Two Writers’ Traits Clients Hate

If you’re a writer, chances are you have a couple of traits your clients hate.

These two traits are common among writers. The good news: they’re easy to overcome, as long as make an effort to do so.

Here are the traits. Firstly, shyness, leading to blindness to the client and his goals. This shyness is closely related to the second trait: a lack of confidence. You’re wracked with doubt, so you fail to deliver what you promise.

Hated Trait 1: Shy, but With a Big Ego, Won’t Ask Questions

Writers tend to be introverts, which makes us shy. I know a few writers who are extroverts, but they have other problems.

We also have big egos, although we hide it well. Our egomania is actually wonderful. It’s a form of self-belief. It takes a lot of courage to believe that you CAN write, and then to go ahead and do it.

Being shy, and having an ego, are not faults in themselves. It’s just the way we are. Unfortunately, this combination of traits leads to big problems for our clients. It drives editors to drink, and worse.

The biggest problem is that shyness and ego prevent writers from asking questions. In addition, they make can make us blind to problems with a piece of writing. It can take a while for us to realize that our writing needs fixing.

Think about it. If you don’t ask questions, there’s little chance you’ll be able to complete a brief (project description) to your client’s satisfaction.

Here’s why: few clients know exactly what they want. It’s up to you to ask questions until you nail the brief down, so you know exactly what you’re being asked to do.

I’ve got a policy: “if it’s not written down, it’s not going to happen.” This applies to client briefs, as well as everything else in my life.

I make it plain to my clients, and you should too, that what’s in the brief is what they’ll get, so I ask questions until the brief is crystal clear, both to me, and to the client.

Consider making “if it’s not written down, it’s not going to happen” your own policy.

Ask questions until you completely understand the project brief, and the client understands exactly what he’ll get.

This eliminates endless revisions. Yes, you may have a “one revision” policy, but clients tend to ask for more because they “forgot.” (You may be as cynical as I am, and suspect that the client “forgot” nothing, he’s simply trying to get you to write for less money.)

Hated Trait 2: Lacks Confidence, So Fails to Deliver

Here’s where perfectionism crops up, and leads to procrastination. We procrastinate, because we lack confidence, ALWAYS because we failed to ask questions… See Trait #1, above.

Procrastination means you miss deadlines. Some writers go missing completely — they accept a gig, and then drop off the face of the earth.

Here’s the solution to your lack of confidence. Just tell yourself that your writing is what it is, on any given day, and that if there are problems, you can FIX them tomorrow.

You’re no judge of the quality of your writing. Writing’s a process, so expect your first draft to be woeful. No one needs to see your first draft except you, and your second draft will always be better than your first — as long as you keep writing.

If you’re a new writer, I know it’s hard for you to accept that you CAN fix it, especially if what you’ve written today seems like a piece of dreck.

Any piece of writing gets better. The big difference between professional writers and newbies is that professionals expect dreck in a first draft.

Convince yourself to be HAPPY you wrote. Filling a computer screen with words takes commitment and effort — you should be proud of yourself. You can and will fix it in your second draft.

Now you know what the two hated writers’ traits are, you can fix them. The result? Happy clients, and happiness and money for you.

Turn Your Words Into Gold: Write and Sell An Ebook In Just Eight Hours

Here’s what I love about writing ebooks: you write them once, and they keep on selling forever.

I know several writers who’ve taken to the Kindle platform like the proverbial ducks to water. One writer friend turns out a new Kindle ebook every month, like clockwork. The last time we spoke, she had 11 ebooks selling — and her income is rising month by month.

Another writer friend mixes writing her own ebooks, with writing ebooks for others. Currently she’s been commissioned to write a biography, and a family history, for the same client. She’s finding it huge fun, and she’s making more money than she’s ever made.

The benefit of writing and selling ebooks is that once written, they can keep on selling forever. Would you trade eight hours for an income stream?