Did you miss a Deadline?
Clients set deadlines. Freelance writers agree to meet these deadlines. As a freelance writer you need to turn your work in on time. There is no way around this if you want to be seen as a professional who is worth working with time after time. There are some freelance writers who always miss deadlines. They are the ones who do not stick around very long.
Does this mean that you will never miss a deadline? Probably not. Even if you strive to meet every deadline, no matter how tight it is, something may come up that prevents you from doing so. In this case you need to make the right moves to ensure that the client gets what he wants, while also learning how to avoid the same problem in the future.
As soon as you know that you are going to miss a deadline you have to tell your client. It is better to do so before the deadline than afterwards. This at least gives the client a chance to adjust their schedule. Hopefully you will not put the client in too bad of a position by sending the work at a later date.
Admit that you are wrong, and explain your situation. This is one of the most important things to remember if you miss a deadline as a freelance writer. Your client does not want you to put the blame on them when this is clearly not the case. While making excuses is never a good idea, you should explain your situation so the client can at least see where you are coming from. For instance, a serious illness or death in the family is almost always a good reason to miss a deadline. But of course, you need to let the client know in advance, if possible, that you are dealing with extenuating circumstances.
Make it one of your main goals to never miss a deadline. If this does happen, do your best to resolve the situation and stay in the good graces of your client.Â
