Comments on: Never Badmouth A Fellow Writer – Ask Anne The Pro Writer

By: Ron Lewis

Ron Lewis — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:25:20 +0000

My personal strategy is to wait a couple of weeks and then report the plagiarist to the editor anonymously, maybe with allusions to you being a major player among their target audience, and how much better you used to like the site.

You gotta love the Internet.

By: admin

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:40:22 +0000

Sometimes I have to give this advice to myself.

By: admin

admin — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:27:21 +0000

Jonathan, I answered it as a blog post: http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com/2009/03/should-i-have-said-that-ask-anne-the-pro-writer/

By: Doran Roggio

Doran Roggio — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:15:22 +0000

Great advice Anne has given you. Things have a way of working out on their own. Unscrupulous practices such as using writers who plagiarize will catch up with both writer and blog editor in time. Move on, keep up your work with integrity and you will prevail. Any other recourse will only work to do you more harm than good. Doran Roggio’s last blog post..Punxsutawney Phil Predictions Proving True

By: Jonathan Cohen

Jonathan Cohen — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:38:32 +0000

Here’s another freelance etiquette question:

I had a telephone interview with a prospective client, and at his request spent a few hours gathering statistical info on previous work I’d done. After I submitted the information to him, I never heard back from him.

I ended up sending him a frank email saying that I was disappointed with him, and that since he was the CEO, it didn’t bode well for the company’s customer service, either.

Should I have done it? It made me feel slightly better at the time, and I don’t mind if he tells others I wrote that. I’m fine with prospects not responding to initial contacts, but after you’ve done a phone interview and expended time and effort gathering material for them, I find it tacky of prospects not to at least say “Sorry, not interested.”

Thoughts?

By: admin

admin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:13:32 +0000

Jonathan… why didn’t I think of that – perfect. Love both of them… might even say both in an email if it were me

By: Jonathan Cohen

Jonathan Cohen — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:03:44 +0000

Then again, you could always say something that could be interpreted two ways. For example:

“I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed working with you.”

“I’ll never work with someone of your caliber again.”

By: Trina L. Grant

Trina L. Grant — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:15:27 +0000

I agree with you, Anne. Choose your battles in life. It’s a matter of risk assessment. Would responding in kind have helped the writer? Probably not. And, the editor, who may have a little bit further reach than a single writer, may respond by upping the ante by and spreading the word that the writer is difficult to work with, or something like that. I don’t recommend being a doormat, but you are correct when you say that even if the matter was resolved and the writer continued to have a relationship with the company, it would almost undoubtedly be strained. The writer should just move on and find a better people to work with.

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:04:27 +0000

I’m in agreement here – there is nothing that can be gained at this point. It is time to move on. I WOULD respond with something good, positive and uplifting. There may not be any hard feelings and a strong last letter could leave an impression that opens the door to future possibilities.

By: Allena

Allena — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:45:48 +0000

Reread this line from Anne: Your work will speak for you.

Look around your office. What projects are on your desk? What paychecks are in your account? What editors have sent you kind words?

Just.Keep.Writing.:)