When A Wheel Comes Off

Although I’ve got a pretty good list of satisfied clients, sometimes a wheel comes off a project. For example, maybe six months ago a ghostwriting client simply didn’t like my writing. I tried several different approaches; he tried to explain what he wanted and it just wasn’t coming together. He finally hit on a whole new approach and wrote the book himself – by that time he wasn’t open to working with a writer or an editor. I’ve always thought, but can’t prove, that it was our exchanges that sparked what for him became a solution; he would disagree. We parted in reasonably good fashion.

But problems in a project doesn’t always mean ending the relationship. Right now I’ve got another client and his book isn’t going as expected. In this case, we haven’t worked out a good way to get the information from his head to mine. It’s turning out that he’s doing way more writing than either of us expected. And he’s a better writer than either of us recognized when we started.

I think this one will end up with me doing some fairly substantial editing, rather than actually ghostwriting the book. We’re in the midst of renegotiations right now. I’m having to eat some humble pie and to come up with a solution, and a new price, that works for both of us.

If we continue to work together, I’ll feel better because I haven’t been able to hold up my end of our original agreement. If we don’t, I’ll also win because I will have proposed and been willing to accept a major change in our contract – whatever happens, it’s the communication that makes it all work.

Write well and often,

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