Would You Write About What Don’t Know Anything About?
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with writing only on a handful of topics, but what if a client asks you to write on a topic you know nothing (or very little) about? Can you afford to turn down work?
Before you find yourself in a position where you have to say no to a client, why not practice a little?
Thus begins a post on Freelance Folder. It seems wrong to me that you would take on a job even if you weren’t fully qualified. The client won’t be getting what he paid for, or worse, you may find yourself having to cancel the contract because you couldn’t figure things out.
In the case of writing about what you don’t know anything about, wouldn’t you agree that the words come easily when you know the topic? There is nothing wrong with trying to learn new things. But I honestly think that freelancers shouldn’t try educating themselves or pushing their capabilities when working under a tight deadline.
On top of that, it’s also hard to be into something that you’re not genuinely passionate about. I’ve made the mistake of signing up for projects just because the money was good. It was literally hell to complete the work, because I found myself going through the motions, just trying to finish as quickly as possible.
What are your thoughts about this?
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POSTED IN: Ramblings of a Freelancer
3 opinions for Would You Write About What Don’t Know Anything About?
Sara
Apr 2, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Rico,
I completely agree with you. It is great to learn new things, but learning about a subject on the fly to pull of material for a client is almost always inappropriate. You might get away with it, but I think it’s best to be honest.
They can’t fault you for saying, “Hey, you know, that’s not really my area of expertise…” But they will be mighty p!ssed off if you turn in some b.s. fluff piece that shows you don’t know what you are talking about. Or worse, if you submit something that appears to come from an expert, but misses something vitally important.
Trying to learn “just enough” about a subject to deliver a project is shady and could seriously damage your reputation if you can’t pull it off. Unless your kids are going to starve, I’d say pass on it if you aren’t adequately qualified.
This is my first stop at your blog, Rico and I’m really enjoying it.
Thanks,
Sara
Rico
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:53 am
This made me realize that we should always take the time to learn new things and research There is nothing wrong with learning new things, but like you said, a certain level of knowledge is expected—or even required—for the success of any copy-driven project.
Welcome to Contract Worker Sara. Hope to see you soon! :)
Sara
Apr 4, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Rico,
I know some people are fake it til they make it, but I just consider that a dangerous gamble. News travels so fast on the internet. All it would take is one client realizing you aren’t really an expert to have your whole reputation ruined in a matter of hours.
Way too risky for me.
Thanks for the welcome. I’m having a great time digging through your archives - good stuff! =)
Sara
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