The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer’s Resource

When A Potential New Writing Client Calls

by Anne Wayman on August 7th, 2005

I earn my living as a writer two ways: Writing and selling my own work, and getting paid for writing, editing and coaching clients. When a potential new client contacts me, the first thing I try to determine is if the project is something I really believe I can be successful working on. I’ve got a wide and varied experience, but if you want writing about, say, fantasy football, I’m not your writer.

But if the project is about something I’m familiar with, and like, or I’m willing to learn, then I begin a conversation with the potential client. Although I’ve done this by email, it’s more effective by phone. I tend to ask these sorts of questions:

• What is your project? (If I’m on the phone I shut up and really listen, even if it means some silence.)
• How do you see it being published? (If it’s a book, I want to know if they are considering self-publishing or finding a trade publisher. Often they don’t know, which is also helpful information.)
• Have you written anything on this yet? (This is often really revealing. I’ve gotten answers that range from “No—nothing yet” to “I’ve got a 900 page manuscript.)

During this part of the conversation, I’ll ask any question that occurs to me. I want to hear what they really have in mind. I also listen for clues about their budget. Sometimes I’ll ask this directly at this point, other times I won’t. Much of my end of the conversation is based on intuition.

Once I sense I’ve got at least a feel for what they are trying to accomplish, I’ll begin to tell them how I work. I may include such things as:

• The possibility hiring me as a writing coach to coach them through the project may be the way to go. If this seems to appeal to them, we then discuss how we might proceed and my fees.
• The possibility of hiring me as an editor to edit their project. If editing is what they want, then I ask for a 5 page sample which I will actually edit and when done, build a proposal based on what I’ve discovered needs to be done. Sometimes I charge for this; sometimes I don’t.
• The possibility of hiring me as a ghostwriter. If ghostwriting is what they want, we begin a discussion of how that might take place, including estimated costs.

Any of these situations can lead to a contract.

Of course, some of these conversations reveal that either I’m not the writer/editor they want or that even though I might qualify, I don’t want the project. In either case, I’ll try to point them either at another writer/editor I know, or give them some tips about how to find exactly the person they need.

Write well and often,

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POSTED IN: Business of Freelance Writing