Work Stuff: I Don’t Suck
The last few months (February/March/April/May) have been slower than I would have liked them to be, and the surplus I had built up prior to that is now spent. One of my major clients has not given me any work in two months, which is quite unusual. I have big tuition payments looming on the horizon. I’ve been beating the bushes looking for more work.
A couple of years ago I edited two books for the religious press that my uncle runs. He put my name forward and two of his editors hired me. Then nothing–no communication. That was OK, because I didn’t make bank on the projects and I had plenty of work coming in at the time, so I wasn’t worried. However, after pinging the editors a couple of times and receiving no replies, I started feeling insecure. My recent dry spell and panic about cash flow finally motivated me to contact my uncle again, to see what was up and why I had fallen off the radar. It took a lot to work up the necessary courage to write this to my uncle:
“In 2004 and 2005 I copyedited two books for (your Press)(Title 1 by Author 1 and Title 2 by Author 2), but nothing since then. Although I’ve tried contacting both (Editor 1) and (Editor 2) periodically, I’ve received no replies from them. During each of those projects, I had the impression that (Editor 1) and (Editor 2) liked my work. Now that so much time has passed, the insecure part of me wonders if they weren’t happy enough with my work to continue giving me projects. The confident part of me hopes that perhaps job changes, changes in the publishing climate, or perhaps my being out-of-sight-out-of-mind is the reason I’ve not heard back from anyone. So, the short of it is I’d like to work for your press again, if possible. I just wanted you and your editors to know I am available for either editing or proofreading projects.”
My uncle replied:
“I’d love to get you back onto the copyediting roster. Both (Editor 1) and (Editor 2) have left to go off into freelance land, so I’ll be glad to pass along your stuff to our new editors. We’re just beginning work on our Spring ’07 books, and I see several that could work well for you. Can you send me your current vita to pass around to everyone here?”
I am much relieved to hear this news! And grateful that he is willing to put my name forward to his editors again. I was afraid that after inquiring, my uncle would be forced to tell me that his press didn’t find my work up to snuff, and that it had put him in an awkward position. Nepotism, and all that.
So, maybe things are looking up. I don’t think I’ll ever get rich working for his press but it makes me feel good to have that door open. I’m just so crappy (meaning fearful, lazy, and shy) at marketing myself.
[Insert pipe dream here: Maybe someday I’ll have the dough to hire someone brilliant like Kimkim to do sales for me.]
June 14, 2006 at 2:59 pm
Marketing yourself or your friends is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I totally understand your fear. You take everything you have to offer (experience, personality, competence, gumption) and put it in a packet and it feels like you offer it up on the customer altar and say, “Is it (am I) good enough?” And then based on some random deciding factor they say yes, no, maybe or even worse, they say nothing. And then whatever self-doubt you ever had is breathing down your neck telling you it’s a fluke or it’s not going to last. It’s the hardest thing ever, and I respect the hell out of you for doing it.
June 14, 2006 at 4:50 pm
You know exactly how hard it is! Thanks for the sympathy and respect. In my field, it’s common for marketing to be done via cold calling, and then, if you get a foot in the door, usually the client will send an exam. Editing is, fortunately or unfortunately, something more art than science. Taking exams takes a lot of unpaid hours, and you never know if you’re editing the way the client likes. Thus, you may be rejected for not applying the right finesse to their test. So the whole thing can be a colossal waste of time and energy. After doing a few of these, I must admit, I’ve concluded that it’s far worse than pulling teeth and I hate it. It’s positively gut-wrenching. It’s so much easier to sit on my laurels and hope that clients come back to me with repeat business. Hence, when I need the work, I tend to beat the bushes and contact old clients rather than try to drum up new ones. From what I hear from several other freelancers, there’s a bit of a shortage of work right now.