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Every indie author eventually needs help: a cover designer, an editor, a website builder, a marketing assistant. But hiring the wrong freelancer (or being a difficult client yourself) can cost you time, money, and a cover you hate. In this episode, Ricci Wolman sits down with Maari Casey, CEO of Uncompany, to break down exactly how to find, hire, brief, and manage freelancers, from the first Google search to the signed contract to navigating a missed deadline.
What you’ll learn:
- How to write a scope of work tight enough to find the right freelancer, and the one "start at the end" trick that cuts the guesswork
- Where to find freelancers: Reedsy (built for authors), Fiverr, Upwork, and curated agencies, and when each makes sense
- How to set your budget and why you should always go in a little lower than your real number
- What the standard revision rounds look like for design vs. editing, and why two to three is the magic number
- The three questions to ask in every freelancer interview (and the red flags that should end the conversation)
- What should be in every contract: payment terms, revision rounds, timeline, and the ownership clause that authors always forget
- How to give feedback when the first draft is nothing like what you wanted (without blowing up the relationship)
- Why telling your designer what you hate is more useful than showing them what you love
- The one thing clients do that makes good freelancers not want to work with them again
- How to handle a missed deadline or a freelancer who goes silent
Maari also shares the Uncompany blog's free templates for scopes, briefs, and conflict management, built specifically for people navigating freelance relationships.
Want to learn more ways to reach readers? Visit writtenwordmedia.com for author resources, book promotion tools, and more.
The Written Word Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.
© 2026 Written Word Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Creators and Guests
What is The Written Word Podcast?
A podcast for authors who want to build successful writing careers. Each episode explores the business and craft of being an author, with practical strategies for selling more books, growing your audience, and navigating the publishing world. Presented by Written Word Media.