This is for my wife, who loves Mr. Gaiman at least as much as I do.
This is my favorite bit:
People keep working in a freelance world because their work is good, they’re easy to get along with, & because they deliver the work on time. & You don’t even need all three. 2 out of 3 is fine:People will tolerate how unpleasant you are if your work is good & you deliver it on time.
People will forgive the lateness of your work if it’s is good & they like you.
& you don’t have to be as good as everyone else if you’re on time and it’s always a pleasure to hear from you.
Because it’s true.