Last week, a Forbes.com article called No, You Can’t Pick My Brain. It Costs Too Much sparked a lively discussion on Twitter. I agree with the premise of the piece (that freelancers can’t be expected to hand off the farm for free), but I also see a few grey areas. See, in my world, there are two kinds of brain pickers: potential clients and newbie freelancers (of course, if you’re a writing coach then newbie writers could also be potential clients).
Oftentimes potential clients expect a taste of your brilliance before they’ll hire you, but you don’t want to give away so much that they no longer need you. I’ll consult with potential clients over the phone, but I rarely meet with them in person before they’ve signed a contact (and even then, in-person meetings are rare). Sorry, but I gotta draw the line somewhere with prospects.
This opinion may be unpopular, but I think there are times when a little brain-picking from newbies is acceptable. I owe much of my freelance success to the help of mentors who took me under their wing and received no money in return, so I try to pay it forward when I can. While a free coffee or lunch won’t cover my bills, it can break up an otherwise solitary day of working from home.
That’s not to say that I drop everything every time someone asks. Here’s how I decide when to help and how I ensure that it doesn’t turn into a time suck.
- Have they done their homework?
There are a ton of free resources out there for aspiring freelancers, so if someone can’t be bothered to check out a book from the library or Google for some freelance writing blogs, they probably lack the go-getter attitude needed to successfully freelance. Sorry, but if I’m helping up-and-comers, I want to help those who are going to succeed. It’s a lot more satisfying to watch someone break into their dream publication than disappear into cyberspace after a few half-hearted attempts. And who knows? Maybe that go-getter will offer a referral or an assignment in the future. (My intern from my last job is a now an editor who assigns me articles so it could happen.) - What’s the scope of the request?
When someone sends a long list of questions about writing, I refer them to my blog or ebook or (if they’re local) my class. I don’t have time for a zillions questions, especially when they haven’t satisfied the criteria above. But when someone has an intelligent, tightly focused question, I try to answer it (doubly so if they mention reading my blog or following me on Twitter). Sometimes I’ll even turn that answer into a blog post (with their permission) so the time I spend on it doubles as time spent creating blog content. And the next time someone emails with the same question, I can send them the link instead of answering it again. - Do I have time?
Catch me on a slower week and I might accept your coffee invite (but only if you come to my neighborhood, I’m not burning gas to help an almost stranger who may or may not be appreciative). If I’m on deadline, you might get a curt email in response. It sounds arbitrary but it’s the reality of freelancing. Clients come before free-loaders. (And right now, I’m up to my ears in clients so now’s probably not the best time to hit me up for informational interviews.)
Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I can definitely relate to this. I’ve always had a giving spirit so I don’t mind helping others out from time to time, but it really does get annoying when it’s obvious the person hasn’t done any research before contacting to me. I usually provide them with a some blogs and books to check out and when the question comes up frequently I may write a blog about it.
Works like a charm!
Oh man, that first one is key. And not just because I want to help those are more likely to succeed.
If I see proof that someone’s done their homework before contacting me, I see it as a sign that, not only do they have what it takes to succeed, but they also respect my time enough to be prepared with the best questions.
And it’s easy to tell if someone hasn’t done their homework. In those cases, I typically respond with a link to an older blog post of mine. Unspoken message: If you’d done a quick Google search, you would have had your answer. Now get to the good stuff.
Steph: You make an excellent point about respecting your time. I hadn’t thought of that angle, but I think on some level, I’ve noticed it.
You were kind enough to lend me your ear when I first quit MC and was freaking out about freelancing
I’m forever grateful!
This can definitely be a quandary–but I like your points both about paying it forward, and the power of networking.
Thank you for addressing this! It’s something I’ve struggled with, and I tend to be a pushover when it comes to giving free, lengthy advice—we’re talking so many back-and-forth emails, they could easily be a chapter in a freelancing how-to book.
And good tip, Steph, re pointing someone to an older blog post…actually, I’ve pointed emailers to both your site and Susan’s as great freelancing resources, so apologies if I’m at fault for some of the freeloaders you’ve heard from.
Excellent post, Susan! I covered something very similar on my own blog awhile back and it turned out to be one of my most popular posts – ever. You can read it and the amazing discussion that ensued at: http://doreenpendgracs.com/writers-helping-writers/.
And I definitely agree with Steph. It is a real pet peeve of mine when people ask Q’s and it’s obvious that they haven’t done their homework at all. They’d rather waste MY time than spend some of their own to acquire the same info.
Best regards and Happy New Year!
Doreen.
I had to come back to say giving wannabe writer’s lengthy advice wouldn’t be so bad if they were actually appreciative of it. There have been way too many times where I would give advice and never hear from the person again. A thank you would be nice and would make giving free advice much more enjoyable.
Terri: you’re absolutely right! A heartfelt thank you is always appreciated when you take time out of your work day to help another writer.
Susan, you’ve hit on exactly what bugs me about some requests for help – if they don’t do their homework, I don’t see how the general question can be answered. The “How do I get started?” question puts my back up faster than any other question. Be specific! What have you tried? What do you know already? What do you want to do? Who’s your client? So many factors make a difference in how that’s answered that it’s impossible to give a simple answer that wouldn’t require a book.
That said, I’ve had a lot of newbies ask me questions. I’m happy to say they’ve all asked pointed questions, laid out specific examples, and made it easy for me to help them. I love passing it on because I remember what it was like to have those same questions once.
However, the client who came to me and said “When you look at this picture, what slogans come to mind?” was given my fee for slogans instead of my ideas.
I hadn’t seen that article and now I’m wishing I had so I could’ve jumped in on that Twitter convo. I agree with everything you’re saying, and Forbes definitely didn’t take these points into consideration when they wrote that article. But this why the internet is wonderful. We can add the points they missed. *wink* Great post!
I think your suggestions are totally valid. Just the other day I had someone ask me about writing because they “have an idea for a kids’ book.” Argh. The bigger problem for me – because I’m grouchy, I guess – is when I DO take time to answer people’s questions and they don’t offer so much as a thank you.
Great idea for a post, comes up a lot in freelanceland doesn’t it? Folks were so generous to me when I switched beats but, three years into it, when people now want to “pick my brain” I’m amazed at some of the situations I find myself in. Stuff like: “Will you come to me?” (No but I will meet you somewhere mutually convenient.) “Can you teach me how to do interviews/write like you do?” (No but I can point you to excellent writing teachers/coaches who are paid well for such instruction and skills.) “I’m running late, I’ll see you in 20-30 minutes, okay?” (Nope, my time is precious and I have deadlines to meet. See ya.)
Ah, the conundrum…what to give away and what to steadfastly hold onto (because you’re so-o worth more than freebies). Here’s what happened to me. I started my blog at http://www.biddybytes.com, based on my life experiences, and because I’ve had so many health-related issues, I just sent along some of them to http://www.kevinMD.com, a CNN and NYTimes-acclaimed medical blog with heavy following. What happened? Because of his connections, those same articles of mine (which I’d given him permission to use in all instances) then appeared in the Wall Street Journal. So, now, this relative newcomer–me–has this serious honor to add to the portfolio, and I’ve just been admitted to ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors). So, yes, we can all argue about how we bloggers don’t want to give the farm away (you know, why buy cow if you can get milk for free?) but seriously, if those freebies got me into Wall Street Journal and opens other doors to get me notice, I’m way ahead of the game.
Colleen: Congrats on appearing in the WSJ and joining ASJA! Are you going to the ASJA conference later this year? Maybe I’ll see you there. I essentially blog for free here at The Urban Muse (though I do get a little money from syndication and advertising), but the blog has helped build my platform and get people interested in my classes, ebook, etc. However, I draw the line at spending lots of time helping people one-on-one via email or in-person, because I need to spend that time on paying assignments. I think blogging for free makes more sense because it has a wider reach so you can help many people at once rather than one at a time.
Susan–At present, the writing dam is spilling over and I seek to begin a series I’ve created with an illustrator (whom I’ve identified after serious search), so all my funds are going into this..therefore, ASJA conference will need to wait til next year. Just wasn’t expecting it in the budget!
Anyway, I’m going to take you up on your offer to shoot a guest-post to you, based on the adventures of my search to find the perfect illustrator. I think you’ll find it most amusing.
And I hadn’t thought of offering classes on writing per se, but “Good idea!” I did create a whole program for women prisoners in Rhode Island, called “Word Warriors: Empowering Women to Write Effectively,” harnessing my 30 year career in teaching public school secondary students. But I volunteer taught that. Perhaps I’ll offer classes in RI on teaching…Also, my younger daughter (31) lives in Boston and she’d considering her own blog, after hearing about mine for 18 months now…
I’ll be in touch, my writer-friend.
Great! I’ll look forward to discussing your guest post idea and hearing more about your new series.