I turned down a job last week. A very well-paying one.

I could have easily gone ahead and worked on this client’s manuscript, ignoring the nagging feeling that being part of the publication process for this particular work did not align with my values. I certainly needed the money.

But as I read through the manuscript, making structural edit notes, I became more and more uneasy.

I was fine with the subject matter. There was a distinct religious lean to it, but that’s fine – even if I don’t agree with something, I’m all for freedom of expression around religious beliefs (as long as no one is harmed, threatened, lied to, or coerced etc.).

But as I read further, the author made bold statements and sweeping generalisations about a topic that I believe could have potentially polarised, offended, misled, and caused harm to readers. Was I comfortable playing a part in that?

I sat for a while, trying to decide what to do. This is my livelihood. I need money. I had already issued a quote and agreed on the scope of work.

It didn’t take too long to make up my mind. I emailed the author and explained I wasn’t going to continue, and gave my reasons. I tried to be tactful and kind, but I didn’t beat around the bush, either.

I decided not to charge this client for the time spent on the job up to that point, and I gave them my assurance I would keep all correspondence around the matter 100% confidential and would delete the manuscript.

I wasn’t quite sure what reaction to expect, but the client was gracious, if a little shocked. They said they would consider my comments carefully and were grateful for my feedback.

With that, I wiped the client from my schedule and waved goodbye to a large amount of money. But I felt good.

I was surprised when the next day the client sent another email, full of kindness and appreciation. They said they understood my point of view and explained theirs more fully – and suddenly I had a much clearer idea of why they had taken the approach they did. It made sense, and I emailed back to say so. I also gave them some advice on how to approach such a sensitive and potentially polarising topic with tact, accuracy, and balance.

I haven’t heard back, but in my view the interaction was ultimately a successful one. I stayed true to my values. They learned something. I did, too. We drew closer together instead of withdrawing. We made an effort to understand each other’s point of view, and as a result saw each other as humans and allies instead of polarised ‘enemies’.

I took a risk, and lost a client. But I think we both won.