Service Professional Etiquette
We’ve all heard the stories. A doctor, lawyer, or other service professional is at a party when someone corners them asking for free advice. It puts them in the awkward and unpleasant position of having to explain to the insensitive jerk that her services aren’t free for the asking, and in fact, could create an unnecessary and potentially costly liability for them. Some folks will catch on with a subtle reminder, but chances are, the offender isn’t easily put off and might even become loud and belligerent when they don’t get the freebie they feel they deserve.
Trying to explain to someone who has no concept of the time, effort, and often money that goes into reaching a certain level of expertise falls on deaf ears, mainly because they couldn’t care less how the knowledge was obtained as long as it’s bestowed upon them just for the asking. I’ve always empathized with those put into this position by virtue of their profession and the entitlement of certain members of our population, but never saw it happening to me—until recently.
In my previous life as an accountant, people usually left me alone upon learning I wasn’t a CPA. It was the one time I didn’t resent being perceived as less because of my decision to refrain from pursuing those three letters appended to my name. Things changed once I became known for the blogs I write and the information I share freely.
Idea Generation is Rarely the Issue
Suddenly, I had people approaching me with “amazing” book ideas wanting to “collaborate”. In their mind, their idea was worth as much if not more than the time I might spend writing, researching, and re-writing. Though they wouldn’t even attempt the task themselves, much less, the 3 novels in my WIP files, each of which exceed 100,000 words, or the memoir that’s over 70,000, they saw nothing wrong with enlisting my talents for the privilege of writing their story.
In their minds, a writer is always looking for a new good idea. I suspect they’d be stunned to learn of the swirling maelstrom of colliding ideas which fill my head whether awake or sleeping. At times, I can’t grab my notebook and pen fast enough to jot those ideas in my Morning Pages. Heaven knows I try!
I’m not unlike most writers who have ideas for articles and stories jotted on random pieces of paper, in the Notes section of their phone, or on 5 x 8 cards on a wall in their office. Not to mention the half-finished work filling file cabinets, computer hard drives, CD’s, and cloud storage penned during periods when sleep was eschewed so those words could hit the page, or worse, sleep wouldn’t come until words hit the page.
The Writer’s Mindset: Always Engaged
I don’t think it matters whether a writer is a pantser or a planner. The only thing that really hinders us consistently is procrastination with a hefty dose of fear. Lack of ideas is rarely the issue. Figuring out how to express those ideas may be, but not the ideas themselves. How can they be when the world around us and the twisty, turny darkness of our own minds is a wealth of inspiration?
How many times do I, myself sit watching someone thinking hmmm, there’s a character I can use. Let me 
jot down some notes. I’ve grabbed my phone and started typing madly in almost every place imaginable. I’ve written entire 1500 word blog posts in the Notes app, faster than I thought I could get the words down in such a tiny space. If someone approaches me whilst engrossed in the latest frenzy, I’m liable to jump and shriek because I’ve been swallowed whole by the inspiration that grabbed me by the throat once again.
Writers tend to come out of their caves as often as they can stand to write in different locations. There’s a reason we do that. Inspiration comes from many sources. We have to be in a place where we can receive that inspiration. It might be an overheard conversation, or a face in the crowd, or maybe watching an event unfold. We often craft characters based on someone we knew or saw, and our visceral reactions to them. Humanity is an endless source of inspiration all by itself. There we find some of the greatest kindnesses and the most horrific cruelties; stuff we couldn’t possibly make up!
Great Idea But Not a Writer? Hire a Ghostwriter.
There’s a word for people who take someone else’s idea and turn it into a story or book. It’s Ghostwriter. Whether we write an entire book, a series of blog posts, or a single article, as long as someone else’s name is on it, we don’t take credit for the work. But we do, as a general rule get paid for it, just as a doctor is paid to diagnose your illness or perform surgery to cure you; just as an attorney is paid to draw up a will or prenup, or an accountant prepares your taxes or performs your company’s annual audit.
In short, people who perform a service another is unable or unwilling to perform for themselves deserve to be paid for their effort. Yes, the price ought to be fair and reasonable. Sometimes it’s not, and that is between the service provider and the client. But most of the time, the rate has a basis in time and the expertise of the provider. The buyer has options.
Bare Bones Won’t Serve the Greater Good
There are always cheaper practitioners. Some may be just getting into the business and are trying to build their clientele and reputation. Others, especially with writing, are in countries where work is valued much lower, but the cost of living matches the earning expectations too (more or less). Still others have not yet learned their time, knowledge, and effort are not valued by someone else’s standards, and they allow themselves to be used and abused.
I’m a firm believer in giving back, and there are plenty of times I’ve written for someone at no or low-cost. But we can’t give back if we aren’t paid a fair price for our work, nor when people expect us to value their ideas over our efforts. It’s the old story of the parent, the child, and the oxygen mask. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others..
Knowing Your Market
Even I had a bit of sticker shock when researching editors for my own work. I learned a decent editor was going to cost three to four thousand dollars, minimum. That’s just for editing work that’s already been written! So I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn ghostwriting is significantly more expensive, and varies depending on how organized the person with the idea happens to be.
Service providers are in a unique position where the intrinsic value of what they provide can’t be measured with a tangible object. Sure, you might get a tangible object in return, be it a will, a tax return, or a book. But the value of those documents is not in the materials with which they’re made. Their value lies in the time, effort, and knowledge which went into creating them. Next time you are tempted to downplay or denigrate another’s efforts, try going within to see what you value in yourself. Would another who has no knowledge of your efforts see it the same way?
Finding Ways to Give Back Without Sacrificing Self-Care
Experience brings new insights, often when you least expect them. I had the opportunity to speak with a man who has a story but doesn’t feel he has the ability to write it. We spent an hour talking about his ideas, and I gave him some suggestions which might help him organize the story and the message he wanted to convey while holding the attention of his target audience. I found I enjoyed this part of the process too. The feeling of helping another person, even on a low-level was especially uplifting, and made me think about ways I could do more. I’m working on developing a new idea; a new service. Stay tuned as the seed begins to grow, and perhaps, a new path is opened.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a writer, blogger, Virtual Assistant and advocate for cats. Sheri believes in the Laws 
of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. She specializes in creating content to help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income. If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming release of “Life Torn Asunder: Rebuilding After Suicide”.
