial (*FREE*) consultation. If I am not, I end up losing time and money anyway, so the time spent at the beginning saves time down the road.

If the client doesn’t agree with what I can and cannot do; and/or the price of the subcontractors I have learned to add to my virtual team–and the bill, then we may not be able to work together.

I am a WRITER; you want a different design for your site? CHANGE REQUEST!!

I have learned that the stress just isn’t worth it! I’m not THAT hungry!

I now have template/boilerplates for various scenarios of change requests that may come up.

The last panel is a dream.