14 Writing Client Red Flags to Never Ignore
Subtle (and not so subtle) signs that trouble is on the horizon - and that you should bounce.
You have big dreams of working with amazing, well-paying clients that you love. And you should. They are definitely out there!
However, especially when you’re first starting out - yet also when you’re more experienced - you will run into clients that make you think, “Hmm… Something's not right here.”
In this post, we’ll talk about writing client red flags to watch out for. If you notice that a potential client or existing client has one (or several) of these red flags, you need to seriously consider if you want to move forward with them.
14 Writing Client Red Flags to Watch Out For
Many of these writing client red flags are pretty noticeable, but you have to be willing to notice them.
It can be hard in the beginning of your career to turn down work from anyone, even if they don’t seem like a great client.
Speaking from experience, I often find that if I ignore these red flags and work with the client anyway, it causes me extra time, more pain and even some professional headache.
Let’s make sure you’re aware of potential writing client red flags so you don’t get burned.
#1 They’re in a Rush About Everything
It’s one thing if they have an urgent need for a writing project. I’ve had people approach me for a whole product launch within 6 days. Others have asked for multichannel campaigns with a due date that would require me to work the weekend. (Needless to say, this is when the rush fees go through the roof!)
However, in those situations, most prospects will still let you be in control. You have control over when you work. You have control over what you price. Some clients will automatically accept the higher price and others won’t.
But remember: In rush situations, you’re doing this client a favor. You’re giving them professional work, fast (which of course, will not be cheap).
If you find yourself being rushed to answer back, to book a discovery call and to get going - by someone who is not willing to pay the rush fee - that’s a big red flag.
You’ll have to tune into your intuition and take each rush prospect on a case-by-case basis. There is a big difference between a rush project and a rushed project!
For some perspective, many of my awesome clients have sent rush orders, but I never felt rushed or pressured.
#2 They Try to Take the Lead
One of your first indications that a prospect will want to take charge is in your email correspondence with them. If they seem to be telling you what you should do, rather than letting you take the reins, this is a major writing client red flag.
You may also feel this during your discovery call with them. Since you’re the writer, it’s usually your job to lead the discussion to make sure you get all the information you need for pricing.
#3 They Seem a Little Too Detail-Oriented
You’ll work with all sorts of people over the course of your career. However, I tend to find type-A people and those who are really detail-oriented to be a little more challenging to work with.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t work with those types of people - after all, many ambitious people and entrepreneurs possess those characteristics - but it’s something to keep in mind.
If I notice on the call that they have those tendencies, I just make a note to account for that in my pricing. As in, I charge a little more.
What I’ve found is that the editing process can take significantly longer with these types of clients. They’re often fine people, but rather than 1-3 revisions, their projects have 5+ revision sessions.
A yellow flag, I suppose…
#4 They Don’t Know What They Want
This can happen when you cold pitch someone who then becomes interested in your services. Maybe they weren’t really thinking about writing projects, but since you offered to help them, they want to take advantage of it.
This is fine, but it can be pretty problematic for you.
From a conversion perspective (them going from your prospect to your client), it makes it harder for you to convince them to hire you - whether that’s via email or during your discovery call.
If they don’t know what they want or aren’t clear on their goals, you’re left assuming or creating goals for them. Plus, since you need to hit on how your services will benefit them, it makes it really hard to come up with something to say.
In cases where they approach you, yet still don’t know what they want, you have the opportunity to clarify goals in a discovery or strategy call. This can help, but if these goals don’t truly resonate with what they need at the time, they may start to fizzle out during the rest of the process.
#5 They Try to Get a Discount
I’m assuming that most writers want well-paying clients. And while you may not be able to land work at your dream rate all the time, you want to find clients who understand your value and who are willing to pay.
New writers (including myself at the time) are often hungry for work, so they’ll accept lower rates. However, you don’t want to continue working with clients that keep your income in the newbie range.
Remember: You always want to solidify and confirm pricing before you start the project. If the prospect insists on a discount or says that they can find someone cheaper, let them go.
#6 They Gawk at Your Pricing
Most reputable clients have an understanding that you need to pay people fairly for the services they provide. Even if this person has never worked with a writer, they should still understand this.
Most reputable clients also understand that rush fees play a part in pricing and that freelance rates are typically higher than if they hired someone onto their staff.
Sure, you will talk to people who get your quote and realize you’re way out of their budget, but this is a good indication for you that they’re probably not your ideal client.
Read this: The Day I Realized I Couldn’t Work for $0.05/Word Anymore
#7 They Give You Bad Vibes
We all have varying degrees of sensitivity when it comes to tuning into our gut. But if you just “have a feeling” that something is not right, don’t ignore it!
Sometimes I’m really good about honoring my intuition. Even from their first email correspondence, I see some red flags pop up and I don’t even schedule a discovery call with them.
However, unfortunately, I’ve also ignored my gut feelings and found myself dreading the project or getting screwed in one way or another. Now, I have set standards for potential clients. If they can’t meet my expectations upfront, I don’t even bother with them. Yes, in some cases, I would rather make $0 than work with them.
As you move through your writing career, you’ll hopefully learn when and how to listen to your gut.
#8 They Ask for So Many Add-Ons
If you got on a discovery call with them and sent a quote - and then they add on extra details after the fact - big writer client red flag!
Sometimes, prospects will withhold information during the discovery call, just to get a cheaper quote. For example: If they told you in the discovery call that the turnaround time wasn’t pressing, but then they email back with, “The quote looks great! But can you have things turned in by the end of this week? I’d love to get it finalized before the weekend.”
This is a huge, huge, huge red flag. They either have no ability to plan ahead, or they withheld the fact that they want the project turned in quickly. (In this case, you should definitely charge rush fees and have them accept a new quote.)
However, if they were expecting you to do the work in a short amount of time for your standard rates, they’re trying to add work to your pricing. Very bad.
#9 They Are Scatterbrained
This is not to say that every client will be able to completely keep their focus and understand the writing process thoroughly. They don’t need to.
However, if a prospect or client seems unclear or scatterbrained about what they want, it may indicate that they are going to be a pain to work with.
Also, if you find yourself constantly repeating the same information, such as how your process works, this client may just not get what’s going on. Send them off!
#10 They Have Never Worked with a Writer Before
This doesn’t immediately disqualify them from being your client. In fact, many of your first clients will be small business owners who don’t have experience working with a writer.
However, just keep in mind that you may have to do a lot of handholding. You’ll likely have to walk through - in detail - how the process works, remind them often and explain things multiple times.
You’ll also have to really emphasize how your services will benefit them (before they hire you and if they aren’t totally impressed by your work when you turn in the first draft).
#11 They Have Worked with Tons of Writers Before
Some of your potential clients will have a long history of working with writers. Maybe they have a huge team and a huge workload, so they’ve had to hire writers for overflow work.
However, things become problematic if this prospect works with writers but then tosses them quickly or frequently. Sure, they may have come across a bad writer, but you have to determine if this client is a pain to work with and/or has unrealistic expectations.
Try to get answers as to why this prospect doesn’t want to work with writers they’ve used before. Depending on the answer, it may be a writing client red flag.
#12 They Insist You Can Do Something Out of Your Scope
Remember: You can absolutely have a viable, well-paid career by just writing. No design work. No putting your words onto their website. No running their email marketing campaigns. If you’re a writer, your sole purpose is to write.
Sometimes, you may run into a client that asks you to do something out of your scope. It may be an innocent request, especially if the client is naive about your job description.
However, some clients believe - perhaps with harmless intentions - that they can save some money by having you do some additional work. It may make sense to them in one way or another, but it’s still a writing client red flag. They either don’t totally grasp what you do, or they’re pressed for funds to hire additional staff.
#13 They Ask You to Do Something You’re Not Comfortable With
This actually happened to me with a client I was already working with for about 10 months. Things weren’t great anyway, but I kept going with them because I was going on maternity leave within a matter of weeks at the time, so I thought I’d just push on until then.
Anyway, all of a sudden they started asking me to look at competitor sites and literally copy what was written. He said that no one would notice and whatever was on the competitor’s site was already working.
I didn’t feel comfortable plagiarizing, and when I used that word to characterize what he was asking me to do, he blew up in my face. I quit later that day…
#14 They Don’t Pay On Time
If you ask for payment upfront, you may be able to quickly get a sense that the client has issues with payment.
However, if you ask for payment after the work is complete, you unfortunately may not know that payment is an issue until after you’ve done all the work.
Just a little insight, though. I’ve always asked for 100% of the payment after I’ve completed the work. And I have never had an issue. Never! You may not be comfortable with payment at the end, but it’s absolutely possible to do it that way.
If you can spot these other writing client red flags first, you can possibly avoid clients who have issues with payment.
Spoiler alert: Usually the most problematic clients have several red flags waving all at once. Just like how your lowest-paying clients will be the most nit-picky and most difficult to work with…
