Lessons I Learned from Red-Flag Clients (So You Don’t Have To)
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Ever ignored a gut feeling about a potential client and ended up regretting it later? Trust me, I’ve been there. After fourteen years in the freelance editing business, I’ve seen my fair share of red-flag and beige-flag clients.
In this episode of The Modern Editor, I’m sharing what I’ve learned from not-so-great client experiences so you can avoid some of the mistakes I made early on. At the end of the day, you should always pay attention when your spidey senses start tingling.
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Hey, edibuddies. Today's episode is a great reminder on some red and beige flags to look out for in potential clients. After being a freelance editor for almost fourteen years at the time of this recording, I have had my fair share of red flags. And I have both, uh, listened to those and chosen not to listen to those with, as you can imagine, mixed results.
So whether you've been editing for five minutes, five years, or five decades, it is always a good idea to keep an eye out for those things that can kind of set off your Spidey-senses and save you from a potentially icky experience.
Welcome to The Modern Editor Podcast, where we talk about all things editing and what it's like to run an editorial business in today's world. I'm your host, Tara Whitaker. Let's get to it.
Hello. Welcome to today's episode. We are gonna be talking about some red flags that editors can look out for when working with potential or current clients.
For whatever reason, I've been seeing more and more of these issues crop up lately. I don't know if it's the moon. I don't know if something is out of alignment, but it's happening. So I figured we should address the most prevalent red flags, knowing that we'll be able to, you know, sort of help prevent them, but we're not going to be able to fully block them out because we're all human. We can try our very best.
So we're gonna go over some red flags. I've got a couple of beige flags, and then we're gonna go through some tips on how to try to avoid the red flags as much as we possibly can.
All right, so these are in no particular order either, by the way, just as I thought of them. But the first one is a potential client wants you to pay for equipment up front and then you'll get reimbursed.
This is like, the most classic scam ever. It's been around for ages. I'm not seeing it as much for editors lately as I am for virtual assistants, but it does still happen in the editing world, and it's 99.8% of the time a scam. Now, there could be some niche industry or something that maybe requires you to pay for a certain subscription or software or something like that.
But if a company is asking for you to pay for your own like, hardware and a bunch of stuff, and then they'll reimburse you, they're not gonna reimburse you. It's gonna be a scam. So for the most part, it's pretty safe to say that you can run when you see a job posting like this.
All right. Number two. I'm gonna try and take a deep breath here too, because this one is probably my biggest pet peeve of red flags as editors. All right, let's all take a deep breath.
They want to pay you in royalties. This one pisses me off so much. It's usually a small publisher or press that's very new. They don't have a lot of money, which you know, fine. We're all new and have been in that position before. However, paying in royalties is completely disrespectful at best and completely scammy at worst.
Editors should be paid for a service that we provide, and that is it. We have zero control over the product after it comes out of our hands. Right? We don't know if they are going to accept or reject our changes. Are they going to possibly add a whole bunch of content after the fact, after you've edited—edited it?
We have no control over the distribution, no control over how it is marketed or the publicity or anything after we edit the book. So why are we getting, why is there this notion that we should be paid royalties for it? Here's why: Because you're gonna get paid pennies, if anything at all. Why? And how do I know this?
Because I did this when I first started out. I got paid in, quote, royalties from a publisher. I was naive AF. I didn't know any better. I was brand new. I legit assumed I'd get paid a decent rate. 'cause you know, that sounds fancy too, right? Like authors get royalties and authors make millions of dollars, right? I want a piece of that. Millions of dollars.
Oh dear. Sweet baby, baby editor Tara. That is not the case. This publisher did fix that. They stopped paying by royalties, which was great, but learn from my mistakes. Do not get paid in royalties, period. You will make pennies. It is not worth your time or effort. Please for the love of everything holy. All right. Okay, off my soapbox.
The next red flag is they argue about your rates. Keyword here is “argue.” Even though, I mean respectful negotiation, okay? Although I am of the belief that our rates are our rates. But being disrespectful or trying to get a deal or trying to make you feel guilty for charging what you do is not it.
Unless your rates are astronomical, like, you know, $10,000 an hour or something. Please remember that someone saying your rates are too high is a reflection on them and not you. They don't see the value of your skills as being worth the money. And you know what? That's fine because we all put a value or a worth on everything that we buy, and we are all different.
We all think certain things are worth our time or money, and others have the exact opposite opinion. Now, does that mean that we should lower our rates? No.
Here's a good example 'cause I love a good farmer's market. Farmer's markets are usually small independent business owners. And their rates, their prices are usually higher, right?
Because they're not some big conglomerate, you know, cranking things out. Love me some capitalism. They are more artisan, they're more small batch, that type of thing. So if you go to a farmer's market and there's an artisan chocolatier there or something, are you gonna go up to them and be like, wow, that's really expensive?
I hope you don't, 'cause that's rude. But you thinking their prices are too much is not about them. Do you know how much time and effort and, you know, supplies and all of that goes into that? Ugh, go buy a Hershey bar. That's fine. Some people are going to want the fancy chocolate. Some people are gonna want the Hershey bar, but that does not mean that the fancy chocolate person needs to lower their rates.
Someone is going to appreciate what you have to offer and your skills and your knowledge, and someone is going to want the Hershey bar. You decide who you want to be and which customer you want in your client base, right? And there's, you know what? There's nothing wrong with a Hershey bar. Love me a Hershey bar in some s'mores. But I'm not gonna go up to a fancy chocolate person and be like, sorry, you're too expensive. Or, you know, that's criminal how much you charge, or any of the other ridiculous things I've heard people say to other people that are just straight-up disrespectful.
And this actually kind of goes into my next red flag, which is someone speaking to you disrespectfully or condescending or in a belittling way. We're not taking that now. That's easier said than done, I understand. And it's interesting that the more we are online and hiding behind screens, the more bold people are getting with how they speak to other people.
Because nine times outta ten, the crap I see online, you wouldn't say that to a person's face. I mean, that's kind of getting, it's kind of getting true, but you know what I mean? If they are making you feel like shit, we're blessing and releasing, or maybe we're not blessing, we're just releasing. We don't, we're not doing that.
There is way too much awful stuff in the world, and kindness has just gone by the wayside, without going on a rant here. We're not taking people making us feel like shit. We're just not.
Moving on. All right. Another red flag: They don't respect your boundaries. Again, this is another tough one. It's hard. Boundaries are hard to keep in place, especially if you're new to editing, especially if you're new to setting and keeping boundaries, or even if you're a pro at it. We all let things fly sometimes. We're human.
But if there's a potential client that, let's say you have like, an email footer that says, I don't respond to emails after 5:00 PM and they're emailing you at 9:00 PM twenty times going, did you, did you get my last email?
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Nope. We're not doing that either. Clear communication and expectations lined out in your contract or in writing somewhere is going to be crucial, because you can always use that as backup when you need to explain or enforce a boundary. So with that email example, you're not gonna email them after five, right?
You're gonna email them the following day and you're going to go, Hey. Thanks so much for your emails. I don't answer emails after 5:00 PM per my email footer. And if you really want to screenshot the footer, put a circle around it. Just to reiterate, depending on how petty you wanna be, I would probably do that because I just, the older I get, the more I just, I cannot.
And then see how they respond. And that's gonna give you a really good idea of if it's someone you wanna work with or not. Either way, proceed with caution for sure.
Next one: They don't want to sign a contract. One of my favorite ones is because they don't wanna take away from the creative process. No, no, it does not. It's protection. It protects the editor and it protects the author. If something goes wrong, there's nothing hindering the creative process. No contract, no work. That's my policy. I would highly suggest you adopt it as well because otherwise you will get burned. It's not a matter of if, but when, and it's probably not gonna be for the hundred-dollar project. It's gonna be for the $2,000 project, and then it's gonna be bad. No contract, no work.
Next red flag is they lie. This one is tricky. Also admittedly something I take very personally, so this might not be as big of a deal for you, is what I'm trying to say. But when I thought about this, I thought about generative AI. All of us as editors have different policies, or if you haven't, you need to have one on what you're gonna do with generative AI content. Are you avoiding it or not editing it altogether? Are you allowing it but only for certain things or what have you?
But it's hard to implement and enforce because there's no checker, right? There's no hundred percent guarantee checker out there that says, oh, this is AI. Where as we know, and I'm sure you've all heard, like using em dashes is indicative. No, it's not. It's indicative of someone who knows how to write. That's it. And how to use an em dash properly. So that gets a little tricky, right?
But if you're catching them saying something and then going back on it or saying something different, you're gonna wanna keep an eye on that because if they're lying about some things, what else are they lying about? You know, that just gets really iffy, and what are they lying about? Maybe they're like little fibs or something, or they're really big lies and, mmm, I'm just not a fan.
All right. Next red flag is they ghost or they fall off the grid. This is not, I had an emergency, I was unable to get back to you. Sorry. Here we are. This is ghosting. Just ghosting or ghosting and then reappearing without any acknowledgment. No apology, nothing. This one baffles me. I've had this happen before where someone just completely went off the grid.
I didn't hear from them for weeks, and then they popped back in my email and it was like, there was no acknowledgment. It was just like nothing had happened.
We just ignored the last couple of weeks of me trying to get in touch with them and nothing. It's so weird. It's so weird. Like, apologize. At least acknowledge it for crying out loud. But no, we're not ghosting. And that goes for editors too, right? We don't ghost, we don't fall of the grid.
This goes into the next red flag is that they miss deadlines. Nobody likes to miss a deadline, right? So if an author is going to miss a deadline, or an editor is going to miss a deadline, we don't feel great, right?
And it's very normal to be like, okay, I'm not gonna acknowledge it. I'm just gonna keep working. I'm gonna keep chugging through and I'm gonna give them what they need whenever I get it done. Not a good look. Communication. Communication. Communication. If whoever is the editor or the author is going to miss a deadline, just be up front about it.
Don't let the deadline pass and leave the author hanging. Or as an author, don't leave the editor hanging. That is so much worse than just being told, Hey, I'm gonna miss, or I'm not gonna hit the deadline. I'm gonna miss this. Please just be up front. We as editors, we would much rather know so that we can plan our schedules accordingly rather than where did this person go?
Am I gonna get paid? Like there's so much undue stress that doesn't need to happen. Just tell us. Just tell us up front. But if they keep doing that, no, we're gonna, we're gonna move on.
All right. Another red flag is they talk shit on social media or in groups or forums. I included this one because it has saved my butt more than once. The editing and publishing world is huge, but it is also very small. Word, for better or worse, can spread like wildfire, and a reputation can be made very quickly. And we all know that once something is on the internet or once it's out there, it's very hard to get back. So if a potential client reaches out and their social media is filled with things that you're not in alignment with, or the vibe is off... You know what I mean? You can now have that knowledge moving forward to either be extra cognizant or to pass on the client altogether. But having that knowledge up front can be very important.
I have had coaching clients, potential coaching clients reach out who I had no idea who they were. Never, you know, don't follow them on social media, have never talked to them before. And they reach out and I look at their social media and I'm like, oh, did you do any research on me and what I stand for? Because, there's some, the alignment is not happening there. So then I can reach out and I've said, Hey, thanks so much for your interest. After looking at your website or social media or whatever, it doesn't look like that I would be a good fit for you. Here is a directory to go find other coaches. Hmm. That's a big one.
All right, last red flag is they don't listen or follow feedback or they argue about everything. Now we know as editors, authors are not obligated in any way to accept every change we make or agree with everything that we say. That is not the case.
And quite frankly, we don't want that to happen. On the flip side, we are the expert and we are being hired to do a job. So if the client is continuously disregarding our suggestions or feedback or, you know, arguing about everything, they're not teachable. And I quite frankly wonder why they even hired you in the first place.
You know, if you're going to spend money to get a service, take advantage of the service, like there's a reason you hired us. Why would you hire us? And then completely disregard what we have to say. Now that could be indicative of a poor fit, of course. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about they're just argumentative or they don't wanna be edited. And that happens. And that can be a red flag because depending on when it happens in the editing process, it might be the best option to enact that clause in your contract and part ways.
Hey there! I'm interrupting our regularly scheduled programming with a special announcement. The Freelance Editors Club is officially reopen. It has been a long but rewarding process of revamping our backend systems and zhuzhing everything up to make it the very best experience possible for members. And maybe even best of all, I have lowered the price. So you can find out all of the details of what's included and sign up for your 14-day free trial at TaraWhitaker.com/Club. I hope to see you inside the new and improved FEC soon.
Okay. Done with the red flags. Let's go to the beige flags. I only have a couple in here, and I'm sure some of the red flags I said could potentially be beige, but these were ones that are like, hard-core beige.
The first one is they want an incredibly tight deadline. This is beige because I'm giving the potential client the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they don't know a lot about the editing process and what it entails.
On the flip side, it could very easily be a red flag if they do know what it entails or if they didn't and they're told what it entails and then they still demand a tight deadline without any additional compensation or even any discussion of that. If they're pushing like, I need this done tomorrow, or in some other ridiculous timeline, we're gonna bless and release because if we do crunch time on an incredibly tight deadline, chances are our work is not gonna be the best that it would be if we had just a regular timeline based on how we work.
Now, some of us do rush fees, that's totally fine. If you can still do the work well, then a rush fee is a good way to compensate for your time and energy for that. But if they're like, no, I'm not doing that, yeah, neither are we.
Moving on. All right. The second beige flag is they have a history of not liking their past editors if they've had them. Beige beige because there is definitely a possibility that a client has had bad luck with editors. It's happened. I've seen it.
This can go both ways. It can be beige, but it can also be red. If they've had a previous editor they didn't jibe with, not a red flag. If they've worked with five editors and they have really icky things to say about all five, that's red flag territory. Now it is possible some of us don't have good track records picking the right people to work with or the right people to partner in life with.
That happens. So just be extra aware here. If a client has had a poor experience with an editor, which sucks and makes me so mad, but it happens, know that they’re most likely going to be a little more on edge, a little more sensitive. They might need a little more communication and reassurance, which is totally normal.
Like if you've gotten burned before and then you're giving it another go, you might need to be a little more communicative or just aware of that. So it can go both ways. It's a beige, it can go green flag and it can definitely go red flag. So just be aware.
All right, so now those are not all I'm sure, but quite a few red flags, couple beige flags. How do we prevent this from happening as much as possible? Just remember, something is gonna go awry. It will happen. It's gonna happen. We're human, but we're gonna try and avoid it as much as possible. These are all learning opportunities. If they do happen, they totally suck while they're happening, I know, big-time, but we're gonna try to at least lessen the chance.
Okay, so the first one is, after you get an inquiry, do some of that recon, that online recon. Look at their website, look at their social media. Look at how they're interacting with other authors. Look at how they're interacting with other editors or just other people. What do you think? Is it in alignment?
Are they talking about things that you talk about? Are they talking about them in the same way? So many things that you can analyze, but just look them up. I'm telling you, this has saved me more than once. I already said that. But look them up.
Another way to try to avoid the ick is to have a solid inquiry and onboarding process. This is the best time to ask the questions that you want and need to ask to help you narrow down who you want to work with. Now, there's a ton of questions that you can ask, and we go over this more inside the Freelance Editors Club, but to get your brain working right now, here are just a few.
Ask for their communication style. Do they prefer to be on Zoom or some other video conferencing platform? Do they prefer text-bases? Maybe they don't like email. Maybe they like using something like texting or Voxer or WhatsApp. Do they like a light hand from their editor or do they want a more heavy approach? I tend to have more of a lighter hand, honestly. And if a client is looking for someone to just like, rip apart everything, I'm probably not the best fit.
Does the client want explanations for every single change, or do they prefer for you to be like, Hey, you're the editor, you do what you need to do? That's a definite fit check because if they want you to explain every time you insert an Oxford comma, which I've had before, it's not a good fit. That's not how I roll. I can explain things one-off, or like if something is more detailed or intricate or might not be super obvious, but otherwise, please trust my judgment.
Do their values align with yours? Totally goes back to the recon we're doing. Are they in alignment? And if they're not, that's a good indication that it might not be a good fit.
All right. I've already said this multiple times before, but I'm gonna highlight it here. Have a contract. Have a contract. Make sure it includes a clause that allows either one of you to exit the agreement at any time and the parameters that it involves. You know, is there a 14-day notice, 30-day notice, zero-day notice? Are you getting paid for work done up to that point? How is that getting calculated? Et cetera, et cetera.
People say that a contract is a list of all the bad things that have happened in your business, and while that's not exactly the most positive vibe, it is true in a sense when something goes awry and it will, you're going to include or amend your contract to help prevent it from happening again, right?
It can be called an agreement, a contract, scope of work, whatever. It just needs to be a written document that lists out what you're going to do, what your client is going to do, and some protections for you both. If you don't know, I have a template that was cowritten by an attorney and myself, that goes through all that.
But there's also other resources out there that can help you determine what needs to go in your contract.
And to go along with that, get everything in writing. If you have the client I mentioned before that prefers video chatting or even over the phone, every conversation you have, follow up with an email that outlines everything that was discussed.
If you are like me and you have no memory, you will leave the Zoom call or the phone call and forget everything that was just said. So put it in writing. Put it in writing. You can also ask your edibuddies if they've worked with the client before, if you're feeling a little iffy. Now, I'm not saying you're gonna go and talk shit or gossip or be gross, we're not into that, but just ask if anyone has worked with the potential client.
It could be that someone else has worked with them and can give you some insight into how their relationship went, if they had any red flags that they noticed, you know. And of course that's one side of the story, so you need to be careful. But this is why we have an editing community, because sometimes I've seen a client who was not a good client and they went through multiple editors and it was figured out by the editors that they were all hired by this client and they all had poor experiences.
So if you can try to, you know, mitigate that ahead of time and ask trusted edibuddies beforehand, that's gonna be super, super helpful if you have a yucky potential client that you don't wanna work with.
Depending on the level of yuck, you can always recommend them to someone else. Now, hold on, you're gonna ask the editor first if they want to be recommended, if they're interested, because we're not passing on yucky clients to people that we know. We're not pushing off a problem onto somebody else. So ask first.
And if you're like, Hmm, I'm not recommending you to anyone, send them to a directory like the EFA or ACES so that they have a wide range of options and you're not pawning them off on someone. You know, you're not pawning off somebody that is just not a good client most likely.
You know, if they're really icky, if they're disrespectful, if they're talking to you really condescendingly, something like that, send them to the directory. Like we don't have time for that.
Okay. There you have it. Some red flags, some beige flags to look out for as an editor, some ways of trying to help avoid it. But remember, if you've been burned by a red flag before, do not beat yourself up. It has happened to every single one of us. Most likely it will happen again to every single one of us 'cause that's just the way it works. But I wanna look out for you and I wanna help you avoid them as much as possible and learn from my mistakes.
And don't make the same ones, like the whole getting paid by royalties. Ugh, that happened thirteen years ago and I still get mad about it, but I didn't know, right? And when we know better, we do better. So we're all in this together, we're all gonna figure it out.
And until next time, keep learning, keep growing, and don't ignore those spidey-senses because they are usually right.
Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. If you enjoy The Modern Editor Podcast, I would be so grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes. And as always, you can head to TaraWhitaker.com to connect with me and stay in touch. We'll chat again soon.
You Can’t Avoid All Red Flags
Before we get into the warning signs, it’s important to understand that you can’t avoid all client red flags. We’re going to cover the most prevalent ones today so you feel more confident turning down clients that aren’t the right fit; however, sometimes sneaky red flags show up after the contract has been signed.
As an editor, all you can do is try your best to suss out red flags at the beginning of a new client relationship, but don’t beat yourself up if you miss one and end up in a sticky situation. Sometimes the best way to learn a lesson is to go through it the hard way.
Don’t Pay for Anything Up Front
If a client or potential client asks you to pay for something up front, such as editing equipment, don’t do it. Despite what they say, there’s no guarantee they’ll reimburse you, and more often than not, it’s a scam.
Don’t Accept Payment in Royalties
I have to take a deep breath even thinking about this one because it makes my blood boil. Never, and I mean NEVER, accept payment for editing work in royalties.
Paying editors in royalties is disrespectful of their time and work, and it’s usually a scam. Clients should pay us for the services we provide, and they can either accept or reject our prices. Ultimately, we can’t control how the book is received, so our payment should never be tied to performance metrics.
Avoid Clients Who Want to Argue Over Your Rate
That leads me perfectly into the next red flag. Listen, there’s a difference between a potential client who wants to respectfully negotiate your rates versus one who wants to argue about them.
A client should never make you feel guilty for what you charge. If they do, they don’t see the value in your work, and that’s a sure sign that you’re not going to have a successful relationship. It’s okay to bless and release them and make space for clients who understand and respect your value.
Always Maintain Your Boundaries
Another red flag that’s unfortunately common is when clients don’t respect your boundaries. This is a tough one because it’s up to you to maintain your boundaries, but that’s easier said than done, especially when you’re new to editing.
A common example is when you make it clear you don’t respond to emails after 5:00 p.m., but they email you after hours anyway and then ask you over and over if you got it.
After tons of trial and error, I’ve learned that the best way to enforce your boundaries is with clear communication that sets up your expectations. For instance, the time that you’re available to respond to emails should be clearly listed in your client contract. That way if a client gets upset, you can always reference the contract.
Contracts Are Nonnegotiable
Speaking of contracts, a client who doesn’t want to sign one is always a red flag. A contract is there to protect both you and the author, and I have a strict “No contract, no work” policy. I’ve seen waaaay too many editors (and authors) get burned by scam artists because there was no contract put in place. If you need help with a contract, check out my template.
Avoid Clients Who Lie to You
What do you do if a client tells you they didn’t use generative AI and then you find out they did?
It’s not always easy to tell when a client is lying to you, but if your spidey senses start tingling, pay attention. A client who lies to you about little things will lie about big things, too.
Don’t Work with Clients Who Ghost You or Miss Deadlines
Unfortunately, this is a lesson you have to learn from experience. If a client ghosts you or falls off the grid without an apology or reasonable explanation, don’t work with them again.
The same thing goes for clients who regularly miss deadlines without proper communication about it. Unreliable clients are only going to add chaos and unpredictability into your workflow.
Pay Attention to How They Behave Online
Before you sign a contract with a new client, take a few minutes to peruse their online presence. Do they talk shit on social media or in forums? The editing and publishing world isn’t as big as it seems, and reputations hold a ton of weight. It’s important to be discerning about who you link yourself to so that you don’t compromise your values.
Avoid Clients Who Hate Feedback
As an editor, a major part of your job is providing feedback on a client’s work. Trust me, working with a client who hates feedback or argues about every single note gets old real fast. Clients are not obligated to accept all of your suggestions, but they should still be open to listening to them. Otherwise, why did they even hire you in the first place?
New Client Beige Flags That Could Turn Into Red Flags
Not every issue becomes a major problem, but you should still be aware of a potential client's “beige flags.” These are signs that you may encounter some minor issues and should proceed with caution. Sometimes nothing bad happens, but other times, beige flags can easily turn into red flags.
The first beige flag is when the new client wants an incredibly tight timeline. On one hand, it’s possible they simply don’t understand the editing process and what a more realistic timeline looks like. On the flip side, the push for a tight deadline could indicate they’re going to be a pushy client who’s difficult to work with. If that’s the case, it’s time to bless and release them.
The other beige flag is when they have a history of not liking their previous editors. There are bad editors out there, so this may not indicate a problem with the client. However, if they have a long history of issues with editors, that’s a red flag. Again, be discerning.
How to Protect Yourself from Client Red Flags
As I said earlier, you can’t avoid all red flags. However, you can set up some safeguards against them. Here are my best tips based on my experiences:
After you get an inquiry, research their online presence to see if any red flags immediately jump out at you.
During the onboarding process, ask intentional questions that would expose potential red flags, such as questions about their communication style and the type of feedback they want to receive.
Always have a contract that includes a clause that allows either one of you to exit the agreement at any time.
Without gossiping, ask other editor friends if they’ve worked with the client before.
Don’t be afraid to say no to a client that doesn’t feel like a good fit.
Important Sections:
(1:14) You Can’t Avoid All Red Flags
(1:45) Don’t Pay for Anything Up Front
(2:46) Don’t Accept Payment in Royalties
(5:23) Avoid Clients Who Want to Argue Over Your Rate
(9:14) Always Maintain Your Boundaries
(11:00) Contracts Are Nonnegotiable
(11:46) Avoid Clients Who Lie to You
(13:12) Don’t Work with Clients Who Ghost You
(15:26) Pay Attention to How They Behave Online
(17:13) Avoid Clients Who Hate Feedback
(18:40) The Freelance Editors Club is Reopened!
(19:20) New Client Beige Flags That Could Turn Into Red Flags
(22:26) How to Protect Yourself from Client Red Flags