The Write Road: When The Party's Over
“So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their ending” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
I thought we would be together forever, she and I. It started unexpectedly, but soon our relationship grew deeper and deeper.
What seemed like a fleeting moment become a long term commitment.
Month after month, year after year passed. And more was expected, and given, as time went by.
Then, abruptly… it ended
I was shocked… but not really surprised.
So now is the time to find someone else to take the place of…
that client.
To find another to write for.
So, how do you end a long-term business relationship?
Well… here’s what I did.
First, the backstory
Many years ago, when I was still a fledgling writer, I picked up a client in the electrical newsletter industry, almost by accident.
Maybe a decade ago, but maybe not quite.
I would be writing two articles a month for their online catalog newsletter, somewhere around 400 words in length each.
For my labors, I’d be paid $315 per article, and goodly sum of money for one barely starting out. I agreed to it and we began our yearslong sojourn together.
There were actually three of us outhouse… I mean outside writers, each supplying two articles each for their twice-monthly publication.
A few years in, one of the writers retired, and D asked Chuck and I to take up the slack until she could find another writer.
She never did find one, and my cohort and I continued to soldier on, writing three articles a piece for the subsequent years.
Not hard work, by any means, but rewarding work.
During that time, I found my “voice” and even incorporated a \dry sense of humor in most of my articles.
I fondly remember the time I wrote about Bluetooth mesh technology, starting the article with a tale about Danish King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, who had a dead… blue tooth. And how his nickname and initials came to represent the technology.
It was fun and informative… all at once.
D loved my sense of humor, and enjoyed it whenever I used it.
And my articles became increasingly longer, not at their request, but because I wanted to cover the topics more deeply. All for the same fee.
But late in July, I got an email from D.
Good morning, Steve.
I got word from the top that we are putting a pause on outside writers, at least for the time being. I may be reaching out again at a further date and we can see if you are available and still interested if you would like.
You’ve done a great job for us, and I truly appreciate it.
Wishing you the best,
D
So what began years ago with a digital handshake, ended with a 66-word email.
Or… did it?
I still had three articles due to write, but would she want them?
What follows is how I handled the situation.
How to respond to ending writing gigs
Let’s start here… I think the folks at “the top” want D to do all the writing, possibly using AI to generate the newsletter content.
She already did their marketing copy that way, and they probably want her to use it to generate the articles as well.
They’d save about $2000/month on freelancers, a pretty good chunck of change for a small company (if it works).
But notice what she said in her email.
“I may be reaching out again at a further date and we can see if you are available and still interested if you would like.”
Methinks that D has her doubts. And she also knows that I write other stuff besides newsletter articles.
Now, I could’ve responded by saying that there was no way I’d ever work for them again. But…
I didn’t.
No, I sent back a very calm, and nicely worded reply.
“That happens and I’m not really surprised.
We’ve working together about 8 years and it’s been a great run.
But priorities do change, right?”
I followed up by saying,
“Sure, you know I’d work with you again, no problem.
And remember that my training goes beyond just newsletter articles.
So if you need me, don’t hesitate to call me.”
But wait. There’s more…
Let’s face it… it always hurts a bit when you lose a client, particularly a long-term one. But it does happen, and how you respond displays your professionalism.
And this was a prime time for me to showcase mine.
It was also a perfect chance to let them know that the score has changed as far as my fees are concerned.
So I made sure D understood that:
“But the fee you locked in years ago ($315/article) won’t be possible should we start over again. I didn’t ask for a raise in fee because you’ve been a good client.
And I had no plans for asking for more. But…
I get a lot more these days…So starting anew will mean a change in fee.
I’m sure you understand. Like I said, priorities do change.But I’d love to work with you again… you’re good people.
Wishing you the best!
And do let me know about the August articles.”
A new relationship always starts with a new set of rules, even with former clients.
Always.
It’s how you grow your business.
An ending? Or maybe… a new beginning
This wasn’t the first time I’ve lost a client… and likely won’t be the last.
Things happen, circumstances change, and life goes on.
(Just make sure you’re not the reason, okay?)
Fortunately, D wasn’t my only client (good thing to keep in mind).
And a new client at my new rates will undoubtedly more than double the amount lost for the same amount of work.
So while this may sting a little, I didn’t let it drag me down.
I’ve worked to keep my pipeline full and there are several “clients in waiting.”
(Remember to keep marketing yourself, even when you have a full case load of work.)
Because the biggest word in a freelancer’s vocabulary is…
NEXT!
Until we meet again…
Stay focused and busy.
Steve M.
P.S. Yes, I did get the articles done on deadline.
And yes, I did my best work on them.
It’s the professional thing to do.
Great article Steve. I'm happy to share it with a couple of writer-friends. Keep up the good work! Howy
You handled that loss with integrity and self-respect. Ty for sharing
PS insert a space between years and long