Writers – Dare to Collect Your Pay!
October 19, 2006 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
Lori Widmer has an interesting post about a writer who, at first, hesitated to push to get paid called Proof That It Works.This particular story is about someone who was having trouble collecting from a magazine for stories she had written and they had published. But exactly the same thing holds true when working with clients.
Most of my contracts are flat fees paid over a period of time. Right now I’ve got one that is divided in fifths; I just billed for the first 20% and if it doesn’t arrive today or tomorrow I stop working on the project, period. I make this clear in both my contracts and when I’m talking with the client. In other words, for the most part I get paid up front.
The point is we writers deserve to get paid and it’s up to us to set the rules and, when something goes wrong, take positive action on our own behalf.
Write well and collect often,
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I had an experience with a editor recently that really opened my eyes to how important it is for writers to be able to talk about money. Simply put: he offered to pay me $50 for a 650-700 word article. I said that was great, but could he possibly make it $75? When he didn’t answer for a couple days, I was sure that I’d lost the job.
When he finally did answer, he said, let’s start with 50. That was fine by me, after all I still had the job! So, I wrote the article, edited it, and made sure it was the best I could do. I turned it in right on schedule. He was so happy with the product and my professionalism, he sent me the $75 I asked for!
It may not seem like much, but it was a powerful lesson for me. A fearless attitude coupled with dependability and a well-written article can increase your bottom line.
Now, go forth and haggle!
Great story Chris… and yes, it’s a powerful lesson. Thanks for sharing it with us.
A