Among the many intriguing topics at the ASJA Austin conference Write in the Heart of Texas on Feb. 3 is a panel “Client Wrangling: How to Handle Sticky Situations.” ASJA Confidential spoke with moderator John Peragine on this subject. He, along with other distinguished panelists will address various ways on how to get what you want without getting pushed around…or burning bridges. A member of ASJA and the National Writers Union and a former social worker, John is the author of 14 books and has ghostwritten over 100 more. His latest book, “Cucamonga Valley Wine: The Lost Empire of American Winemaking” was released in 2017.
This is a challenging and often difficult subject for writers. Are there clues that might indicate things are about to get gummy?
Too often we rely on emails and texts, and things can get lost in the translation. And sometimes tensions and miscommunications arise and fester, and everything that the client or editor does becomes an annoyance or personal insult or vice versa. And then a silence arises between the two of you; you are avoiding each other for reasons you may not fully understand. And the client just disappears and you wonder, “What happened?”
Another thing that can and does occur is that clients can take you for granted; they call you outside of business hours and expect a massive number of revisions and extra work for little or no additional pay.
Is there a way to manage relationships so miscommunications are less likely to happen?
There are several things you can do. The first is an old-fashioned phone call, which can be key in sorting out misunderstandings. But before it even comes to that you need to have a hard conversation early in the relationship where you set boundaries and expectations. You need to tell them that you can only take calls during regular business hours, for example. Being assertive can be difficult and you might not want to upset the client, but you also don’t want to compromise your own values. Besides, if you don’t speak up, they’ll assume that calling you at 11 at night with questions or constant nitpicky revisions is acceptable, when the reality is exactly the opposite. And that’s when you become overwhelmed and angry, not to mention compromising your mental health, work-life balance and family and leisure time.
So when do you know when to say “no more?” And how can you do this tactfully without making an enemy?
You may find yourself thinking, “I can’t continue to do this.” Sometimes the clients who pay the least take up the most time, so you need to keep track of exactly how much time they are taking. It’s the law of diminished returns. You need to monitor yourself and when things pass a certain point, realize that it’s time to cut the cord.
If a relationship must end, always keep it on a business level and avoid being personal. Even if you like the client, you need to maintain a distance. It’s not your problem, for example, if they can’t pay their bills on time. While you may love working with them, why take on a second assignment if they haven’t paid for the first one?
Speaking of which, asking for money is one of the most difficult things writers face. Any suggestions on making it more palatable?
Conversations about money are never easy. But once again, money needs to be discussed early on the relationship, probably earlier than you might feel comfortable doing. As a self-employed professional and especially as a ghostwriter, I get a lot of tire-kickers, people who are initially excited about a project but disappear once they realize how much it will cost. And this may be after you’ve spent a couple of your very valuable work hours discussing everything but money with them.
It’s like picking the brain of any expert. If you come away with the ideas and knowledge that you need, why would you hire them?
How can you prevent messes from happening in the future?
Be judicious in sharing your time, talents and creativity and ask for money upfront after you’ve had a brief, initial conversation. While this may seem like a hard line to take, if you don’t value yourself, no one else will. These types of boundaries apply to all other aspects of the relationship as well, from deadline expectations to number of revisions to whether or not you’ll need to bring an editor or proofreader into the project.
Speaking for myself, I make sure that I get enough walking away money upfront should the project fail, even though it usually doesn’t. And for corporate clients and ghostwriting gigs, I also let them know that I charge interest should they not pay their invoices within the agreed-upon time.
And it goes without saying get a contract and/or everything in writing.
Lasso a spot at Write in the Heart of Texas on Saturday, Feb. 3, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Joe C. Thompson Center in Austin! Click here to register. Interested in volunteering or discussing sponsorship opportunities? Email asjatx@gmail.com.