I’m approaching my fifteenth anniversary as an independent copywriter. In addition to accumulating inches around my waistline and gray hairs on my head, I’ve gathered a few insights over the years I’d like to share. Some of these pertain to service providers, like myself; some to service customers, like my clients. I hope that both perspectives will be valuable, regardless of your role.
1. Beware the “it’s only . . .” project
Surprisingly, the big projects rarely take you down. Perhaps because they’re incontestably challenging, these efforts usually come with adequate preparations that temper the difficulties. But the “it’s only” project – introduced as a minor consideration that should hardly take any time or thought, really – will bite you in the ass every time. The simple thing is never simple, especially when little time or thought has gone into its conception, purpose or execution. When a client says, “it’s only,” they really mean they don’t want to pay a lot for it, not that it won’t take a lot of work.