“Unlocking the Truth: Could These 4 Subtle Client Warning Signs Spell Disaster for Your Business?”
Skeletal story briefs
This brings us to the brief. Some editors think giving you free rein over an assignment is doing you a favor when it’s the exact opposite. Without clear guidelines, you won’t know whether your efforts are worthwhile, and you risk spending more time on revisions. If you have a long-term relationship with a client, you might know exactly what’s expected from their two-sentence assignment description, but that’s not usually the case with new clients.
How to handle it: Before accepting the assignment, ask questions to clarify what the editor is looking for. Ask if you can submit an outline and get the client to sign off on it. It’s important to get the details on paper so both parties can refer back to it if there’s a mismatch later on in the workflow.
