All this talk this week about the lack of perks and stationary pay rates comes with a little good news – two writers I’ve talked with this month have reported getting bonuses. Can you imagine that? Someone actually paid these folks more than they were billed because they were pleased with the results.
As Paula Hendrickson’s article pointed out on Monday, there’s stagnant thinking when it comes to freelancer pay. What’s also missing is the obvious perks I mentioned yesterday. Given our contractor status, do we even have a right to expect bonuses?
I’d like to think so. Two clients this month have thought so. You tip the waiter/waitress for good service (and sometimes even for adequate or marginal service). Why not tip your writer? Wait staff make a lousy minimum wage – my daughter is earning a whopping $2.85/hour plus tips. If it weren’t for tips, she’d never survive.
How is that different from writing? The pays we’re offered are sometimes much lower than that $2.85. While I still contend those jobs are useless wastes of time, other employers have begun seeing the lower “wages” as bargaining tools when contracting writers. Mind you, if I were ever face-to-face with someone who said, “But why are you charging $100 an hour when I can get someone for $1 an article?” I’d have to be held down. When faced with a degradation of my talents and worth, I tend toward the can of Whup Ass.
It would be nice if we could work the option of a tip into our contracts. Nice, but unlikely. Clients are used to dealing with writers at X price for Y work. I’m great with that, too. I’m not great with clients who think the best writer for the job is the cheapest writer. In cases where pay is barely adequate, I think it should be a standard practice – if the writer delivers something that exceeds or meets expectations, leave a tip. Yes, that will go over just as well as our contract negotiations with low-ballers, won’t it?
Have you received any bonuses? What percentage of your pay did they equal?
Yes, a client was so pleased with the work that he sent me a bonus payment. Very generous and completely unexpected. As I mentioned yesterday, I've NEVER worked in an industry where bonuses are paid, so this was quite a lovely surprise.
I once got a bonus from a magazine publisher I did some freelancing for. It was quite a pleasant surprise for me as well.
After another writer left an editor in a past-deadline lurch, the editor asked if I could possibly turn that article around in one day. Interview and everything. He asked this around noon. By some major miracle, and a wonderful thing called a two-hour time difference (in my favor), I managed to pull it off. Did I mention the only possible interviewee wasn't available until 5? The editor doubled their standard fee. That was a very nice surprise.
The flip side is when contracts don't offer bonuses to encourage prompt work, but actually decrease pay if the job comes in late. Please note I didn't say I'd signed any such contract.
Offering a financial incentive for turning in something ahead of time is a far better motivator than threatening to cut someone's pay.
Sounds like you guys have worked for people who do it right! I've not worked for people who would decrease pay – let's just say I'd avoid them if I did run into them – but I wouldn't mind working for someone who rewarded speed. Hey, I've delivered stuff same-day without any bonus and without anything other than heightened expectations the next assignment.
I've lived off kudos. I love when they occur! But once, it would be nice to see a little something extra for going that extra mile.
Hmm, now that I think about it, I've actually gotten quite a few bonuses over the years. There was the one I mentioned in a recent comment that I received for meeting my deadlines while my dad was having open heart surgery out of town. That same client included a cash bonus with a year-end payment right before Christmas a few years back. Another client gave me a nice bonus for helping him secure a fellowship he was applying for with my editing. Those were all cash bonuses, but this past Christmas I also got a bottle of wine from a client, and I only work with him occasionally. I also have a client whose brother played hockey for the semi-pro team in my area. Knowing that my dad was a sports fan, he set aside free tickets for him all the time. The brother has since gone pro but my dad enjoyed that perk while it lasted. My long-term clients are good ones. That's why they've become long termers!
Haven't gotten any… yet. But I've been promised a conditional bonus for the job I'm working on now. I'm praying, praying praying it comes through.
Now that you mention it, Kathy, I've had my share of cookies at Christmas, wine, and little marketing gadgets. Those are cool, too. 🙂
Fingers crossed for you, Ruthibelle!