Writing Clients Out of the Woodwork

I just got a lesson in how a freelance writing business actually works. Back at the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005 I put together a ghostwriting proposal for a book. As I recall I had several phone conversations with both the author and his business manager. I know from my client files we developed a brief table of contents and a purpose statement. Then they disappeared.

Disappearing prospective clients aren’t unusual in the ghostwriting business. Over a year, I probably do three or four proposals to get one contract. Often I never know why the almost client dropped out of site. I’ve learned not to worry about it.

But sometimes they come back, and that’s just what happened while I was on vacation. I came back to a phone message from someone whose name sounded vaguely familiar indicating they wanted to go ahead with a book. Great, but I had no idea what they were talking about, and a search of my computer on the caller’s name didn’t reveal anything at all.

I returned the call, and left a message explaining I’d been out of town, that the name sounded familiar but I had totally lost track of what book we might be talking about. (This wasn’t something I was willing to try and fake.)

The next message to me (yes, it was teletag) gave me the clue I needed and I was able to find the proposal. I was delighted, because it was a book I’d really wanted to do. I was also surprised at the price I’d quoted… it was a good one.

A few calls and emails later, and it looks like we’ll be off and running in a week or so.

The take away? Some clients resurface when you least expect it. Keep all proposals, etc., if not forever, at least for a good long time.

Write well and often,

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