Not Until The Contract Is Signed!
February 15, 2007 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
Late last year I had a face-to-face interview with a potential client. He wanted his story ghostwritten. We did a Visioning, for which I was paid and I promised to draft a contract.
The following day I send the contract draft, answered some questions and pretty much figured we had a deal. There was a delay of about a week, but since he travels I wasn’t concerned.
The next email from him asked if I thought he could write the book with me editing. He sent a sample chapter. It was pretty typical stuff and, in my opinion, needed a ton of rewriting. I rewrote a couple of paragraphs, explaining why I was making the massive changes I made – mostly in lines with show don’t tell. I sent that off with along with a cost estimate.
It’s been six or seven weeks and I’ve heard nothing. No reply to my rewrite, nor any reply to my one follow up email. Who knows why. Sure, he may have found another writer, or simply changed his mind. Of course it would have been polite for him to let me know, but I no longer take these things personally. Besides, I truly don’t know what happened… he may be dead for all I know.
Fortunately, I hadn’t been counting on that contract. It gets tricky sometimes… this is a book I think I would really have enjoyed doing. If another project had come in at the same time I might have been tempted to stall it in hopes the first would have come through. I say might have been tempted because I’ve learned over time not to count on anything until the contract is signed and the first check is cashed.
Write well and often,
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Hi Anne,
Don’t be surprised if your customer comes back. He’s probably just busy, like everyone else! If you really think you’d like the work, ping him again.
Still, you make a good point about not putting other jobs on hold until you’ve signed a contract *and* cashed a check. I have a signed contract for a 5-figure project that was supposed to start in November. November came and went. In the last week of November, another client approached me about a ton of work, and I went for it — even though I’m committed by contract to someone else. I figured our agreement was for November. Supposedly the project is still active, and I’ll revisit my schedule when they’re ready, but meanwhile–take the work and the money when it comes your way!
Cheers,
Sandy
Good advice Anne. Keeping personal feelings out of business demands walking a fine line at times.
He’s going for cheap, it’ll bite him in the butt, he’ll come back in a few months, and raise your price.
You have far more patience with these folks than I do. Which is why you’re the ghost writer and I’m NOT! ;)
Hello Anne,
I can relate to your feelings. It is a tricky, fine line to not take things personally. I’m in a business that deals with tourists all the time. And I have learned to bite my tongue and smile when intoxicated tourists are cursing at me because I refuse to rent them waverunners due to the “no drink and drive” law. If I didn’t have “tough skin” before I got into that business, I sure as heck do now. ;)
Things always happen for a reason and for every person that doesn’t contact you, there will be another one ready to meet you with arms open wide. :)