Private Request via Email

[Lor]

Been out of the picture for a bit. So busy lately.
Anyway, I just got a private request via CC message email. That's not how it works, is it? Never had a private request before, but this doesn't seem right to me. I think this may have been sent to a number of writers here and he or she is looking for the best deal. I haven't responded. Just came in today. Should I send the name to CC?

Lorraine

[Celeste Stewart]

Hi,
I received a "I need content for my website" email late last night, too. It had specific instructions and then at the end asked how much it will cost. Looks like a new customer who doesn't know the protocol yet. I plan on writing back with "It will cost $x" and will go from there. I also suspected that the customer is probably shopping around.

[Lor]

I'm going to ignore it, in that case, Celeste. This isn't the right site for that sort of competition. Someone should explain how it works, though.

[Celeste Stewart]

I would still answer if you're interested in doing it Lor. If it had been an official "private request" through the system rather than through the "contact this author" there would still be a little negotiating going on. It's not unusual for a customer to want to know how much a project will cost before committing to it.

In this particular case, I kind of hope I don't get the assignment because my workload right now is heavy. Even if I had a lighter schedule, I wouldn't be offended if he selected someone else.