Freelancers & Boundaries Pt. 1
Hello!
This Writing Wednesday can be applied to all the writers and artists out there in every field and type of work.
I want to talk about writing as a freelancer and boundaries. Being a freelancer and a professional writer, I don’t work on a clocked-in 9 to 5 schedule with guaranteed work and the same clients every day. Due to this, there are many ways I must consider my work such as work habits, goals, limits, schedules, and how to work with clients.
Before we dive in, remember, you are only human. What you need and what works the best for you comes first and it might not be the same for someone else. With that in mind, here is a collection of tips, tricks, warnings, stories, and advice from my personal experiences working as a freelancer.
Writing freelance is all about setting boundaries. These are boundaries with yourself, your time, your workstyle, your clients, customers, and business partners. It’s quite the balancing act but what is most important is that you figure out what works the best for you.
These tips are all examples drawn from my personal experience. How I work or organize my time and schedule works for me might not work for everyone else. Take what you will from this, explore the world of freelancing a little, and see how it can apply to your own work.
Setting Your Work Hours
This one is tough. Setting your work hours are important. When I think about it, I ask myself: what do I do? What do I used to do? What might I do in the future? Knowing when to work, setting a schedule, and knowing when you need to stop working is the first step to plan your freelancing.
Working in the simplest definition has its own set of challenges. There is burnout, getting overwhelmed, getting everything done, and having enough to do. You need a moment to step away from work, you need to remember there are weekends, and it’s important to work at a good healthy pace so you can continue working without breaking.
What Do I Do?
I’m good at tricking myself into working too many hours. I get the feeling that I must finish everything in one day and I’m not doing good enough if everything on my to-do list isn’t done right now. 1. That’s not realistic. 2. That’s not healthy or even nice to yourself. While I might not set hard hours, I set hard limits on how much I do in one time. There needs to be a balance.
If I’m working at my desk 8 to 5 pm. I put my pen down or stop typing at exactly 5 pm. I do not check my email again. I do not go on social media, and I try to stay off DA after that.
Now, I do work fully remote and on my own schedule so while I have these rules I abide by, I also enjoy the flexibility and how I don’t have to stick to them either.
I usually work around 8 am to 5 pm. Some days I feel like working all night, so then maybe I take off the next morning and go out for a photoshoot or go out to a park. It may sound erratic, but I take full use of my remote work style. I go to work at libraries, I sit in cafés or parks, and pre-pandemic, I traveled while still working. How it works is I set a project goal each week. I usually have a good estimate on how long each project will take me, so I plan ahead and get everything done instead of counting hours and forcing myself to sit at the desk for a set amount of time.
Project Goals and Schedules
Be realistic. It’d be great if you can complete 5 stories tomorrow; but let’s plan for 2 a day. Don’t burn out, don’t overload your schedule, but make sure you do stay busy.
My Project Schedule
I schedule all projects to 3-week windows. Why? This is so I have plenty of time to fit a piece into my schedule while working on others at the same time. Those 3 weeks isn’t me working on one piece, it’s me working on anywhere from 5 to 20 pieces depending on what projects I have going on at one time.
This allows me to have enough room to fit the project in and keep working. I used to schedule 1-week windows, but it usually takes me about a week to even begin working on a new order.
Wait Lists
Wait lists have saved my life. They allow me to break up my schedule and not get overloaded. I usually accept only a certain page and word amount per week for both writing and editing commissions. My usual workload can be up to 15,000 written words and 100 pages for editing a week.
Now, everyone isn’t going to write 15,000 words a week or edit 100 pages. That’s just what I do because I know and understand my limits. As a creator, know what you can handle and pick a realistic goal. Leave yourself some extra time or wiggle room in case there is a mistake or a change in a project or your schedule. You do not want to pack in multiple projects in a short amount of time because this can risk getting everything done on time.
Days of the Week
Some people prefer doing the same thing every workday—have a routine! Maybe you want to designate certain days of the week to certain projects. There are many ways to go about this.
I personally block off my schedule to make sure I have time for certain projects. I do not schedule calls, meetings, lessons, or video calls with clients on Mondays or Fridays. Why? Monday is my hard-core writing day. I usually write most, if not all the content I want to work on that week. It’s easier for me to sit down and dedicate one whole day to this. Friday is my day to work on projects that might be squeezed in last minute or I’m running a little behind on. If I am on schedule, I save my Fridays for working on my personal projects such as my fantasy book, a biography on the Vietnam-American War, and a small memoir piece.
I draft up and edit a bunch of Wednesday Writing pieces on these days too!
Responding to Messages and Emails
Don’t check emails or messages after a certain time of the day. This includes social media as well, for me, because my business is all online.
Here are some tips I personally follow to make sure I have some offline time and time to work without any distractions. My distractions are emails and checking messages to see if I have any new client updates.
Close Your Email
I used to keep my email open all day long. I don’t do that anymore. I personally feel like I need to respond right away to anything that arrives in my inbox. This can disrupt my writing throughout the workday. Instead, I set aside only three times a day when I sit down and purposefully check and respond to all messages across all accounts.
Setting Rules
Having rules will preserve your sanity. If you have commissions or are considering setting some up, it is important to have a clear terms and agreements statement or document. You have the right to decide what content you will and will not create.
An easy example is writing NSFW content. I do write NSFW, but I do not write NSFW that has violent fetishes, bestiality, sexualizes or glamorizes rape, abuse, incest, and any type of mistreatment.
It’s important to draw a line in what you will and will not do. This is an open conversation I have with clients because there are many details in all types of stories. But, when it comes into an area you are not going to write, you need to be clear with your boundaries and the client must accept that. If not, do not write for them because someone who doesn’t respect your boundaries will push against them again and again. No amount of money or time is worth working on something that makes you uncomfortable or risks putting you in a damaging or dangerous headspace. Your comfort and your needs come first.
Tips and Gifts
This isn’t something I have problems with often. (My clients are incredible people!!) But as most my stories go, the problems occurred when I was just beginning commissions and my prices were extremely low.
It’s important to pick your prices depending on how much you would like to make, how you value your work, and to make it worth your time. For example, how much I need for my personal expenses all dictate the number of hours I work per week and how much I charge to make sure I'm making what I need. Luckily, this all works out, but it’s when favors are asked for that things can get messy.
Tips and Favors
I will make up the numbers for this example. The first year I had commissions, someone ordered a 1,000-word commission for $20.00. I was almost done with their piece when the client asked if they could send me 50 points (back then was equivalent to 50 cents) for an additional 750 words ($9.00 equivalent) to this piece as thanks for their “generous tip.” Of course not!
Aggressive Clients
You have value and skills as a professional and deserve respect and polite communication (Imo everyone deserves respect, of course.) These following examples are broad generalizations, but these are some red flags I’ve noticed that hint when a transaction might go poorly.
Red Flags That a Transaction Might Not Go Well
Language
Clients who approach me to ask questions about a commission with the greeting “hey” or “bro” in every message. While these are completely normal to say, messages like “Hey. What are your commissions?” or “Bro, write me something” are not going to make me think well of a transaction.
I treat all commission orders in a polite and professional manner. When I write for the firms or companies I work for outside of DeviantArt, if they ever emailed me and said “bro, do this for me” I would quit.
Clients who approach thinking they are bringing you an “opportunity”
If a potential client approaches you saying they have a great project idea that will help you get “discovered” and gain more followers… this is always a scam. You are here selling a service and these individuals are only looking for a discounted or free commission. In the experiences I have had, they have nothing to offer and are just trying to convince me to work with them for little or no compensation.
Too much focus on my “following”
Avoid anyone who wants to hire you for a project only because they want your followers to support the project from the beginning. Naturally, if I’m working on something and love it, I will share it with you all, with the client’s permission. But if I get a message saying, “your followers will support me?” I delete the request.
Challenging Clients
The classic, “Are you good enough?”
The professional and appropriate question is “May I see your portfolio?” and I will say, “Yes!”
This is rude. My work is on full display on my pages, and I am happy to give you a tour. Sometimes you’ll get messages saying, “you’re lucky I am ordering from you.” No one needs to deal with that kind of ego in this field. If you receive a commission request like this, I recommend turning it down and saving yourself the trouble.
The Salesperson Fake
You know when you go to a car dealership and you him-haw and say how you have a better car and seller elsewhere instead of the one you are looking in hopes of getting a lower price?
I’m not a salesperson. I don’t haggle. I also find this approach dishonest and manipulative. Especially when an artist has their prices visibly posted.
As a freelancer, you are the boss, and you are a human. You reserve the right and hold the power to say “no” to any request, project, or order. If a client makes you uncomfortable, breaks your terms & agreements, rules, etc. you have all the right to turn down or cancel a project.
Pro Tip: make sure you clearly spell out how and when a project can get cancelled in your commission’s terms and services agreement. State how this process works and list the steps, so clients know ahead of time, can be warned, and are not surprised by a cancellation.
Ending Contracts or Work Relationships
This is always a tough but very important point. It’s just as important as knowing how to get clients!
As I wrote this, I was sitting in the kitchen watching my basil outgrow all the other plants in the pot. Its leaves were long and flat, taking the sun and water away from the scraggly mint and leaning dill next to it. I picked up my scissors and started trimming away what was too much and what I did not want.
This is important to do. You need to trim away what doesn’t work. But when you do exit those relationships, exit gracefully. In these situations, it might be a client who is not respecting your work and boundaries.
Examples of Inappropriate Client Behavior
When working as a freelancer you can decide who you work for, what you create, and more. It is up to you to make sure your client is aware of your boundaries via a rules, terms, and conditions agreement, or a contract.
To help this example, let’s say you work Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and you do not schedule meetings or calls without a two-day notice. What if your client does one of the following...repeatedly?
Spam calls or messages without waiting for your answer within a reasonable time.
Calls you after work hours and leaves messages about you not answering.
Demands work outside your contractual agreements.
Language in emails or phone calls is rude and aggressive.
Asks to meet within five minutes or at the hour without scheduling a meeting.
Before ending a work relationship or a commission, it is good practice to point out the boundary being crossed first as a warning. Sometimes people have no idea they’ve done this, apologize, and do not do it again. If they refuse or continue, you can end the relationship.
When cancelling a project, your emails need to be clear and concise. You want to be honest to a point. I say, “to a point” because I don’t recommend saying things like “you’re mean,” “you’re a business steamroller and I feel crushed,” and “I don’t like you…” as your reasons for dropping a client. On the flipside, you can honestly explain when something does not fit your business’ image, goals, or workstyle.
Contracted Work
Commissions are like a contract, at least in the way they state what a project is, what you will do, and when the project will be completed. When I work with companies or foundations, I usually write up agreements and contracts stating my rules, the service I am providing, how much I will be paid, and the dates that the service is active and due.
You do not owe anyone anything outside your contract. In the end, if they break your rules and do not respect your boundaries, they do not need to receive anything from you. Remember, this is a two-way street. Respect your client’s boundaries and do well completing their work as agreed upon.
As we discussed above, if a client makes you uncomfortable, makes demands against your boundaries, wants you to answer them after work hours, gives you a barrage of emails… that is toxic and unprofessional behavior.
As a freelancer you don’t have one boss, you don’t have one client. There is an understanding of balance. If one person demands all your time and hurts your other clients without giving you enough compensation, they might not fit or belong in your web of work. The basil might be nice, but it might be too much and only unbalances your garden.
Conclusion
While these tips and advice are mostly personal anecdotes… I hope this was helpful! There is a lot to say about being a freelancer. You juggle different parts of the business world (at least I do, I really don’t stick to one niche!) so you can come across many ways to complete a business transaction as well as the many people inside those different places. Everyone completes work differently, everyone has different expectations, and styles. I know what I am offering so I look to find work that is a good fit to what I am doing.
If you are thinking about starting freelance work or commissions, don’t let this post scare you! These are just tips and are possibly interactions you might never experience yourself. Remember, for every aggressive person, I meet 20 + incredible clients.
Work, as you know, is a part of life. There is good, bad, alright, and awesome in everything.
This is only part 1 of freelancing and boundaries. There are innumerous aspects of the field, but I’ll leave those for another day. 😊
Best,
Danni Lynn