Comments on: The Deadline Challenge http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/ Straight Talk About Your Writing Career Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:46:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sharon http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-456 Sharon Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:05:04 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-456 Yes, I don't have a problem with renegotiating, Laura, especially before you agree to a job. I've done it myself when necessary. However, if you commit to a deadline and there's no emergency, then there's no excuse for missing it. Yes, I don’t have a problem with renegotiating, Laura, especially before you agree to a job. I’ve done it myself when necessary. However, if you commit to a deadline and there’s no emergency, then there’s no excuse for missing it.

]]> By: Laura http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-455 Laura Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:23:01 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-455 I think that once a writer commits to a deadline, they should do everything in their power to meet the deadline. If a true emergency arises (and the type of emergencies that keep you from meeting a deadline are rare), then they should notify their team leader as soon as possible. However, I do think that it is acceptable and even crucial to negotiate deadlines before committing to them. That's one way to keep from being caught with a deadline you can't meet. I think that once a writer commits to a deadline, they should do everything in their power to meet the deadline. If a true emergency arises (and the type of emergencies that keep you from meeting a deadline are rare), then they should notify their team leader as soon as possible. However, I do think that it is acceptable and even crucial to negotiate deadlines before committing to them. That’s one way to keep from being caught with a deadline you can’t meet.

]]> By: Sharon http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-454 Sharon Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:37:24 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-454 Oh, I don't know, Pervara. I remember plenty of goofing off in my magazine office. Most of the writers I work with are excellent writers who are reliable and professional. The ones who aren't soon decide to go elsewhere. Oh, I don’t know, Pervara. I remember plenty of goofing off in my magazine office. Most of the writers I work with are excellent writers who are reliable and professional. The ones who aren’t soon decide to go elsewhere.

]]> By: Sharon http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-453 Sharon Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:35:28 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-453 Although they are not employees, you are the one who's ultimately responsible for their performance, at least as far as the client's concerned, so I guess the lesson is to choose wisely, Lillie. Although they are not employees, you are the one who’s ultimately responsible for their performance, at least as far as the client’s concerned, so I guess the lesson is to choose wisely, Lillie.

]]> By: Sharon http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-452 Sharon Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:33:51 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-452 Lol, Courtney. I've had similar experiences. Sometimes you need to make a judgment call and save the job. Lol, Courtney. I’ve had similar experiences. Sometimes you need to make a judgment call and save the job.

]]> By: Sharon http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-451 Sharon Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:32:17 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-451 Pithy, sensible advice, Glenn. Thanks for stopping by. Pithy, sensible advice, Glenn. Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: Pervara Kapadia http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-463 Pervara Kapadia Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:14:24 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-463 Yes. We all face deadlines. The unfortunate part is that online writers end up slacking a little more than the offline ones Yes. We all face deadlines. The unfortunate part is that online writers end up slacking a little more than the offline ones

]]> By: Courtney http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-461 Courtney Tue, 25 Sep 2007 06:45:49 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-461 Great post! I've learned to definitely pad my outsourcing deadlines. I had a gal last fall that I split a project with. It was writing these ridiculous paragraphs, and she had 60. It was due on a Saturday and by Friday night she had sent me 10 (she had the project for two weeks already). Needless to say, I started scrambling and pulling in as many other writers as I could find on Friday morning. When I told her that I was pulling her off of the rest of the project, she said "But you said I had until Saturday...this is unfair!" I couldn't do anything but laugh at that point. Of course I should have assumed she could do 50 in less than 24 hours when it took her 2 weeks to deliver 10.... :) Great post! I’ve learned to definitely pad my outsourcing deadlines. I had a gal last fall that I split a project with. It was writing these ridiculous paragraphs, and she had 60. It was due on a Saturday and by Friday night she had sent me 10 (she had the project for two weeks already).

Needless to say, I started scrambling and pulling in as many other writers as I could find on Friday morning. When I told her that I was pulling her off of the rest of the project, she said

“But you said I had until Saturday…this is unfair!”

I couldn’t do anything but laugh at that point. Of course I should have assumed she could do 50 in less than 24 hours when it took her 2 weeks to deliver 10…. :)

]]> By: Lillie Ammann http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-462 Lillie Ammann Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:57:33 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-462 In more than ten years as a freelancer, I've tried only a few times to work with other writers and have decided that isn't what I want to do. I spent about twenty years as a business owner, and employees (I had nearly 20) were always my biggest headache. Now that I am a freelancer, I don't want to deal with those kinds of problems. Of course, when you sub out to work to other writers, they are independent contractors, not employees. However, that doesn't mean they will be reliable and produce quality work. In more than ten years as a freelancer, I’ve tried only a few times to work with other writers and have decided that isn’t what I want to do. I spent about twenty years as a business owner, and employees (I had nearly 20) were always my biggest headache. Now that I am a freelancer, I don’t want to deal with those kinds of problems. Of course, when you sub out to work to other writers, they are independent contractors, not employees. However, that doesn’t mean they will be reliable and produce quality work.

]]> By: Glenn Abel -- Write for Blogs http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-459 Glenn Abel -- Write for Blogs Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:17:13 +0000 http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/the-deadline-challenge/#comment-459 My beautiful tattooed hair stylist -- who ran her own business until the co-owner drove her nuts -- once told me, "Never partner up with anyone whose work ethic is weaker than yours." Smart woman. My beautiful tattooed hair stylist — who ran her own business until the co-owner drove her nuts — once told me, “Never partner up with anyone whose work ethic is weaker than yours.”

Smart woman.

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