It’s Raining Work
The stalled project looks to be moving again, though now it’s an EMERGENCY.
The other stalled project is creaking into motion.
Two strategy guides fell out of the sky for me today. I accepted one.
Another strategy guide I’ve already committed to should be starting very soon.
Another client would like to get a long-term project done in the next few weeks.
I have no less than three exams to take ASAP.
I have a new network client who would like me to say, “Go! Send work!”
The church lady just gave me a deadline too.
Yikes. Too bad I just really want to sleep. A lot.
September 19, 2006 at 5:54 am
exams?
September 19, 2006 at 11:30 am
Yeah. The fucked up thing about my line of freelance work is that I (usually) cannot simply show my resume and list of all the books/magazines/biz stuff I’ve edited over the last 10 years and land a new publisher client. Each client thinks that their stuff is the bomb, and the publishing industry standard is to test freelance editors with a custom exam made by the publisher.
It sucks because each exam takes a lot of time to complete, is unpaid, and with each I could end up with nothing to show for my efforts. “Passing” a test is never guaranteed, no matter how well you edit, because editing is often more an art than a science, and every publisher has a set of preferences that are usually not disclosed to the test-taker.
For me, it involves a lot of starts and stops (in between paying work), attempts to read the minds of the testers, and second-guessing myself. I avoid this kind of crap whenever possible. I much prefer having a few clients that always keep me busy than having to go out hustling for more clients and taking exams.
Unfortunately, when the work slows down, as it did this past spring/summer, I am kind of behind the curve. I’m trying to catch up now and expand the number of clients whom I can bug for work.
September 19, 2006 at 6:43 pm
Ick. Good luck.
September 19, 2006 at 7:28 pm
YEAH! Boo! YEAH! Boo!
Oh screw it. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO