So you’ve hired a writer (preferably me) to work on a project for you. Congratulations! But what’s that you say? You’re not sure how to proceed?
You’ve come to the right place. Here are a few tips on interacting with your new writer, in order to make sure your project turns out great and things go so smoothly that you’d love to work together again!
Share Information
Once you’ve hired the writer for a specific project (preferably with a set deadline), you can start sharing more relevant information on how to keep the project moving forward. If there are certain checkpoints with their own deadlines that must be met (for instance: any independent research, interviews, transcription, etc. that must be performed before writing can begin), hammer these out at the beginning of the project so that you’re both in the loop.
Even if you’re providing all the research materials and the writer is going to be organizing and writing this up in the proper format, make sure there’s enough time to gather extra material if necessary. Sometimes research materials will be outdated, or may only apply under specific circumstances that do not pertain to your project, or are just incorrect (or incomplete) for whatever reason. Leave enough time for your writer to voice any concerns and request (or research) additional information as necessary.
Remember that any additional research will cost extra, if it hasn’t already been accounted for in the original quote.
Sort Out Expenses
Will expenses be covered? If so, which ones? Certain items are considered standard fees (any long-distance phone calls, for example), while others may require negotiation (i.e. travel, room and board, additional research or unexpected expenses). Let your writer know what you will and won’t cover, particularly if the assignment involves any serious expenditures like travel to another city, state or country.
Sign A Contract
The first time you work with a new writer, you will definitely want to sign a contract to protect both of you from accidentally (or purposefully) taking advantage of each other. The contract should specify:
- A time frame for deliverable items (finished product as well as any additional mini-deadlines to be met within this period)
- Pay rate (how much the total amount of the project will cost)
- Deadline for payment (will you pay your writer within a week of receiving the finished product, or does your company usually take 30 days or more to deliver?)
- Any specifications concerning how payments should be made—both in terms of whether cash, credit, checks, Paypal payments or some combination thereof are acceptable to the writer, and whether payment will be made in a lump sum at the end of the project or at regular intervals throughout (for instance, many writers like to have half of the agreed sum up front in order to begin work, and the rest payable upon delivery of the work to the customer)
If you continue to work with your writer on many projects, you may not always need additional contracts; if it’s agreed to in writing, via email or otherwise, sometimes this is good enough. Other writers just like to keep all bases covered by requiring new contracts for each job. Talk to your writer to find out which they prefer.
Extras Cost Extra
Seems like a no-brainer, but just be sure to specify everything you want done before work begins. Extra work always costs extra money, so if you didn’t mention that the writer will have to upload all of their work onto your website and code their work properly, you may find yourself paying through the nose when they mention their fee for this non-writing work.
Other typical extras:
- Re-writes (one is standard, two are sometimes included, but more than two rounds of back-and-forth editing and you’ll have to pay extra)
- Web design (including uploading work to your site via FTP or through any CMS, as well as coding or editing written work specifically for the web)
- Supplying photos (particularly if you are looking for original material, not items from a stock photo site or pulled from open-source Flickr accounts)
- Consulting (i.e. “picking the brain” of a writer or editor for their ideas about your website, project, goals or other business related items that utilize their areas of expertise)
- Meetings, both in person and virtual (especially if you are looking to squeeze additional edits, re-writes or consulting out of the writer during said meetings!)
Remember: time is money, both for you and for your writer. Writers charge not only for the writing they produce, but for the time their clients take away from their daily writing routines. This includes calling to chat while they are on the clock. You will be billed for this time, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!
In the end, as most experts will tell you, communication is key. Professional writers are often busy working on a variety of different jobs for different clients at any given time, and the more info you can supply up front, the happier they will be. The happier your writer is, the more they will want to do great things for you, and the better your relationship and projects will be. Treat your writer like a trusted ally, and you’ll both be excited about working together in the future.
Want to work together?
I’m easy to work with, and if you’ve got a specific project in mind, I’d love to hear from you! Just use my handy contact form to drop me a line, and I’ll be in touch within 24 hours.
If you’re anything like me, you hate feeling chained to your desk, particularly on gorgeous sunny days. Living in Austin, Texas, where there are approximately 300 sunny days per year, I’m even more motivated by the prospect of sunbathing in my free time, or simply getting out to the park with a good book or a frisbee. The trick to keeping yourself on track is to remind yourself that if you finish up early, you can take the afternoon off to drink in all that sun. (Don’t forget your sunscreen!)
