I Just Turned Down A Potential Ghostwriting Project
November 17, 2006 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
I just turned down a potential ghostwriting project. It’s hard to say exactly why, but from the initial contact with the possible client it just didn’t feel right. It’s not that I think the client wouldn’t pay; it’s not that the project – a book – isn’t potentially a decent book. It’s even in, roughly, a field I’ve written well in before.
But that still, small voice inside has been throwing up big caution or “no-go” flags right from the beginning.
Over time I’ve learned to trust that voice, that instinct or intuition. When I don’t listen to it I usually regret it in the end.
On the other hand, I just had a phone interview with another possible client – this is one I really hope I’ll get. I liked the client on the phone and understood what he wants. My internal voice is saying ‘yes’ to this one.
Suppose I don’t get it? Will I regret turning down the first one? I don’t think so, or if I do, it will be momentarily and will be way more about the money than the writing. No, however this turns out I’m ahead.
It’s not always easy to turn down work, but it’s almost always the right decision, and it does open space for more work.
Write well and often,
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Hi Anne,
You did something that I have only just now learned to do – turn down projects that do not feel right. I got my start in freelance corporate writing last February, and until just recently, I applied to everything in my field and took any (reasonable) job. Now, after slogging through some miserable jobs where every hour felt like a decade, I’m learning that its okay to be more selective. I’m so glad I can read the comments of you seasoned freelancers so I feel a little better about some of the lessons I’ve been learning the hard way. Thanks for this post!