The business of not proofreading – saying no without guilt: Part I

Exercising the right to accept or decline work is, in my opinion, one of the best things about owning one’s own business. And yet some editorial professionals feel guilty about saying no. What's to be done?

Some of us have experienced a situation where we have to withdraw from an ongoing project because of what one of my colleagues calls “scope creep”.

Here, the originally agreed terms of the work have been breached by the client, rendering continuation of the project non-viable unless new terms can be negotiated that are acceptable to both parties. This demonstrates why it’s important to clarify the parameters of any editorial project before an agreement is made to carry out the work. 

How to pull out of existing project work is beyond the scope of this article. Here I’m focusing on saying no to the offer of editorial work prior to commencement of the project, and how guilt should not be part of the editorial business-owner’s decision to so.

In Part I, I look at the reasons for accepting or declining work, how some editorial freelancers talk about feeling guilty, and how those statements stack up against the reality of what’s going on.

In Part II, I’ll consider some simple ways of saying no that make it clear that the project is being declined, why this decision is being made, and what the client can do to find an alternative supplier.

I’ll also explore the dangers of using an over-pricing strategy to deter an unwanted client, and consider how the guilt-ridden editorial pro might place her feelings within an adapted 10/10/10 framework in order to move forward with a decision that’s in her business's best interests.
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Reasons to accept and reasons to decline

​I might decline a proofreading project for one, or several, of the following reasons:

• The customer wishes to pay a fee that is lower than I am prepared to accept. The fee she is prepared to pay doesn’t meet my required (what I need to earn) and desired (what I want to earn) hourly rate.
• The time frame for the project is tight, given my existing work schedule and my non-work commitments.
• I feel uncomfortable with the subject matter.
• My initial assessment of the work indicates that the project isn’t ready for proofreading; it needs a level of editing that I don’t feel qualified to provide.
• I’ve worked with the customer on a previous occasion and, based on that experience, do not wish to continue the business relationship. Problems might have included late payment, changing the terms of the project mid-way, overstepping professional–personal boundaries, untimely/erratic communication, etc.

I might accept a proofreading project for one, or several, of the following reasons:

• The customer offers an acceptable fee. Or, even if the fee is below my desired and required hourly rate, I enjoy working for that customer and can afford to accept the fee offered because the achieved hourly rate for my business as a whole is high enough to accommodate my choice.
• The time frame is tight, but I’m excited about the project and find ways to move things around in my schedule such that I can fit it in.
• I have extensive experience of working on the subject matter. Or the genre/client type may be one that I wish to gain experience of working with because I wish to expand my market. The proposed project is an opportunity to explore a new client base and build a portfolio in the sector. 
• The work has been professionally copy-edited and is ready for proofreading. The client understands the different levels of editorial intervention, and our expectations of what I will be doing with the text are mutually acceptable.
• I’ve worked with the client on previous occasions and found the business relationship to be rewarding. We both agree on the parameters within which the work will take place. The customer pays on time, behaves professionally, communicates clearly, and adheres to the original terms of the contract.

See also Liz Broomfield’s (2013) discussion of what kinds of work you might say no to at various stages of your business’s development.

It’s my business and my choice

​Whether I accept or decline, the choice is mine. I’m not bound to carry out proofreading work that, for whatever reason, I don’t wish to. There’s no boss telling me that our company is contractually bound to do A or B, or that I must work for X, even though I find dealing with X stressful, intimidating, infuriating, or upsetting.

I choose the hours I need/wish to work. I choose the type of editorial work I carry out (in my case, proofreading). I choose the material I feel comfortable with. I decide whether a fee is acceptable based on my needs and wants.

Ultimately, I can decline a project for no other reason than I simply don’t fancy doing it. End of story.
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​Feeling guilty

​Despite having control over the choices they can make, it’s not uncommon to hear editorial freelancers say they feel guilty about not accepting a job:

1. The strapped-for-cash client: “I really don’t want to lower my fee, but I know the author is really strapped for cash and I feel guilty about not offering a discount. What would you do?”
2. The time-poor and emotional client: “Her supervisor says she needs to resubmit an edited version by next week. She’s in a bit of a state and has begged me to help her. There’s no way I can do what needs to be done in that time frame but she just called again and was in floods of tears. I feel so guilty. What should I do?”
3. The manipulative client: “I’ve worked with X before and it was a bit of a nightmare, but she says she trusts me and doesn’t want to work with anyone else. She had bad experiences with proofreaders before she met me and is adamant that it’s me or nobody. I feel guilty turning her down. Help!”
4. The inexperienced client: “The work is a mess – it needs rewriting, not proofreading. He’s new to this and I feel guilty about telling him I don’t want the job but I don’t have the time to explain to him what the problems are because I wouldn’t be able to bill him for this. Any advice, please?”

In all of the above, the story is of the problems being faced by the client if the editorial pro turns down the work. However, we as business owners need to flip things around and look at the situation from our own point of view.
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The reality ...

​Now let's look at the above 4 scenarios from the perspective of the editorial business owner:

1. The strapped-for-cash client: The issue here is not that the author is strapped for cash. Rather, it’s your own cash flow and overall economic needs that need to be assessed. We’ve all been strapped for cash. Having limited financial resources means we have to forego luxuries and save up for necessities. I’m too strapped for cash to buy a Ferrari so I’ve foregone this luxury and settled for a Ford Focus. I need a new printer but the one that would best suit my needs is priced higher than my budget. I’m not asking the sales assistant in Staples to reduce the price because I’m strapped for cash. Instead I’m saving up because it’s an important requirement for my business. If your client can’t afford what you need to earn and want to earn, they need to forego your services or save up. If you want to negotiate, do so, but guilt isn't a good enough reason go down this path. Rather, it’s about making a professional decision concerning what you are prepared to accept, based on your financial requirements, for the services you offer. 
2. The time-poor and emotional client: If you can’t do the job in the required time frame because the client didn’t give you enough notice, feeling guilty won’t expand the number of hours available in a work week! You know what time you have available. Either the job is doable or it’s not. Accept or decline accordingly. Most of us find ourselves in situations with friends and family where emotional manipulation comes into play – that’s the stuff of personal relationships. Save your emotions for those you love. With the client, the relationship is professional, not personal. If a client tries to manipulate you emotionally, then they, not you, should be feeling guilty. If you don’t want to find a way to accommodate the client because it would have a negative impact on your work/home life, thank them for contacting you, state clearly and briefly that you are not physically able to take on the work under the time parameters offered, and close the correspondence.
3. The manipulative client: The client’s previous bad experiences are not relevant. It’s your previous experience that is relevant. One of the benefits of owning your own business is precisely the fact that, unlike when you’re an employee, there is no compulsion to work with people who make you feel as if you are being manipulated, with people whose problems become your problems. Guilt isn't a good enough reason to take the work. If you don’t want to work with someone, decline the project.
4. The inexperienced client: If the work doesn’t fall within the parameters of your service provision, it’s not your fault that the client doesn’t understand this. Feeling guilty won't improve their awareness. Instead, decline the work and guide the customer towards one of the many free resources available online that provide clear advice. Most national editorial societies have such guidelines.

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No isn't negative ...

​Psychologist Judith Sills (2013) argues that “No – a metal grate that slams shut the window between one's self and the influence of others – is rarely celebrated. It's a hidden power because it is both easily misunderstood and difficult to engage” and “it is easily confused with negativity”.

So, when we decline work, we need think of the decision not in terms of negative impact on our clients, but rather in terms of the positive impact on our editorial businesses. 

In Part II, we’ll look at ways to communicate an uncomplicated “no” message, and consider an adapted version of Suzy Welch’s 10/10/10 framework that should help the guilt-ridden editorial pro to say no with greater confidence.

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Louise Harnby is a professional proofreader and copyeditor. She curates The Proofreader's Parlour and is the author of several books on business planning and marketing for editors and proofreaders.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, or connect via Facebook and LinkedIn.

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