A freelance writing business rises and falls on your willingness and ability to do work for clients. Turning down work is like turning down a paycheck. In the early days of your business, you’re likely to take just about any freelance writing job that comes your way. Yet, knowing which gigs to take and which gigs to let go is an important part of maturing as a freelance writer.
So, how do you know which jobs to turn down and which ones to work? There are, in my estimation, three good reasons to turn down a freelance writing job:
1. The Job Violates Your Ethical Code
Maybe it’s writing a sales page for a weight loss product that hasn’t been scientifically tested. Maybe it’s writing a political blog for the opposite party. Maybe it’s as simple as being asked to provide content that is so search-engine optimized that it’s not actually useful to the reader. Whatever it is, some gigs just go against our core beliefs. Drop those like a bad habit, and let someone else walk down that road.
2. The Job Doesn’t Pay Enough
It can be tempting, especially when you’re first starting out, to take any freelance writing job that comes along. Especially if you’re relying on your writing to provide for you and your family from day one. You might also feel like you should take any job that comes your way, even if the pay is low, rather than sitting around doing nothing.
The thing is this: in the long run, you’re better off taking that free time and spending it honing your craft or trying to break into new markets than you are working a low-paying job. Writing a $5 article today gives you $5. Spending an hour wooing some new clients will bring that amount back tenfold or more.
3. The Terms Aren’t Acceptable
I’ve been lucky enough to only have been ripped off by a client once, and it was for all of $40. That’s because I have always required either the full amount of a gig in escrow, or a 50% deposit. Some clients will want to pay you all at the end, or some will offer to pay you based on whether or not the copy you write gets them results. While this kind of work is fun to play around with, it won’t make you any reliable money or keep you in business in the long run. Make sure the client is willing to meet your terms. If not, you need to get out of the job, plain and simple.
I could add some other things – like refusing to do illegal work – but I think these three cover the big reasons to refuse work. Do you have any to add? When do you tell a client “no?”
