Turn Down That Writing Job!
July 25, 2007 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
Okay, I’m pandering a bit with that headline, but seriously, there are times when you should turn down a writing job. Jennifer Mattern, blogger at All Freelance Writing Jobs spells out most of the reasons in her article, When to Turn Down Freelance Writing Jobs.
To her list I’d add:
- When you don’t have time to do the gig well – which she adds in her list of questions to ask yourself.
- When it simply feels, if not wrong, at least not right. Trust your intuition!
Write well and often,
Two newsletters:
Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision – for those who want to get a book written.
I generally turn down jobs when I have ethical complaints against the way my work will be used. I write SEO articles and a blog that teaches people how to get into it.
Unfortunately, SEO companies sometimes house some unscrupulous web developers, and I frequently find myself turning down jobs that would make the internet less user-friendly in some small way.
Thanks for the link. I think turning down work is a huge issue for writers; it is for me anyhow. It’s that whole feast or famine issue. I worked for so long to get enough jobs to be really supporting myself (and know others like that too) and so once you get to a point where you don’t have to try as hard you feel really weird and off center.
I just quit a writing job recently and turned three good jobs down which would have been unheard of in my world a year ago and could change back tomorrow. I think it’s the hardest part of writing — the balancing act. Unless you’re like Steven King or someone, then that might be less of a consideration. Hmm, I wonder. If I ever find out I’ll come back and re-post :)
I recently had a query answered with something to the effect: OK, we would like to see the story on kids returning to school from cancer treatment, 700 words, $50, on spec, how does that sound? I replied: Lousy. I don’t write on spec and $50 is below market.
I’ve done some magazine work on spec, but only when it paid well and I wanted to be in that magazine.