Comments on: The Best Writing Job I Ever Turned Down http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/ Frank advice for writers Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:46:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Jean Gogolin http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/#comment-47098 Jean Gogolin Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:48:09 +0000 http://www.makealivingwriting.com/?p=116#comment-47098 The biggest gig I ever turned down was for a major tobacco company, simply on the grounds that I object to about everything they do. (My guess is that a lot of other people also turned them down.) I did take a job with a major defense contractor, ignoring the gut feeling that I shouldn't do it, and the gut was right. I hated it. The lesson is the obvious one: trust both your moral convictions and your gut. The biggest gig I ever turned down was for a major tobacco company, simply on the grounds that I object to about everything they do. (My guess is that a lot of other people also turned them down.) I did take a job with a major defense contractor, ignoring the gut feeling that I shouldn’t do it, and the gut was right. I hated it. The lesson is the obvious one: trust both your moral convictions and your gut.
Jean Gogolin recently posted..Fukushima- A Radioecologist Speaks Out

]]> By: Dan Smith http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/#comment-4376 Dan Smith Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:47:21 +0000 http://www.makealivingwriting.com/?p=116#comment-4376 I remember when I first started writing I didn't turn down any gig. If I applied for it and got offered it or someone thought I was good enough for their job and contacted me, I snapped their hand off and didn't think anything about it. Now, though, I'm a lot more "picky" about the gigs I take on, generally depending on whether I can first accommodate the work in my current schedule and then on the per word / hour rate. Fortunately (or unfortunately?!) I've never had to turn down a major gig, but thinking about it now and my work schedule at the moment, it would have to be particularly interesting - and worthwhile - for me to take it on. I remember when I first started writing I didn't turn down any gig. If I applied for it and got offered it or someone thought I was good enough for their job and contacted me, I snapped their hand off and didn't think anything about it.

Now, though, I'm a lot more "picky" about the gigs I take on, generally depending on whether I can first accommodate the work in my current schedule and then on the per word / hour rate.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?!) I've never had to turn down a major gig, but thinking about it now and my work schedule at the moment, it would have to be particularly interesting – and worthwhile – for me to take it on.

]]> By: Carol Tice http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/#comment-4181 Carol Tice Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:10:49 +0000 http://www.makealivingwriting.com/?p=116#comment-4181 Lee -- Well, that's a cautionary tale, isn't it? In this case I didn't have any concerns about the pay getting changed. But you raise a great point -- it's one thing to do a little writing on existing equipment, without traveling on your own dime, or otherwise incurring big costs for a project. But if it requires substantial out-of-pocket, you want to make sure you have all the facts well nailed down before you proceed. Lee —

Well, that’s a cautionary tale, isn’t it? In this case I didn’t have any concerns about the pay getting changed. But you raise a great point — it’s one thing to do a little writing on existing equipment, without traveling on your own dime, or otherwise incurring big costs for a project. But if it requires substantial out-of-pocket, you want to make sure you have all the facts well nailed down before you proceed.

]]> By: Lee Lefton http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/#comment-4108 Lee Lefton Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:20:13 +0000 http://www.makealivingwriting.com/?p=116#comment-4108 My wife, who was an art director before retiring, was offered a job updating a big client's intranet site on a monthly basis. She was told by the international marketing director, who was a friend, that she could charge her normal $75 per hour fee. The work had to be done on a PC and she was a Mac user. So with the giant carrot dangling in front of us, we bought the PC. It took her quite a few hours to get up to speed on the job but only charged a fraction of that time since she felt that the client would have balked at paying for her learning curve. When she sent in the first bill, the client contact (who wasn't our marketing director friend), kicked it back saying, "We only pay $15 an hour for this kind of work." So the following day, we sold the PC for 1/2 price to a friend. I'm not sure what the lesson in that was. I guess it's to find out who really controls the purse strings when taking a job. International marketing directors clearly don't. My wife, who was an art director before retiring, was offered a job updating a big client's intranet site on a monthly basis. She was told by the international marketing director, who was a friend, that she could charge her normal $75 per hour fee. The work had to be done on a PC and she was a Mac user. So with the giant carrot dangling in front of us, we bought the PC. It took her quite a few hours to get up to speed on the job but only charged a fraction of that time since she felt that the client would have balked at paying for her learning curve. When she sent in the first bill, the client contact (who wasn't our marketing director friend), kicked it back saying, "We only pay $15 an hour for this kind of work." So the following day, we sold the PC for 1/2 price to a friend. I'm not sure what the lesson in that was. I guess it's to find out who really controls the purse strings when taking a job. International marketing directors clearly don't.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Make A Living Writing » Blog Archive » The Best Writing Job I Ever Turned Down - Frank advice about the business of writing. -- Topsy.com http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/#comment-4051 Tweets that mention Make A Living Writing » Blog Archive » The Best Writing Job I Ever Turned Down - Frank advice about the business of writing. -- Topsy.com Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:41:28 +0000 http://www.makealivingwriting.com/?p=116#comment-4051 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by TXWriter. TXWriter said: RT @TiceWrites The Best Writing Job I Ever Turned Down http://bit.ly/dh9gmA #freelance #writing [...]

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by TXWriter. TXWriter said: RT @TiceWrites The Best Writing Job I Ever Turned Down http://bit.ly/dh9gmA #freelance #writing [...]

]]> By: Carol Tice http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/#comment-4048 Carol Tice Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:58:09 +0000 http://www.makealivingwriting.com/?p=116#comment-4048 I didn't really feel like I knew the right person for this gig, but I can and do refer people when I'm able. I didn't really feel like I knew the right person for this gig, but I can and do refer people when I'm able.

]]> By: Michelle Rafter http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/#comment-4045 Michelle Rafter Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:30:27 +0000 http://www.makealivingwriting.com/?p=116#comment-4045 Good for you for following your gut. Better to have said no and lost that assignment than to have turned in something less than stellar as your first go 'round with this editor and have him cross you off his contributor list forever. Your idea to wait for something that's a better fit is a good one. Meanwhile, if you know of a fellow writer who'd knock this one out of the park*, why not pass their name onto this editor - you never know what could happen. If something clicked, you'd be a hero. Michelle *Not me, I don't do that kind of writing anymore either. Good for you for following your gut. Better to have said no and lost that assignment than to have turned in something less than stellar as your first go 'round with this editor and have him cross you off his contributor list forever. Your idea to wait for something that's a better fit is a good one. Meanwhile, if you know of a fellow writer who'd knock this one out of the park*, why not pass their name onto this editor – you never know what could happen. If something clicked, you'd be a hero.

Michelle

*Not me, I don't do that kind of writing anymore either.

]]> By: Laura Spencer http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/07/08/the-best-writing-job-i-ever-turned-down/#comment-4042 Laura Spencer Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:45:12 +0000 http://www.makealivingwriting.com/?p=116#comment-4042 Hey--I'll take the gig. I'm a technical writer anyway and I already work on a PC and not a Mac. ;-) Have I ever turned down a gig? Yes...actually, I turn down many more gigs than I accept--usually over pay issues, but sometimes over fit (as you did). Gosh, I don't even know where to begin listing the ones I turned down. Should I mention the gig that would have had me writing about my dream topic (something I'm passionate about), but would have required me to sign a very restrictive non-compete agreement? Or, what about the developer who wanted me to write documentation for his software in exchange for a free copy of said software. (Hello--getting a copy of the software is not compensation for a technical writer. Going through the software is how we do our job not how we are paid.) Then, there was the would-be client with a huge volume of work who thought I should be available at the drop of a hat (I still wonder if I should have taken that and arranged to outsource it.) It's good to be picky about which assignments you choose. It shows you're thinking. :-) Hey–I'll take the gig. I'm a technical writer anyway and I already work on a PC and not a Mac. ;-)

Have I ever turned down a gig? Yes…actually, I turn down many more gigs than I accept–usually over pay issues, but sometimes over fit (as you did).

Gosh, I don't even know where to begin listing the ones I turned down.

Should I mention the gig that would have had me writing about my dream topic (something I'm passionate about), but would have required me to sign a very restrictive non-compete agreement? Or, what about the developer who wanted me to write documentation for his software in exchange for a free copy of said software. (Hello–getting a copy of the software is not compensation for a technical writer. Going through the software is how we do our job not how we are paid.) Then, there was the would-be client with a huge volume of work who thought I should be available at the drop of a hat (I still wonder if I should have taken that and arranged to outsource it.)

It's good to be picky about which assignments you choose. It shows you're thinking. :-)

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