I’m not a religious person but I do believe in karma and good positive energy. How we approach our tasks, and really life, does have an influence on the outcome of certain events. That’s why I believe in taking negative situations and turning them into something positive. In freelance world, we can take many negatives and turn them around to our advantage. Check out a few cases in point:
Disclaimer: Some of these may be a tad exaggerated, but hopefully not enough so you miss the point.
Negative: A writer has a nitpicky editor. She changes everything so much it’s not in the writer’s own voice any more. The writer doesn’t look forward to working with this client anymore, but she’s his best paying client so he trudges onward, bitter and whiny.
Positive: The writer should talk with his editor and express his concern. Request a meeting or phone call. Sometimes overzealous editors are just that – they’re not realizing they’re micromanaging, they’re just feeling the power of the red pen. The writer should tell the editor he’s not comfortable with her changing the voice of the article. Can she send him suggestions for the piece instead? Now the writer makes his own corrections, the editor is happy and they both have a nice lunch together on the publishing company’s tab.
Negative: A seasoned writer is upset because the rates he sees on the web these days are nothing like those she saw when she got her start during the days dinosaurs roamed the earth. She complains on every blog she visits, complains on her own blog, and writes nasty notes to editors. Soon no one really cares to communicate with her anymore.
Positive: The writer should use her experience to educate newer writers and employers in a gentle tone. Instead of complaining, offer advice on the best way to find and keep the good jobs. Soon her peers and even employers will see her as a trusted colleague rather than a chronic malcontent.
Negative: A writer is stiffed by a client for a lot of money. She doesn’t take it lightly and a long lengthy and expensive legal battle ensues. It consumes most of her time and her anger spills over elsewhere.
Postive: The same writer starts a blog chronicling each step of the legal process from sending the first letter of intent to finally collecting. She educates other writers of the process and shows them not to be bullied by deadbeats. She also serves notice to deadbeats this type of behavior won’t be tolerated. People Magazine and CNN both pick up her story. Her blog becomes a book and soon she’s a multi-millionaire. Hey, it can happen.
Negative: A new writer is discouraged by all the low paying jobs he sees on the boards. He accepts these jobs as he feels it’s his way of getting a foot in the door only to fall in a rut because all the low paying jobs are easy to come by and pay quickly.
Postive: Instead of accepting jobs the writer feels bad about, he should take more time to look for those giving him a warm and fuzzy feeling. It will be worth taking the time to find jobs he feels good about if it means a positive outlook and attitude. Soon he commands a high price tag and editors clamor to work with him.
Negative: A brand new writer is gearing to go, but no one will hire her. She doesn’t know what she’s doing wrong or why no one is biting.
Positive: Everyone faces rejection, especially in the beginning. It’s very frustrating to know in your heart of hearts you’re the best for the gig, and not even get a nibble. The writer should tells herself rejection is the part the game. Heck even Stephen King had a big railroad spike stuck in the wall of his room where he impaled his rejection notices – and yes – there were lots of them. Instead of being bitter, the writer grabs feedback when she can from writing forums, blog communities such as this one and real life writing groups. She’s not hurt by the constructive criticism, instead she uses it to her advantage. Soon she’s turning clients away instead of the other way around.
Negative: You have a personal issue and end up missing your deadline. This makes your client unhappy and you might lose a good gig.
Positive: Apologize to the client and accept full responsibility. Offer a discount on the next project. Soon you’ve proven yourself again and you have a good, steady client and more work than you can handle.
Negative: You have a falling out with your employer and bad mouth him on every writing forum and blog you can find. Now others don’t want to work with you because they’re not sure what you’ll say about them.
Positive: Part company in a way that doesn’t burn bridges. Be nice and blow off steam at the gym. No one needs to know you lost a gig and it won’t put a mark on your resume. If you leave on good terms, you may even get a referral or recommendation.
How do you turn negative experiences in to more positive situations? List them in the comments!
Good thoughts on a basic life lesson. Trying to get that through now to my daughter. She wants to go to my alma mater, but it’s out of state and we can’t handle it financially without a ton of aid. But the university was my fifth choice, I made it work for me. So I’m trying to convice her to make the4 best of wherever she goes, regardless of if it’s her first choice or 6th.
By the way, my first choice after college was to be in radio-TV (my degree), but three months as a midnight disc jockey pushed me into print (and virtual print) forever.
@Phil>> I’m facing the very same situation with my younger sister. Pleas of “we are not rich” and “I’m overworked” just doesn’t work on her.
If something just isn’t working, I usually try harder, and if that doesn’t do the trick, I take it as a life lesson and go find something else.
I tried freelancing for months, and I managed to land a few local gigs. However, as my daughter became older, napped less, and became more demanding on my time, and it became necessary to spend three hours of the day driving so my husband can get to work and back, freelancing became a much less viable option. I simply didn’t have the time to search for and apply to job postings since my computer is in a room she’s not allowed into for safety reasons. So, I searched and found another way to work-from-home with a more flexible schedule.
Oh, the lemonade poster is so apropos.
The thought of college is scary. My son is still 5 years off, but he’s always been a straight A student and really wants to go to college. Without full scholarships, we won’t be able to send him. Especially in this area where UVM is now charging $25,000 a year for Vermont residents.
My younger brother pointed out a new aid that Stanford came up with – free tuition for those earning less than I think it was $90k or free tuition, room and board to families where parents earn less than $50k. My son’s taken online gifted courses through Stanford, so we’ve told him to keep his grades up throughout high school and if Stanford still has that program when it comes time for college – it makes sense to try to get in with them.
Otherwise, I can’t see either of our kids going to college. Lesson to be learned here–if you opt to buy a home – be prepared for all that life throws your way.
We didn’t learn until after the fact but the builder who built these homes used all kinds of short cuts that inspectors missed. No tar paper under the roofing – no Tyvek under the siding. Undersized doors and windows that are no longer available without custom ordering or increasing the size of the window/door frame. Plumbing that isn’t up to code – same with electricity.
Every penny we earn is going into fuel, gas or home upgrades to get the house in reasonable shape. Thankfully, our kids see us struggle and have come to realize just how hard it is to get buy without a good education and dedication to your job.
I especially love that example of the seasoned writer being put off by rates that less experienced writers receive, because it is something we all face. We all have the “paying your dues” stories about low pay and rotten assignments, and I think we feel that having paid these dues entitles us in some way to reap the riches now that we have reached a certain point in our careers.
While I all for getting your claim to the fame you’ve worked for, I think that it is important to remember that we do have a responsibility to prepare the way for the next generation that will rightly take our places some day. Every professional out there knows that this is the proper cycle of life, so instead of complaining about it, we need to embrace it. It’s how you grow old with style.
Recently, I learned how important it is to make sure there is absolutely no ambiguity when it comes to the financial terms of agreement for an assignment. A client told me he’d pay $100 for me putting together a press release for him, briefly mentioned later about it needing to get into print and then told me that he couldn’t pay me for my efforts because a) it didn’t get into print and b) he’d spent $80 to get it web published. I was a little confused on why he spent that money to get it web posted when he told me he couldn’t pay me because it wasn’t printed. He then told me that my “payment” was getting my name out there in the open. Sorry, but when you have a wife, 3 kids, a crummy place to rent and bills to pay, it is far more preferable to get PAID.
In my experience, the time it takes for press releases to get made into finished articles can be anywhere from a few weeks to several months.
The experience has turned into an invaluable lesson for me. Needless to say, I won’t work for this client again.
I would take mild issue with your thoughts on handling a picky editor. I’ve been on both sides of the desk and I know just how short of time an editor can be. Most of them would be loathe to sit down with a bitter and whiny writer who thinks his or her deathless prose have been violated. As a freelancer, my policy is: If the editor hasn’t inserted an error of fact or grammar, I’m not going harras him or her. I’m more likely to contact the editor if the checks are not arriving on time. In either case – bum editing or slow pay – I’m inclined to accept it as part of the business (I’ve been doing this for 30 years now). If it continues, I will seek work elsewhere. There are something like 100,000 magazines in this country alone, not to mention copywriting and commercial buyers. There’s no reason to go without work. Try – as a general goal – to have 100 queries or pitches for new work in the works. I’ve never gotten to the 100 mark (or anywhere near it) before I was covered up with plenty of work. It’s part of my business plan, something that any freelance writer should have. Feel free to drop by my website (www.writingformoney.com) and take a look at the Freelance Writng Plan in our Writer’s Resource section.
Ann G.,
If you children have the grades (mine don’t), look at Harvard. The university’s endowment fund has done so well, that Harvard is providing nearly a free ride for children of parents below certain income levels (I think the figure is $60,000 annually) who are accepted.
It’s not just marketing flack, either. Talked to someone recently who said they were able to get a son through Harvard for less than $10,000 for four years.
Another possibility may be to ensure they qualify as beinbg independent from you and have them borrow the money themselves. Granted, college was a lot less expensive when I went, but I repaid all loans, including the money I borrowed from my parents. When I repaid my parents five years after I graduated (meaning I ate a lot of tuna and tomato soup), it paid for my youngest brother’s first year of college.
@Phil – Harvard’s plan sounds like the one Stanford just established. We’re definitely going to look into that for our son. To date, he’s only had A’s and now in 8th grade is taking some high school courses because the school couldn’t keep up with him. He’s enrolled in all Advanced courses for his first year of high school and if he can keep his grades up, I think he’ll be okay for a college scholarship. Our daughter’s a different story though – she still does well but all Bs won’t be as impressive to a college.
Ann G.,
Best of luck with college financing, even though it’s a few years off. My oldest is a HS junior, so we’re looking at it right now, and she didn’t understand (despite our efforts) the importance of good grades until the third quarter of this year.
I know I’m super late to this party, but this is really a great post Deb. I am SO negative. I usually don’t even bother reading stuff like this, because I’m that negative. LOL But I figured… well, it’s Deb…
Totally off topic, but:
@Phil – I laughed so hard that coffee came out of my nose when I read the disc jokey thing. I know I don’t know you THAT well, but that was just too funny to me. I used to want to be a lawyer, if that’s any consolation. (You can laugh right back.) Then I went to work for lawyers, because I couldn’t afford school yet, and I decided against it. Big money saved.
College costs a bomb, student loans are less available and parents don’t owe kids a free ride through college. My parents sat me down and told me what they could afford to contribute and suggested I think long and hard before going into mega-debt or signing up for an ROTC scholarship (my grades were good). I took their advice, went to UCLA and got a great education and a marketable degree at a bargain price. Ironically, if I’d gone to a high-cost private college in Calif., it would not have paid off the way my nationally-recognizable UCLA degree has. Everyone’s heard of UCLA. It helped.
It is OK to make a tough situation work for you. It’s a good lesson to learn early on, actually…life isn’t perfect, and we have to make the best of things.