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Within the past year, I had two clients tell me that they weren’t feeling my writing style (in so many words). One client felt like I didn’t fully grasp their very niche audience with my writing style. Another made it seem like my writing wasn’t ‘elevated’ enough.

If this feedback had happened in my first five years of freelancing, I’d have been crushed and considered throwing in the towel on this career.

Negative feedback from a client is going to happen. My writing style will not suit every single client’s preference and need. That’s okay.

(We don’t expect sci-fi screenwriters to also produce the funniest rom-com scripts, right? So why expect a freelance writer to write across all niches and produce various types of copy effortlessly and consistently?)

There will be times when you should take what the client is saying to use as constructive feedback so you can turn in better, cleaner work for their next piece. That’s a normal part of the writing process you should expect, and the client will anticipate that you make improvements as you get to know their brand, style, editing process, and continue to produce work for them. That’s standard business practice.

But when a client doesn’t want you on the next round of assignments? Or when an editor doesn’t think your writing is high-level enough to address their audience? It hurts.

When a writer gets crushing feedback like this, it’s easy to hold onto it for days, weeks, even years. (Seriously, I bet if I asked you to think of two to three clients who didn’t like your writing, those examples would come to mind quickly. )

But the great feedback? It’s easy to get lost and forgotten about.

That’s why I keep a “Praise doc,” or “Praise file.” It’s nice to have it to refer to on the tough days when one negative comment can send me reeling and make me question my talents.

Here’s what it’s comprised of:

➡ I pull in comments from Google Docs where an editor said, “I really like this example.”

➡ Or, a great sentence from an email when a client says, “This piece turned out great, I have another assignment if you’re interested.”

➡ Sometimes, it can come from a source who lets you know they feel like you really captured their voice from the interview and helped them sound smart and authoritative.

Some examples in mine:

“And I am always impressed by your work ethic and the tips you give out on LinkedIn. It's really great to see.”

“I need to follow more of your excellent advice, like the tip you gave about posting recent clips on content marketing platforms. Thank you for that!”

Great to hear from you! I'm always happy to put in a good word for a writer who delivers quality and is a pleasure to work with! I've heard nothing but great things from our editors.

The praise doc can soothe a bruised ego and act as a salve when those biting words sting.

It can also be a jumping-off point.

Those managers, clients, and editors who praised you? They're exactly who to seek out for referrals or more work.

Remember, you could read the reviews on the top 25 best books of the year, and there will be negative reviews from plenty of people who didn’t think the writing was up to par. Keep this in mind the next time you’re feeling down from a critique.

Then, set aside 10 minutes every two weeks (set a reminder) to look for positive comments from clients and previous colleagues to start your own praise doc.

I promise, a few months and years from now, you’ll be glad you did.

If you want to feel more confident with the emails you send to editors, check out this file.👇

Tracey Cheung said: "It was helpful to know how concise my pitches should be and what type of information should be included. The guide also helped me understand how I may have included too much information in past pitches. I loved how you showed how to write a pitch for an email that contains multiple pitches. "

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