The Renegade Writer Blog

Saying No is something I have trouble with; if someone approaches me with an assignment, I’m (1) flattered, even though after 12 years of freelancing this is not a rare occurrence, and (2) excited at the prospect of moolah. So even if an assignment is not ideal, in the past I’ve typically said Yes. But after the project from hell I wrote about in August, I vowed to never again take on work that flies red flags (and I really really mean it this time).

So what are these red flags? How do you know when an innocuous-seeming project will turn into the assignment from hell? Here are some signs:

The pay stinks. This is an obvious one, and it is one situation where I’ve never been afraid to say No. I’ve come up with my own per-word and per-project minimum, and if an editor offers less, I try to negotiate. If the editor won’t negotiate, I walk away. It’s up to you to set your own minimum rates based on how much you need to make per hour to be profitable. The minimum I set is also simply the amount below which I know I’ll just feel bad. I know it’s often difficult to turn down any money at all, but keep in mind that you can use the time you would have spent writing for peanuts to seek out better-paying assignments.

The editor doesn’t know what she wants. If an editor can’t describe, in a few sentences, what she’s looking for — beware. Try repeating, in your own words, what you understand about the assignment and get the editor to confirm it. You can also send the editor an e-mail reiterating the assignment: “Just to confirm, I’ll be writing 1,200 words about why Linda Formichelli rocks, with a sidebar on ways we can worship her.” But if the editor simply can’t give you clear assignment specs, it may be time to walk. You can’t read minds, and chances are this “I’ll-know-what-I-want-when-I-see-it” editor will make you do rewrite after rewrite.

The deadline is unreasonable. Only you know what kind of deadline you can handle. For example, if I’m not busy and the topic isn’t too difficult, I know I can turn around an assignment in just a few days (though of course I’ll ask for a rush fee). But if the assignment is complex or I’m busy with other work, I’ll need a few weeks. If you don’t think you can do a good job in the time you’re allotted, the most professional thing to do is tell the editor, and turn down the assignment if he won’t negotiate.

The assignment is vague. This is another one I walked away from: An editor of a new magazine asked me to write about “the history of diners.” That’s it. Notwithstanding the fact that this topic could take up a whole book, I didn’t even know what aspect of the history the editor wanted. I took a look at the rest of the editorial calendar and noticed that the topics were all over the place. I ended up turning down the assignment, and later found out that writers were not receiving their checks. This is one time my intuition saved my butt.

You’ve had bad experiences in the past. I used to work for an editor who always made me do multiple rewrites. No matter what I turned in, within a few hours I would get back my article covered with red comments. Next draft — same thing. Then, months after the assignment was finally accepted and I’d been paid, I would start getting requests for more information. Finally I wised up and started turning down any assignments from this magazine, even though the per-word rate was good. One bad experience may be a fluke, but several are a trend. Don’t keep working for magazines that give you grief; again, you can use the time to find more writer-friendly magazines.

You have a bad feeling. This is the one I’ve had trouble with. I have no problem walking if the pay is too low, the deadline is too tight, or the assignment is too vague. But in the past, if an assignment simply gave me a bad feeling, I would ignore the warning signals and accept — with disastrous results. Your intuition knows if something is awry…learn from my experience and listen to it. [lf]