Complaints About Writing Clients?
September 18, 2007 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
Do you have a writing client who is driving you crazy? You’re not alone. Someone on our forum pointed to the Writing Frump Weblog, and it’s a hoot. It’s a newish blog, and the author at the moment at least is anonymous, but any of us who have worked with writing clients for any length of time could have started it.
What’s your biggest complaint about your clients? Or your worst story? Okay, let’s be fair – tell us about your best clients too – in our comment section.
Write well and often,
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I hear the author is looking for people who want to contribute anonymously. This could be quite a sounding board! ;))
Once, during my previous life at an ad agency, a client angrily circled a sentence that began with “And” and scrawled in the margin “BAD ENGLISH!” I was so tempted to reply “Sorry, I didn’t know this was a term paper.”
Lori – hmmm, wonder how it could then be turned into info about folks we freelancers should avoid?
Rachel – lol, although I probably shouldn’t laugh.
While the “rules” of some types of writing remain fairly fixed, there has been so much change in what’s acceptable usage, since grammar and language are continually in flux. Because some people learned “old school” English, they may have difficulty in accepting change. Personally, I still cringe a little when I write the word “no” as an adjective, but its use is everywhere.
Let’s see….there’s the bitch who made me jump through hoops to write an aritcle for her and two months later, the magazine is out, my article is in it, and she still hasn’t paid me.
Ellis… I’m so sorry! Have you tried calling and asking for accounting to see if you can shake the pay out of that side of the business?
Thanks for writing, Anne. Yes, I’ve called the magazine multiple times– every time I call, the answer’s the same- the editor writes the checks and the editor has been very busy. Whatever that means. I always ask very cordially, but it’s frustrating that I have to keep asking for something that rightfully belongs to me.
Ah Ellis, I trust by this time you’re mostly moving on… I think Writers Weekly is still running Editors and Predators… you might want to post there…