Clients Can Be Control Freaks

As we get to the end of the writing of his book, I’ve got a client who has gotten nervous about changes I’m making. He’s asked me to use track changes so he can see everything. I don’t really mind, except it takes a bit more work… or at least the way were going at it.

He sends one version with the track changes showing the changes he’s made and one with all those changes accepted. I print out the changes accepted version and, as I read and edit in pencil, double check against his version with the changes showing. This way I can often determine his reasoning for the changes. Often that helps, sometimes it doesn’t.

I then make my changes on the accepted or clean version, using track changes. When I make other than an obvious change, like eliminating an extra space, I’m adding a comment to tell him why. We’re far enough along so about the only changes I’m making are grammar errors, typos and those occasional word choices or phrases that I feel will stop a reader cold.

Since it’s his book, he gets to make the ultimate choice. Bit by bit we’re getting there.

Write well and often,

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