Kristen’s post on her Inkthinker blog (Setting Boundaries and Saying No) got me thinking…
As I previously touched on in another post, freelance writers are often as misjudged as stay-at-home parents, homemakers, or anyone else whose work happens to be done from home. As freelance writers, we’re also often viewed as people who want to give their work and time away for free. Combine both factors, and a freelance writer has gotta learn how to set boundaries, how to say no.
Whether it’s a potential client asking us to write for no pay, a friend who makes a habit of asking us to watch her kids, or a respected organization asking us to speak pro bono for their next convention, there comes a time when we have to say no.
There’s only so much time in the day. As freelance writers, most of us work to earn a living. We rely on our paychecks to pay our bills, just as any other working person does. If we want to pay the rent, we’ve got to learn to set boundaries. It might not be easy, but it’s necessary.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree that we have to set boundaries. As a writer, my time is not respected by everyone.
I recently learned to say no by stepping down as President of the local writer’s guild. I was exhausted and stretched too thin.
Now that I’m no longer President, I have much more time and energy to focus towards my writing and it’s proving to be a great success.
Stay strong!
Hi Michele,
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you were able to step down. I know what it feels like to commit to too much. Even when it’s something directly related to writing, sometimes we’ve just got to take time for ourselves.
Boundaries are always important. As mom of a toddler I get the whole “I got called into work, can you watch my kid?” thing a lot. I am working too, but most folks don’t see it that way. A favor once in a while I don’t mind, but when people try to take advantage, that irks me. It’s important to learn to say no. My two year old makes it look easy!
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