This post will cover the five things you shouldn’t do (not including the basics like failing to do any work for a client or refusing to pay a freelancer) if you want a healthy, happy long-term and profitable business relationship.

Whether you’re a freelancer or a start-up looking to hire a freelancer, there are a few things you should know before you start something new. You wouldn’t marry the first person that you meet, so why jump blindly into a partnership with a client/freelancer you hardly know? To prevent lots of time wasted, money lost and bridges burned, read what not to do when beginning a new work relationship.

1. Jump in eyes closed. It might be a fun way to dive into the pool, but not so fun in business. I once had a potential client ask me, “What kind of education do you have anyway?” after he received my resume, samples and cover letter. His lack of research made me hesitant to work with him. It showed a lack of concern and care that I worried would lead to disaster down the road. This also works the other way around. Hire anyone without checking their samples and you’ll be in for a surprise. And not the good kind.
2. Be threatening. Never withhold money or copy, unless you want your relationship to crash and burn. Sometimes the fear of not getting paid or the fear of getting quality writing can cause people to act irrationally. Take a deep breath, have faith and let go. Trust that you’ll get what you want either way and you’ll have a better chance of restoring your relationship and getting what you need in the long-term.
3. React in anger. This goes alongside #2. Sometimes fear can make people erupt in anger. No matter what he or she says, it’s really not worth it to lose your cool and say something you’re going to regret. Take 5, walk around the block, meditate, do whatever it takes to let off steam without showing your anger to the other person. When you’re calm and collected, go back and see if you can work things out and salvage the relationship in a peaceful manner.
4. Be unclear. Give mixed messages about exactly what you want (e.g. “I want something good.” Or I think I can do this by that time, but I’m not sure.”) will get you down a path of miscommunication that will eventually lead to trouble. Get things in order in your mind first, then speak up and clearly about what you need. Make sure to communicate with one another as soon as misunderstanding starts to grow. Get it quick and you’ll prevent greater confusion and disappointment in the future.
5. Have unreachable and unreasonable expectations. Demand too much in a an unreasonable amount of time or expect clients to pay you more money without any legitimate reason to do so and you’re asking for disappointment and anger on both sides. If you’re not sure what to charge your client or what’s realistic to expect from your freelancer, then make sure to do your research beforehand. Network with other writers and business owners and find out what’s acceptable in the field.

If you did any one of the five on the list, all is not lost. You can still repair damages by either quickly and sincerely making amends with your partner. If things are really irreparable, keep things in mind for next time and be sure to do the opposite of items 1-5!

How about you? Any words of wisdom you’d like to share? Things you’ve done to repair a seemingly irreparable work relationship? I’d love to hear them!

Freelance writing is kind of like fishing. There’s a lot of waiting involved. You throw out the bait, wait for a bite and then get ready for the fight.

However, instead of thumb twiddling or going to the opposite extreme and getting unnecessarily busy (online shopping or applying for jobs like crazy, for example), this may be a good time to get yourself organized and prepared for the next bite.

Here are a few productive things to do while you’re waiting for your next big project:

1. Catch up on reading. Maybe now is not the best time to get into the latest Vampire craze or Stephen King novel. Unless, of course, you’re doing some research. Instead, I use the time to catch up on what’s going on in the freelance writing field. Besides reading pertinent articles and blogs online, I used the time to read up on books and magazines that cover copywriting, marketing and negotiating rates. All areas I’m hoping to learn more about.
2. Catch up with old contacts. Every week I go through my list of emails and send a quick, “How are you doing? Can I help you with anything else?” to past clients or outstanding queries. It’s a great way to check in and let editors know you’re still interested and waiting for the next step. I have actually received an email in the past from an editor who eventually gave me an assignment that way and apologized for being so slow to catch up.
3. Refocus your goals. It’s great to spend time focusing on your goals. What you wanted 6 months ago as a freelance writer, could be a whole different game now. Take a moment to figure out if the clients you have and the projects you are working on are still aligned with your goals. If they are not, figure out a way to get back on the right path. Let clients know you are open to working on new projects and start applying only for positions that really fit with you today.
4. Take inventory. Measure your successes and areas that need improvement on an excel sheet. Taking inventory of newspaper articles you finished and all the queries you haven’t are important. Find out what is holding you back. What things can you do to improve? If you start working on them now it will help get you that much closer to where you want to be.
5. Organize your paperwork. Take the time to organize receipts and invoices now and it will be much easier for you to get things in order when tax time comes around.

What about you? When things are slow, what things do you to do to help yourself and your business keep going?

I was thinking about how Walt Disney encountered a lot of bad people in the biz and still waded in his way through the slime and got to the other side. In fact, not just in spite of the greedy people out there but because he had resilience.

There are many traits important in having a successful freelance writing business and I definitely think resilience is one of them.

Resilience helps you keep going. It’s what helped Olympic winner and best-selling author Bonnie St. John endure divorce, disability and difficulty in her life. (You can read my interview with her here.) And it’s what gets most writers over that initial hump, criticism and rejection.

There were several times when Disney faced harsh criticism of his work. In fact it was displayed at an exhibit in the Walt Disney Family museum.  There was a letter from an early production company Disney worked with who said they did not make a single dollar on his latest efforts and that he should be ashamed of himself for the lack of quality in his work.

Talk about a bad critique!

I guess at that point, he could have shriveled up in a little hole and decided never to draw again or he could have got revenge. But he didn’t do either. Actually he apologized and continued his efforts. And we’re all the better for it.

In the freelance writing business, there are so many chances to give up, so many times along the pursuit of your dreams to shrug your shoulders and call it a day. Yet, you keep going. It’s why you’re here. Maybe you are like me and can’t imagine it any other way.

But why not tell me yourself? How do you handle the plight of being a freelance writer?