Fellow Writers: We Can Say No

Freelancers and Writers Don’t Have to Take Every Gig Offered to Us

I am new to the whole field of freelance writing. I am not fully certain it is the way I want to go. I want to write as me, for me, about things I know about. I want to write with passion.

However, in the real world of car payments that are a month late, and groceries that seemingly need to be purchased once a week, I created a Fiverr account.

I made ‘gigs’ that I thought might address the best of both worlds. The world of me being me and writing what I want and like to write and the world of what other people might want from people like me. I made gigs about writing for social justice and writing for education. And even, dare I say, writing for poetry. So far, sadly and no surprise, there have been no takers on the poetry gig. Poetry should be in high demand, and the most well paid, I say. It is what gives and brings the meaning of life, after all. Right?

I quickly learned, or rather, was gratefully told, that in order to get clients I would have to have reviews. So a friend helped me out. Got me started. Got me out there. And I thank him always. How kind!

Then gigs started to slowly come in. The other day a random one hit my inbox. Asking me to write something that is really not only out of my wheelhouse but against some of my most basic values regarding humanity. It was a dating site but one that is known for being slightly gross and beyond that a bit human trafficky. So, I turned them down.

It was not a hard decision. But it was one that some might look at and say, well but didn’t you just say you needed to eat? Yes, I do. We all do. But my writing talents, my gift, my whatever this is that is within me, is not to be cheapened or given out for the price of my soul. Ever. That is elaborate and dramatic, but it is true. I won’t write things that do not come from the best places in me, the most real places in me, and places that I think might resonate and do some good with others out there in the world.

When I was in college I signed a pledge. It was about Green Jobs, but also about more. It was a pledge saying that I would not work for any place or person that created or perpetuated systems of harm to others or to the environment. And wow have I taken that pledge seriously.

I value integrity in others and I value it in myself. I value high standards in others and I value high standards in myself. I am always striving and seeking for justice, peace, kindness, and education that changes lives and minds. I do this with poetry. I do this with essay. I do this with my actions.

This all being said, I turned down a potential client and their potential money. And that is great.

Why would I say this? Because I want you to know that just because we are new to something, new to writing, new to freelancing, new to trying our hand at the gig economy, that does not mean we have to take every single thing offered to us without question.

People who are starving should not have to eat crumbs or trash. There’s dignity, there’s respect. There’s justice, there’s peace. These things need to be honored for all people.

My first job was working at a small non-profit in a Midwestern inner-city. The task was to establish a free giving library for the local community. Kids who often suffered from poverty so severe that they did not know where their next meal was going to come from. Kids who had to deal with crappy schools, crappy homes, crappy services from the city, and crappy racism from society in structural and personal ways.

This library was a beautiful gift, a blessing, and also to me, as a nerd and poet, it was justice. It was education and it was a right. However, the books were often old, often ripped up, often even mildewy. And my first idea was to get rid of them. So I did. And to my surprise people were shocked at my actions. Why would I throw out books that were going to go to poor kids? Why would I not let them have these books, they don’t have anything right?

This mentality has always triggered me. It has always upset me. It has always outraged me. Because why should those who have nothing be happy with scraps? Be happy with things that no one else would want? So no, I tossed the old out of date science and history books, I tossed the ripped up books, I tossed the smelly gross books. And welcomed new books in their place.

I organized it into a place that was beautiful because all people deserve beauty. We all deserve quality in reading and in education.

Now, back to my present story, and the lives of us writers, us freelancers: we deserve beauty too. We deserve choice. We deserve passion in our work.

And when we say no to what does not bring this to us, the universe, I believe, listens. It sees. Some force moves that says okay, they won’t take this kind of thing, let’s see if they like this better.

The second I said no to this not so great gig, I was contacted by what I can only call a dream come true gig. Writing for a website that focused on education and social justice. Someone saw me for me. Wanted me for me. Noticed me as me. And I delivered them my best work.

Why? Because they wanted me to write what I loved, what I knew, what I was passionate about. And this ensured both of us walked away happy and with quality feelings.

And this is my little message to you, fellow writer. Don’t feel pressured to say yes to everything. Don’t feel guilted into taking scraps and mold. Wait a bit. Wait just a bit. The good you seek will come to you. You will be seen for what you are, what you like, what you want to write about. Your gifts are valuable. Your talents are rare. Your voice is unique.

We all deserve to be at our best and to be seen for it in the light of respect, integrity and high standards that lift everyone up and provide a pathway to true justice in this society: the poor, the working poor, the working class, the striving are coming for a seat at the best table as our best selves. Shove over a bit and make some room, won’t you?

Jenny Justice is a mom, Sociology instructor, and writer. You can follow her on Medium and at Jenny Justice, Writer. She has been recognized as a Top Writer on Medium in Poetry, Parenting, Reading, Education, Books, Racism, Feminism and Climate Change, so far.