As some of you may know, I do music in my free time. Still, sometimes I get request to work as a composer. However, I must limit the number of projects I can participate in as I have very little time for music (And there’s also requests I don’t like)
I looked for ways to reject a request on the internet and found one I liked, writing something like "thank you for inviting me, however this time it will be very difficult. Still, I wish you the best of luck in your project " (I like it because I don’t give much explanation, it’s kind and formal)
Still I’d like to know, Do you have any advice on how to reject a project that you can’t or don’t want to participate in?
Although, I have taken many leadership and professional etiquette classes at my college, and it seems like the best thing to do is be upfront and honest. Ignoring is an option, but also saying something like this could help: “Thank you for considering me, but I am fully booked at this time. I hope to work with you in the future.”
I think ignoring should be the last resort though because maintaining that connection is SO important. You may not be able to work on THIS project, but if they reached out in the first place, there is a good chance they will try again with another project!
I’ve found that people prefer honesty the most. So being honest about the fact that you don’t have the time / resources to take on the project is fine. And then if you want to soften the blow a bit, you could direct them to somewhere that they could find someone else instead.
Either a fellow composer that you know and trust and can recommend, or even just an active Facebook Group or forum of composers where they could ask. Obviously, a personal recommendation is best!
And if you REALLY want to go the extra mile, you could even suggest what TYPE of composer they should be looking for for their project, so they know how to narrow their search.
It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to draft a reply like that, and they’ll be so appreciative of your willingness to help them
Thank you Ryan. I really liked your answer, especially “I hope to work with you in the future”, because it doesn’t close the doors to work with someone