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Welcome to the 31st edition of Expert•ish Freelancer, a newsletter that helps you grow your freelance business. Every other Friday, get tips, tools, and insights to help you save time, make money, gain confidence, and work smarter—based on my 35⁺ years as a freelance writer.

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Hi, Friend!

June is always a whirlwind month for my family, filled with my wedding anniversary (37 years together!), my youngest son’s birthday (my baby is 25 years old!), my husband’s birthday (the big 6-0!), and Father’s Day. Whew!

As part of our “month of fun,” we also saw STOMP (celebrating its 30th anniversary) in Orlando. My husband and I had seen this stellar show in Atlantic City when it debuted in the 1990s.

We fell in love with the creativity, the dazzling percussion 🥁 skills, and the fun choreography. This time around, my sons fell in love with it, too. If you’ve never caught a live performance of STOMP, I highly recommend it.

Hope your summer is off to an equally fun start!

Today’s newsletter highlights the importance of setting boundaries with clients.

🔍 Key Takeaways: 

✅ Document everything professionally.
✅ Protect your business with boundaries.
✅ Know when to walk.

Today’s issue is brought to you by Besolo. Sponsors help keep the newsletter free, so please click on their link to check out their offer! ⬇️ 

Looking for the last newsletter? Find it here: EF #30: 💪 The Powerful Mindset Shift at the Heart of Successful Freelancers.

How to Set Boundaries with Editors and Clients

In 35⁺ years of freelancing, I'd never refused an editor's request—until a few months ago.

The very thought would have made “younger me” break out in a cold 😰 sweat. Turn down work? Risk burning bridges? Absolutely not. But sometimes, you reach a point where saying yes becomes more costly than saying no.

Here's the story that changed everything for me.

When "Collaborative" Becomes "Exploitative"

Last year, I submitted what should have been a straightforward piece—a roundup featuring advice from nearly two dozen industry experts. My assigning editor loved the initial outline (which she had to run by the managing editor), reviewed my first draft, and made just a few minor edit requests.

I turned those edits around within 24 hours. She approved the final piece. I got paid. Everything seemed perfect.

Then... nothing. 🚫

Months crawled by as I kept waiting for the digital article to publish.

I reached out to my assigning editor only to discover her contract had ended, and my article now sat in limbo with the managing editor. I followed up multiple times over several months, asking when the piece would be published. After all, I wanted to share the final article with all those generous experts who had contributed their insights.

Radio silence.

📆 A full year later, I reached out one final time.

The managing editor finally responded, telling me she liked the article but wanted to restructure the entire thing. She requested major changes, new information I wasn't told to capture during the original interviews, and one or two additional sources.

For NO additional money.

After a year of silence.

After zero feedback.

After being completely ghosted despite multiple professional follow-ups.

That's when I realized: this wasn't collaboration anymore. This was exploitation. 😡

The Email That Changed Everything

I took a deep breath 😮‍💨 and waiting a day to respond. This gave me time to let my seething anger subside. I was SO mad!

Then I crafted an email, using a firm but professional tone.

"Given the considerable time that's passed since the initial submission and the work already completed to meet the original editorial direction, I'm not in a position to pursue additional rewrites or gather additional facts from sources at this stage. I suggest any remaining adjustments be handled on your end to bring the piece in line with your vision for it."

Professional. Firm. Final.

I never heard from her again. The piece never published. And you know what? I was absolutely fine with that outcome (though I hated that so many experts wasted their time sharing insights for this piece).

Why Boundaries Aren't Just Nice-to-Haves

Setting boundaries isn't about being difficult or diva-like.

It's about establishing yourself as a professional who values your time, expertise, and sanity. When we consistently accept poor treatment, we're not just hurting ourselves—we're lowering the bar for the entire industry.

Strong boundaries protect your financial health by preventing scope creep that silently erodes your effective hourly rate. They safeguard your mental energy for clients who respect your process. And they free up bandwidth for the relationships that actually fuel your business growth.

Most importantly, boundaries teach others how to treat you. When you consistently accept ghosting, last-minute changes, scope creep, and unpaid work, you're training clients to expect exactly that from you.

🚩Red Flags That Scream “Time for Boundaries”

Your boundary-setting radar should start buzzing when you notice:

Communication chaos: 👻 Ghosting, delayed responses that stretch for weeks, or completely ignored follow-ups despite multiple attempts

The scope creep shuffle: 📈 Requests that go way beyond your original agreement without any mention of additional compensation

Deadline disasters: 💥 Major structural changes requested at the eleventh hour, often with impossible turnaround times

Payment shenanigans: 💸 Consistently late payments, disputed rates after work is completed, or the dreaded "great exposure opportunity" pitch

Disrespect disguised as feedback: 🙄 Condescending communication, unrealistic expectations, or dismissive attitudes toward your professional expertise

Trust your gut. If a client relationship consistently leaves you feeling frustrated, undervalued, or taken advantage of, it's time to reassess.

And it’s okay to say buh-bye to a client who doesn’t value you in any way.

Your Professional Boundary-Setting Toolkit

The good news? You don't need to be confrontational to be effective.

Here's your 🧰 toolkit:

🛠️ Document everything. Keep detailed records of project agreements, scope changes, and all communications. This isn't paranoia—it's professional protection that gives you confidence when you need to refer back to original agreements. (You DO have written agreements for your projects, dont you?)

🛠️ Master the professional “no.” Practice phrases like: “That falls outside our current project scope, but I'd be happy to provide a separate quote for that work“ or “Based on our timeline, I won't be able to accommodate those changes without adjusting our deadline.”

🛠️ Offer alternatives when possible. Instead of a flat refusal, try: “I can't take on additional research at this stage, but I can recommend some colleagues who specialize in that area” or “We can absolutely make those changes—let me send you a revised timeline and quote.” (This last one is a personal favorite!)

🛠️ Know your exit strategy. Sometimes, the healthiest choice is walking away. Have template language ready for gracefully ending problematic relationships: “After reviewing our working relationship, I don't think we're the right fit moving forward. I wish you success with your project.” (Tip: Don’t overexplain!)

The key is staying professional while being unmistakably clear about your limits.

Your Boundaries Are Your Business Strategy

Here's what I wish someone had told me decades ago: setting boundaries isn't about being difficult—it's about being sustainable.

Every time you accept poor treatment, you're not just affecting that one project. You're setting a precedent that impacts your entire career trajectory. Plus, it deflates your confidence and self-respect.

The clients worth keeping will respect your boundaries. The ones who don't? They're doing you a favor by showing you who they really are.

Your time, expertise, and professional standards aren't negotiable. They're the foundation of a thriving freelance business.

👉 What's your boundary-setting story? I love hearing how fellow freelancers navigate these challenges.

• Follow me on LinkedIn. I share more freelance tips/insights most weekdays.

• Share Your Success Story. I would LOVE to hear how you’ve implemented any of the ideas in Expert•ish Freelancer and found success. I might even include your win in a future newsletter. You can always reach me at [email protected]. 

• Turn to Expert•ish Freelancer’s Tools & Resources page, highlighting valuable resources to help you successfully run your freelance business. You’ll find recommendations for apps, tools, training, services, websites, blogs, podcasts, books, videos, and more! If you’ve got a resource you love, let me know about it.

Thanks for allowing me into your inbox!

I look forward to sharing my freelance journey with you, and I look forward to hearing about yours. I’m just here as your guide. Take what works for you, and tweak it to your needs. Rinse. Repeat.

I’ll be back in two Fridays with another edition of Expert•ish Freelancer.

In the meantime….

Be kind. Do good. Give thanks. 😊

With gratitude,
Lisa Beach

FYI: In yoga, the instructor often closes the session by saying “namaste” as a way of acknowledging and honoring the light, spirit, or goodness within each person in the class. 🧘‍♀️ It’s often used as a closing to convey unity (we’re all interconnected), gratitude (thank you for this shared experience), respect (I respect you and your journey), and peace (may you find peace within yourself). Essentially, it's a way to acknowledge the shared experience and to leave with a sense of peace and connection. 😊