Please Use Caution

[Eva R. Marienchild]

Just a heads up that a current client, Laila Badri of Saudia Arabia, is requesting to see work outside of CC using a Vitamin Publishing address. One click onto her site and it's a shell, except for a "Go Daddy" link.

This client seems to be big on demands and rewrites, after stroking your ego by telling you that she isn't taking time to edit any other author's work...just yours. Then she drops the article, saying the communication is "taking too much time." At least this has been my experience. I figured I'd speak up just in case it's happened to someone else. She did call me by another name, so there's a chance she was back-and-forthing with this tactic.

I see the client in question is asking for other pieces. Hope she gets a good match, but, again, if you sense a red flag go up (lots of criticism, major cutting and pasting...all the while tendereed with misspells), just go real slow.

And, generically speaking, I would never let a would-be client see your whole piece without payment, whatever you do. There's a chance your work will be "borrowed", and you won't know about it. Also, major changes might be asked for, now that the client knows what s/he has got on her/his hands, as opposed to what their "dream" piece would look like. I'm sure this isn't usually the case, but it's best to err on the side of caution.

In the case I mentioned, Administration was very supportive. However, as you'd expect, their hands are tied if you go outside CC, so don't. God bless, and--to all my fellow, hardworking scribes--a happy and prosperous 2011.
Peace!

[jadedragon]

Thanks for the heads up. Sounds like this is not a "real" buyer, just someone trying to get something for nothing.