Just Say No!

Juggling too many projects and having to turn work away is so far off the radar of any new freelance writer that they never give it a second thought.

But sooner than you think, you'll be faced with having to say no. But like a girl with loose morals, saying no is not something most of us are good at. Well it's time you get good, and quick!

I hear you laughing, "Me turn down work?! Never!"

But soon enough you'll land a couple of sweet writing assignments at the same time and be up to your eyeballs in work. And that's when Murphy's Law always rears its ugly head. That is when that third big, amazing project you've been eyeing for weeks will be awarded to you. That is when you'll be faced with having to say no.

You're not a superhero. You can't bend time and space to take on another project. Don't do it!

But you won't listen to my warning. Like every writer before you, you'll take it on and get it done and nearly kill yourself in the process. Your kids may not get fed or bathed, your spouse may start talking about divorce, but you won't notice. You'll be too busy.

And when it's done, you'll swear that you'll never do that to yourself again (and please tell me so I can say, "I told you so!").

So after you've recovered from all that work, here's how to handle it the next time.

Stick with the one's you've already committed to doing. Dropping projects because something better or more interesting comes along is just not cool (and it's a fast way to get some negative feedback and a bad reputation.)

Learn to say no, and turn down projects in a firm but professional manner. And here's the thing - unlike the real world where no means no, in the freelance world, it doesn't have to. Buyers chose you for a reason. They want to work with you. So telling them that you're booked solid for the next two weeks and can't possibly devote any time to their project will very likely result in the buyer agreeing to put off the start date until you're ready to go. If their project is time sensitive, it may not happen, but more often than not, it will.

Whatever you do, don't put yourself through the ringer again. It's hard not to, especially when you know that freelance writing seems to work in a feast or famine type of cycle, but juggling too many projects results in lower quality work on all of them. And this is good for nobody.

Don't overextend yourself, be realistic about the workload you can carry, and communicate with the buyer. This will pay off in the long run. You'll have a solid reputation, and make more money.
But whatever you do, don't let the fear of overextending hold you back from bidding on projects you want! It's better to have too much work and have to learn to say no, than to sit around waiting for that one job you want to maybe come your way.

Bidding on Elance writing projects is like dating. Go for the best, but don't get too serious and tied down to one until they commit. Always keep your options open.

image by BlueCinderella