When to "Break Up" with a Freelance Client

Many freelance writers take any and every writing gig they can get when starting out, to build clientele. As your experience increases, your client base grows and your time becomes much more valuable, there may clients that end up costing you time and money. It's not easy to end a working relationship, but sometimes it's necessary to keep your sanity and your reputation intact. These are sure signs that you should take the plunge and "break up" with a client. The Write Life contributor, Nicole Fallon Taylor, helps us decide when it's time to dump a freelance client.

4 Clear Signs You Need to Dump a Freelance Writing Client

When you’re first starting out as a freelancer, you might take every gig you can get, just to build up a portfolio and a good reputation. You’re willing to take the cheap and sometimes frustrating assignments in the name of building your business, and that’s OK when you’re just getting off the ground. Eventually, though, your freelance business will grow. You’ll land more clients who are willing to pay you more for your experience, which means your time becomes more valuable. You might be able to juggle these high-value projects with the low-paying ones for a while, but at a certain point, you will likely need to drop the latter to free yourself up for bigger and better things. So how do you know when it’s time to “break up” with a certain freelance client? Here are four signs you should reconsider working with that particular client.

1. They pay you less than other clients for comparable work (and won’t raise their budget)

Freelance rates can be a tricky subject, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience. When you’re not in a position to negotiate, you might accept a $10 or $15 per article just to get the gig.But when other clients start offering you double, triple or quadruple (or more) to write that same article, the choice becomes rather obvious whom you’d rather write for.

Read the entire article 4 Clear Signs You Need to Dump a Freelance Writing Client on The Write Life.