Goals, Limits, and Walking AwayClients come to you for our expertise in writing and editing. But sometimes a client resists the changes you suggest to a manuscript, leaving you in the uncomfortable position of producing a manuscript that is less than it could be. Affiliate Lisa Dodd had just this problem while working with a prominent member of her community on what the author said could be a 1,000-page book. She came to us for advice. The book is the story of the client's husband's life. There are large sections taken verbatim from tapes of the husband talking, although, curiously, they are written in third person, from the wife's point of view, full of "He saids" and "He dids." The wife doesn't want to change a word in these sections and seems to not understand the fundamental problem with the POV. Lisa's dilemna must be approached from three angles. There is the technical issue involved, of course, of making the manuscript readable. There are client relation issues about defining common goals for the manuscript, as well as the type of work Lisa was hired to do. And there is the restraint Lisa must find in not caring more about the project than her client does. In the end, we cannot care more about the work than the client does. But because we care about the quality of the end product, we can sometimes lose sight that we are, essentially, technicians for hire. If your car mechanic recommends a repair, your doctor a procedure, your contractor a renovation, which you don't want, he or she simply gives up responsibility for the consequences. It's your car or life or house, after all. It's the technician's job to sell the client on the thing that he or she sees as necessary and beneficial and to explain the reasons why. Then it's the client's right to say yes or no. The client has envisioned the project, but a strong vision combined with a weak writing awareness can be a bad combination. The best approach might be to say, "This is how I would approach this section for clarity's sake," and then demonstrate how easy it is to excise the "He saids" and the "He dids" without changing the story. But if the client still resists, it's time to concede with good grace and put your efforts into finding your next client. That said, one might question if there is an underlying reason the client is hesitant. Does she think it will take longer to edit the manuscript and she will end up paying more? Does she not want to invest any more in the work herself? As you think about this, you must remain clock conscious. You must play customer satisfaction against product quality, always a game of compromise. Ask yourself, What best serves my need? Care about yourself: be honorable, communicate clearly, set expectations and then fulfill them professionally. And remember that not every project will fulfill your high standards or be all it can be. Outlining your role in the project at the beginning can help avoid problems such as these. Make sure the client understands your "technician" role. Our Editor's Manual (www.turningmemories.com/edman.html) is full of tips on just this subject. But back to Lisa: After talking with us, she scheduled a sit-down meeting with the client, who acknowledged that she doesn't understand POV and feels overwhelmed by the project. She also said that was why she had hired Lisa in the first place. Lisa then talked about how important it was that the client trust her, her editor. Together they found a mutually satisfactory approach to making the verbatim sections read well. Good work, Lisa. |