Comments on: How to Lose a $7,000 Freelance Writing Gig Without Even Trying

By: Catherine L. Tully

Catherine L. Tully — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:57:57 +0000

You are the bomb. Keep swinging!

I totally refuse to write custom samples for anyone, for any reason unless I am being compensated for it. Ever. I did it one time at the beginning of my career, got burned, and have never done it again. I think it is bad business.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:39:18 +0000

Very nicely handled, only you gave a much longer response than I would have. But we all have to learn that also. I did a lot of work on a SEO project I was hoping to get, just to show the guy that I could do it. When he asked about a second website I said I’d have to be paid for it first, and that ended that for him. Shame, but I wish I’d picked up on that for the first site. Oh well, never again.

By: Jennifer L

Jennifer L — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:21:52 +0000

I had to take my hands off my keyboard and give you a round of applause, Yolander. Way to go. You were upfront and professional and you did the right thing. Thanks, on behalf of all professional writers everywhere!

By: Jack Busch

Jack Busch — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:52:09 +0000

Right on – That’s the right thing to do and it’s very cathartic for me to see someone else standing up in an articulate way. I grow so weary of providing writing samples for each application I send out and become even more insulted (and mystified) when they include a clause in the writer’s agreement stating that they retain the rights to all of your samples for free. It’s a wholly unnecessary clause to put in if you don’t intend to rip someone off.

And you are right, it’s totally not the same as giving someone a “sneak preview.” If anything, the writing samples in your portfolio are a “glimpse.”

Thanks for sharing – I love hearing this kind of story.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:02:10 +0000

I like how you remained professional about it. You politely declined and stated your reasons instead of calling them out as scammers and using colorful language to let them know where they can put their offer, which is what most of us would be tempted to do. Way to go!

By: Laura Cross

Laura Cross — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:57:33 +0000

You did the right thing. By the way, eLance forbids clients requesting work for free or providers supplying work for free. Any clients who requests free work can be reported to eLance (I have done this many times and the client’s listings were removed.) Also, if eLance finds a provider supplying work for free that provider can be banned from eLance – so this is something you can mention to a potential client who aks for free work.

By: Matt Willard

Matt Willard — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:59:42 +0000

Maybe I am. Or maybe I’m not. Is it true? Absolutely not, assuming that it was true to begin with. Which it certainly is. Or is it? The answer is no.

By: Yolander Prinzel

Yolander Prinzel — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:29:50 +0000

Matt Willard, are you challenging me to a sex worker duel?

By: Writing Auditions? « Maryanne Donovan’s Musings and More

Writing Auditions? « Maryanne Donovan’s Musings and More — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:14:19 +0000

[...] becomes, was she stupid to blow this gig off? In my opinion, she did not “blow it off.” She simply took a good look at serious indicators that this gig could be a setup for personal and pr…. Reason? If a company exploits the hungry and needy just because they can, what does that portend [...]

By: Marina

Marina — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:44:42 +0000

I totally agree with you. This is a very popular scam: to brake work into smaller pieces and get contestants for the job to do it for fee. I doubt he had many volunteers or he wouldn’t keep trying to scam you.