Freelance ethical dilemma

Subject: Freelance ethical dilemma
From: Emily Cotlier <Emily -dot- Cotlier -at- zeacom -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2001 10:37:35 +1300


>From time to time, I do freelance tech writing/marketing writing for a small
software company, and I've been working with them for about a year. Very
recently, they decided to hire someone to work on their marketing
communications full-time. They hired the right person - I think she's great.
She's my new contact there and my tech writing work will be filtered through
her, which is working very well.

However, I've been getting calls from my previous contact there, asking me
to work on projects which are firmly in their marketing writer's territory
and capabilities. I know that he's asking me because I'm well acquainted
with their software, and because we work well together - but I think he
ought to be working with the in-house marketing writer on these pieces.
What's more, I think he knows it, too, because he's been calling me at
strange times to set this up, and trying to slip marketing stuff in when I'm
formally there for tech writing stuff. If I was the marketing writer, and I
was aware of this runaround, I wouldn't be happy, and I want to have a good
working relationship with her.

I'm going to talk about this with him when we meet again in two days; I want
to nip this in the bud before it becomes a problem. Something like: "Isn't
this more in X's area? I like working with you a lot, but she's probably got
better marketing skills to give this the right spin. And if I was in her
role, I'd be upset if you didn't come to me with this first." Has anyone
else dealt with a similar situation, as a freelancer or contractor?

thanks,

Emily Cotlier

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