Things Like These Make Me Feel Good
To quote an infamous movie exposition line: "As you know", I've been working as a contract screenwriter through Fiverr for some time now. It's something that I initially thought might be nice for some work on the side, but at some point it really took off. I have an almost constant stream of orders that I schedule out months in advance at times. I'm not trying to brag, but maybe just a little.
One of the most satisfying (and sometimes frustrating) aspects of writing in this way has been dealing with the clients themselves. They'll reach out asking if I can do a given job for them, I often say yes, and then I write up an order that they then accept or not. A growing transition I noticed as I raised my prices, and it's not unreasonable at all, is that the clients tend to be more vocal after placing an order.
When I first started, I would hear from them at the time of placing the order, and then usually never again until after it was submitted. Now, clients tend to ask questions throughout, they check in, and they just generally want to be more involved. I'm not annoyed by this and again I completely understand. They've just paid out a fair bit of money to someone who's essentially a stranger and they won't know if it's worth that or not until the finished product is delivered.
The frustration I sometimes feel comes from those who push just a little too hard. Those that I've given an answer to, but they don't seem to understand or accept it. Those that ask every day when I'm going to finish when I've already explained to them (before placing the order) that I won't be able to start on it for weeks. It's honestly mainly frustrating because I have other deadlines that are approaching already, and I don't enjoy having far distant ones feel so close.
But anyway, the more satisfying aspect tends to come after delivery. After I've fielded nervous questions, given updates, and worked my hardest. I feel that satisfaction when people post a review that reads like a huge sigh of relief. They are happy with their order, happy with having worked with me, and most would happily work with me again. It makes me happy to know that I lived up to or even exceeded their expectations. It's not like I'm slouching, these orders are a fair bit of work. It's a weight off my shoulders to know that I didn't waste their time or mine.
