For me and many of the writers I know, taking on and keeping a client isn’t always about the money. What ultimately keeps many of us engaged and happy is a Picasso of personal factors.

One reason I get attached to a client is the client. “Glo” is one I couldn’t quit. She was a former long-time manager and forever mentor. Glo went on to lead marketing at an agency focused on nonprofits. The hours were light, the work felt great, and I was fine taking 25% less than my going rate. It was Glo.

Another reason I get attached to a client is the nature of the work. There’s something exciting about it to me. It could be the platform (app). It could be the sector (tech). It could be the deliverables (C-level content strategy).

“Doc” was another client I couldn’t quit. The work was bylined, original, researched health content. I’d never done it before. The pay was lower than I was used to, but I knew the experience would help me reach a new rung of credibility in health writing.

Many copywriters have a wish list going, if only in their heads. By way of an example, I’ve been thrilled to realize some items on mine:

• Editorial and branded social media campaigns promoting pet health
• Communications planning and execution for a federal environmental health agency  
• Sales cadences and high-value assets for some of the biggest tech brands in the world

Writers can even have a short list of clients we’d work with for free if finances allowed. (Not exactly feasible, but the passion is there.)

In my experience, when clients understand what motivates writers beyond money, they can find better fits for their projects and forge mutually beneficial relationships that last.

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Read more in Evelyn Creekmore's Copy Confidential Series:

Hard-Won Wisdom for Freelance Copywriters‍

What I Wish Clients Knew About Copywriting Tests‍

3 Red Flags a Copywriter and Client Aren’t a Fit

When to Be–and Not be–a Brutal Editor‍

What I Wish Clients Knew–Some Copywriters Are Really Sensitive

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