Do (Write) it yourself my dear client!

My first thought is to ask do you know how to write a sales letter?

That doesn't directly address your question but I think indirectly it may.

Mark

Nesha,

All of us have had projects that went sour. I have certainly had my share, but it happens to me less and less. Here's why.

What's helpful is to look back and identify where your own expectations and assumptions contributed to the dynamic, where you failed to pay attention to warning signs. These factors are always there. Then you learn how to change your way of working with clients so as to prevent the misunderstandings and conflicts.

It's true that the other side also contributes to the problem, but that is not the part that you can control. Therefore, by not blaming them and taking all the responsibility on yourself - to begin with, only as a mental exercise - you get your work life more and more to go your way.

You will see that there is also an element here of taking your ego out of the picture, so you can look dispassionately at the situation. It is a hard thing to do at first, but ultimately it leads to success and happiness.

Over time, if you use this process, projects go well more and more of the time. And you feel less frustrated.

Good luck,

Marcia Yudkin

I'd always be VERY clear about what you expect from the client as well as what they expect from you. If you provide examples and they provide possibly an example of what they had in mind or something from their competitor it will often help the process. I have an online form which asks clients to fill in a ton of information ahead of starting on a job, if you are going through a freelance site you can share this on there or you can just had a doc you upload and ask them to fill in. It can be a challenge, however. I think if you view it from both sides it comes down to communication usually. Well, in my case that is usually what it comes down to.

Let's be 1000% clear here, in case any other Newbs are watching.

Copyright DOES NOT DEPEND on payment.

You are the creator of the work. You assign rights to the client in exchange for money (and hopefully you're retaining some of those rights, like the ability to use it as an example of your work).

Repeat this until it's burned in: no money = no rights. No payment? NO RIGHTS.

I'm not a lawyer, so always consult with one before taking action, as that's the best way to protect yourself.

But, I have taken intellectual property courses to better understand and protect myself.

Copyright protects the original expression of an idea.

Ideas themselves are too vague to be copyrighted, hence why Hollywood can put out 2 movies at the same time with the same plot.

Same idea, different script, actors, director, location, editing, etc...

To get a copyright, literally all you have to do is physically create something. Put it to paper. Type it up. Record it on your cell phone cam. IP law, at least in the U.S. and other treaty counties, automatically grants copyright as soon as the work is CREATED.

Here's where it gets tricky: to be able to file suit and get damages, you have to file for official copyright from the US Copyright Office.

BUT...

There is something called the Digital Millennium Takedown Notice (DMCA). If someone online uses your work without permission, you can file to have the site remove that work.

Cumbersome to be sure. I used it once upon a time to pull down work a jerk client had used after telling me it sucked and refusing to pay.

But here's where your approach is better:

I couldn't let go of the anger once burned, and move on and learn the lesson. I wasted so much time, effort, and mental energy being pissed at this guy and issuing DMCA takedown notices when I could have moved on to the next client, better able to see the warnings next time.