A client told me I was 'too attached' to my work. Changed how I handle edits.

A freelance writer in Seattle hired me to overhaul her website copy. After I delivered 5 pages of content, she said I was 'too attached to my own words' and that I needed to let her rewrite sections without getting defensive. I realized she was right - I was taking feedback personally instead of seeing it as part of the project. Now I ask every client to mark up my draft with their changes before we even talk, which saves me the emotional roller coaster. Has anyone else found a trick to separate your ego from your work product?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_felix13d ago

Printing the draft is one thing but do you still feel that defensive knot in your stomach when you see a client's red marks on paper? I wonder if the physical act of handing them control over the edit changes how you react to their critiques. Does having it in your hands make it easier to let go of your original wording?

martinez.paul13d ago

Wait till you have to edit your own writing after six months and realize past you was an idiot. That really kills any attachment real fast. I started printing out my drafts and reading them on paper before sending to clients. Something about seeing it in black and white without the screen glow makes it easier to just cross out whole paragraphs without getting sad about it.

coleman.hannah13d ago

Oh man, have you ever reread something you wrote and just cringed so hard you had to put the paper down? I know exactly what you mean about the screen glow making it harder to be objective. There's something about seeing your own words on paper that flips a switch in your brain, like you're reading someone else's half-baked draft instead of your own precious thoughts. I started doing the same thing with personal writing actually, printing out letters or journal entries before I send them or file them away. It's brutal seeing your own rambling paragraphs in cold hard ink, but it saves you from sending out stuff you'll regret later.