Starting my freelance career writing for content mills instilled the mindset that I had to say yes to every job and put up with anything my clients threw at me.

Now after three years, I see the benefits of saying no and the opportunities this can lead to. It was frightening at first, but here are the signs I’ve become familiar with, telling me when to ditch a client.

The workload keeps expanding

Being approached on LinkedIn by a client asking if I wanted to write dating articles was an ego boost. However, the workload went from writing articles with light research and inserting keywords, to extensive research, quotes and sources, and a complex system that even my client couldn’t explain. Despite the increased workload, the pay stayed the same. Each time they took longer to pay, and I gave them several chances, knowing delays can happen sometimes. However, I eventually ditched the client since they issued more work without addressing any of my concerns. I now had more time to send pitches and respond to opportunities, and I achieved my first by-lined articles and regular freelance work from a client who offered a rate I was happy with, as well as paid me on time.

Insults rather than constructive feedback

I have a BA and MA in Creative Writing, so I’ve travelled the difficult path to accepting critical feedback. While it took a while not to take criticism personally, the feedback not only helped my writing but also assisted me in getting several pieces published when I acted on constructive feedback.

However, an agency I recently worked with had a process where I dealt directly with the client, only this client tried to get me to do work outside the agreed scope. The official process was to provide one round of edits through the platform, but they asked me to rewrite this outside of the platform. The feedback was vague, and the demands got worse, their criticism turning personal. Despite the time and effort I’d put in with this, I walked away after missed deadlines on their side, a lack of concern about the way I was treated, and claims that I shouldn’t be paid.

I was eventually paid by the agency who had no knowledge of this back-door agreement. Ditching that client freed up time to meet a new contact at another agency which is now one of my anchor clients.

Clients who keep changing their minds   

I also had to ditch a client because they kept changing their mind. I didn’t walk away until the project was over, but I have since refused to work with them. Several online meetings discussed what they wanted; however, I ended up agreeing to extra edits for no extra cost, the effort taking me away from other paid work, then we parted ways.

Clients like that take the enjoyment out of writing. I started freelancing because I like writing and the freedom to choose who I work with.

Clients who take forever to respond

Balancing work from multiple sources is challenging. With there often being too much work or not enough. Having a plan ensures everyone receives their work on time. A plan has the potential to fall apart, however, when one or more clients are slow to respond, or they sabotage you in other ways.

A former anchor client took days to answer crucial questions, meaning I had to work long, often last-minute, hours to complete the work on time. They once left me all week with no work, then scheduled a week’s worth of work to be done over a bank holiday weekend. I stupidly accommodated them, but after several occasions, I stopped making time for them. I haven’t ditched them completely, but they are no longer a priority, and I raised my rate to compensate for these delays.

Knowing when to ditch a client can be a difficult but necessary decision for freelancers. Recognize the signs that a client is no longer worth the time and effort to avoid stress and open up to better opportunities. It takes courage to say no, but in the long run, it can lead to a more successful and satisfying career.

Bio – Amanda Nicholson is an author, poet, podcast co-host and copywriter. She has written several books as Amanda Steel, including Ghost of Me. Amanda’s poetry has been broadcast on BBC Radio Manchester. She has a Creative Writing MA and has had articles published by Jericho Writers, Readers Digest UK, Ask.com, and Authors Publish. Her blog is: https://amandasteelwriter.wordpress.com/