Are you going to miss a Deadline?
No matter how hard you try, there will probably come a time when you are going to miss a freelance writing deadline. This can happen for a number of reasons. You may get bogged down with other projects, or have a family emergency that pulls you away from the office for an extended period of time. No matter what your reason, you need to make sure that you appropriately communicate with your client. This way they will be able to make any necessary changes on their end.
If you think that you are going to miss a deadline, the first thing that you need to do is tell your client. You may find that they are open with their cutoff date, and that you have a few more days to get the work done. But even if they are upset, it is better off to tell them sooner rather than later. You do not want to sour a good relationship based on one missed deadline. The relationship may fade away anyway, but if you are open and honest you may earn a shot at a second chance.
Moving on, just because you are going to miss a deadline does not mean that you have to do so by several weeks. Try to work as fast as possible so that you do not put any additional stress on the client. For instance, if your project is due on Monday and you know you will be late, try to send it by Tuesday or Wednesday as opposed to later in the week.
Since you are the one in the wrong, make sure that you listen to and take any suggestions that the client may offer. They may suggest that you hold off on the piece until the next month, or that you cut it short in order to give them something to use. No matter what, make sure that you are willing to work with the client. It is never fun to miss a deadline, and by putting yourself in the client’s shoes you will be able to realize what they are going through.
As a freelance writer, you should work hard to ensure that you never miss a deadline. But if something does come up that gets you behind, you need to do whatever it takes to make the client as happy as possible.
