I just looked at my writing income so far this month. It has reached FULL-MONTH pre-COVID levels already. I hope it continues!!!

 

All of the recent client testimonials have been terrific, too, even though I didn’t quite meet expectations for one of them (more on that shortly).

 

And because I didn’t, early this morning  I had a poignant, compensatory dream.  I found myself sitting with my dad (who passed away in 1999) and remembered that I had a small 6 x9  magazine with me in a plastic pouch that a publisher (or someone else in the know) had published with a picture of me on its front cover (The KRIS on the cover looked like TIME, same font). The magazine contained a cross-section of the many articles and a listing of the books I had written and published (none of which Dad ever saw, as they all happened after he died) and some of my best copywriting examples and client testimonials in it.

 

(Short back story: Dad paid $600 for me to self-publish and get printed the earliest iteration of  Let No Day Dawn that the Animals Cannot Share back in 1980 when I was working at Lakewood Printing, where I could get copies printed and bound, so he became my first sponsor/backer/funder even though he never could figure out how anyone could ever make  a living as a writer since he wasn’t a reader, and I have never forgotten it. $600 was a big chunk of change back then!!)

 

Back to the dream.  I remembered the little magazine and said, “Oh, Dad! I wanted to show you…”

 

I pulled the magazine from its protective plastic (it was smaller than TIME but close to an inch thick!) and handed it to him. At first he was kinda confused, then stunned to see my image on the cover. But then he peered inside, saw what it was all about, and began to cry!  He was truly overcome; his shoulders were shaking.  I wasn’t expecting that, as he wasn’t a particularly emotional guy (at least in that way). He told me, “I’m so proud of you!”

 

One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t have the courage to set sail as a professional author and freelance writer until years after Mom and Dad had both passed away. They never got to see what my lifelong dream became.  I’ve always hoped there’s a heaven so they can look down and see that it all worked out for me, and that their fears for me went unrewarded. I haven’t starved yet as a writer in the 14 years I’ve been doing this for a living!  I’ve come close a few times (before Social Security and my small pension kicked in), but not quite!!!

 

So, back to my recent example of disappointing a client.  I have only disappointed three clients in my years as a freelancer, so my track record is good.

 

Although I adhered to the client’s talking points and made the adjustments he specified, he still wasn’t satisfied and wanted me to undertake research to see how other writers had tackled similar crowdfunding efforts, without pointing me to any specifically. I let him know that would be “scope creep,” (that I had quoted based on him providing the talking points and/or source materials) and that the project would cost more for independent/undirected research, so he decided to end the project, but quite amicably. (Read his review below; he still gave me 5 stars for my diligent efforts.)

 

There are zero hard feelings between us. I’m just keenly disappointed that I disappointed him.

 

To be clear, I have written successful crowdfunding campaigns before, all of which achieved or exceeded the goal amounts sought and earned five star reviews and lovely lengthy testimonials. I firmly believe that what I wrote for this client would do the same, so this was simply a difference in vision. That’s to be expected from time to time. I will still contribute to this crucial crowdfunding campaign when it goes live.

 

Again, zero hard feelings except I’m disappointed that I disappointed him. I hope he will split test the two campaigns to see which one converts best. The proof will be in the pudding.

 

Here is what Vinod had to say about my efforts:

“Kris worked very diligently and promptly on my project and his writing is creative and prompt.” 

 

Not a word about his disappointment! 

My Response: Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope your next provider is able to hit this out of the ball park for you. I very much regret that I didn’t. Your kind words take the sting out of my soul. I wish you all the best, always!

The very best a writer can hope for just happened to me today: a disappointed client went out of his way to be as positive as he could be . Perhaps he realized  that creatives like me feel deeply about our mission in life and when we don’t measure up in someone else’s estimation, it literally hurts. It’s a wound that takes a lot to heal. It intimidates us that we could fail after so many successes.  It humbles (it mortifies!) us.

I will always, always, always give my best efforts to any writing project I undertake. The vast majority will work out with happy campers at both ends. But not all of them will. That’s a constant, ever-present concern, and why I do my best not to venture outside topics I feel certain I can ace. But even then, there will be times when my vision or belief in a piece doesn’t match a client’s. I can only hope that on the rare occasions when that happens, the client will be as forgiving and kind as this one is.

And now, read my other recent testimonials, to end this on a more upbeat note:

Writer for a Videogame Product Description – It’s a game with Dinosaurs

Rating is 5 out of 55.00 May 18, 2021 – May 19, 2021

“Kris delivered terrific content, quickly and professionally. He writes with confidence and flair and delivered exactly what I needed. There is nothing he could have done better. He was flawless. I will work with him again…and again…and again.”

 

Copywriter / Editor wanted with strong knowledge of Sales copy / brand voice

Rating is 5 out of 5

5.00 Apr 19, 2021 – Apr 22, 2021

“Kris is the real deal. He gave us the perfect texts to use on our new site. While pricey he is worth every penny”

 

Copywriting- Motivation & Mindset

Rating is 5 out of 5

5.00 Apr 18, 2021 – Apr 19, 2021

“Kris was GREAT to work with. He was very responsive and enjoyable to talk to throughout the process of figuring out our needs and what we were looking for. He has expert level skill, and (will) recommend him to anyone who wants the highest level of copywriting.”

 

 “Thanks for your quote, Kris! There are precious few talented writers on Upwork, so I’m quite glad you applied.” – Josiah, Greensboro Tree Company, May 2021