One of the great joys and terrors in being a freelance writer is that you periodically have at least the opportunity to fire a client.
If you work in the corporate world, those individuals who rub you the wrong way, devalue your work, disrespect you, or otherwise just don’t know what they’re doing tend to become your boss. In the freelance world, they can become abandoned clients.
I call it firing a client although, when done artfully, the client never knows it happened. It involves simply deciding not to work for that client any more. While the writer is under obligation to complete any outstanding projects and fulfill contractual obligations (and wholeheartedly, I might add), no freelancer is under obligation to keep accepting projects. When the next project rolls around, the writer simply says, “No, thank you.”
The first time I did this, I was fearful that the client would press me for some explanation and I was hesitant about listing the client’s numerous shortcomings, at least to his face. However, the question never came.
The second time I did, I was less fearful but somewhat apprehensive that I would have to say why. In this case, the client wasn’t a problem on a personal level. The company was known for a lot of shady practices. I declined the project. I was not pressed for anything but a referral, which I gave. I know people who don’t mind working for suspicious outfits.
It can be done. It’s liberating, exhilarating, and reinforcing.
But before you decide if a client is worthy of being fired, consider his or her overall value to your business. Do the projects end up costing you more time and money than they’re worth? Are you being asked to work for nothing or to provide extra services? Is the client abusive? In short, you have to decide if you’d be better off without that client–even if you don’t immediately have a replacement client. (And that’s always been the case with me.)
If the answer is yes, and occasionally it is, wrap up your obligations and move on. Life’s short, and freelancing is all about the freedom to work with the very best clients you can find.
