Get it in Writing

I tend to have faith in people or clients to be exact.

I think they will treat me with the same level of integrity and attention to detail I give to them. I think a person's word means something, so I rarely ask for a contract or a follow up email and accept the assignment based on my faith in humanity.

Recently, I've been burned by a client I have through a business that provides content. This client has emailed me her suggestions and directions for two blog posts, but decided to change them after I had already written the blogs.

When you get a job order at this content provider, all instructions are supposed to be within the job order and not discussed in emails. I know this, but I trusted her and went ahead and wrote the blogs according to her email.

I have worked with this person for months without a problem, so I felt comfortable in bending the rules that are there to protect me as well as the client.

Now I know, it's doesn't matter who the client is or how long you have been writing for her, get the facts in writing. Know the word count, the subject, the expectations of the client, the additional requests like creative commons photos or if you need to use HTML, subheads or any other special requests.

Don't let your guard down and end up with blog posts or any other type of writing that now have no home. Get it in writing so you have something to fall back on if your client becomes less friendly and cooperative than she was in the past.