Lessons I Learned from Red-Flag Clients (So You Don’t Have To)

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.   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 Resources Mentioned: Editorial Freelancers Association ACES directory Work with Me: Grab the Editing Contract Template Join the Freelance Editors Club