I love it when a writer takes a personal experience and turns it into a teaching moment. Paula Hendrickson,
whose comments and interactions with others have endeared her to the writing community, shows us through her own frustration how she defines her own worth even as she’s being challenged on that thought. Paula, I hope by the time this hits the bandwidth you will have cleared up the mess and the client will be a distant memory in the making.
Many thanks for your words of wisdom, Paula. I appreciate it!
Writers Are Worth
More Than We Realize
More Than We Realize
By Paula Hendrickson
What’s wrong with this picture: It’s May, and a slow-paying
client still owes me for work I did in February and another client won’t pay
for my April work until late May, yet I have to pay the local handyman for his
labor the same day he does it, and the guy who mows my lawn expects to be paid
by the time he’s packed his mower back into his truck.
client still owes me for work I did in February and another client won’t pay
for my April work until late May, yet I have to pay the local handyman for his
labor the same day he does it, and the guy who mows my lawn expects to be paid
by the time he’s packed his mower back into his truck.
What do the handyman and lawn guy know that professional
writers don’t know?
writers don’t know?
They know what they’re worth.
Think about it. How many other professions routinely wait two,
three or more months to be paid for their services?
three or more months to be paid for their services?
Sure, some clients pay 2-4 weeks after invoice, but too many
clients try to stretch payments out. When I agreed to work for the slow-payer,
I understood his terms weren’t what I was used to. Most magazines pay a within
a month of acceptance, some pay immediately upon publication. This guy
stipulated 30 days after publication. (He tried to make it sound like a good
deal by saying he paid whichever was more – the assigned rate or based on the
published word count.) His terms break down to about 60 days after acceptance.
Fine. Whatever. That’s okay as long as I know when I’ll be paid.
clients try to stretch payments out. When I agreed to work for the slow-payer,
I understood his terms weren’t what I was used to. Most magazines pay a within
a month of acceptance, some pay immediately upon publication. This guy
stipulated 30 days after publication. (He tried to make it sound like a good
deal by saying he paid whichever was more – the assigned rate or based on the
published word count.) His terms break down to about 60 days after acceptance.
Fine. Whatever. That’s okay as long as I know when I’ll be paid.
Apparently the slow payer can’t count. It is now 40 days after publication and I’m
still unpaid. He’s pulled this before, so I wasn’t surprised. I sent a polite
note, saying I assumed payment was already on its way, and asking him to
confirm that the check has been mailed so we can avoid the whole Past Due
Notice and requisite late fee. He hasn’t
bothered to reply (or even acknowledge the invoice I sent him a month ago). I’m
done being polite.
still unpaid. He’s pulled this before, so I wasn’t surprised. I sent a polite
note, saying I assumed payment was already on its way, and asking him to
confirm that the check has been mailed so we can avoid the whole Past Due
Notice and requisite late fee. He hasn’t
bothered to reply (or even acknowledge the invoice I sent him a month ago). I’m
done being polite.
As professionals, we can’t afford to be polite when it comes
to collecting outstanding invoices. Whether you charge $50 or $5,000 per
article, if a client fails to fulfill his or her contractual obligations – and
in the case of the slow payer, meet his
own terms – in a timely manner, it’s up to us to demand payment.
to collecting outstanding invoices. Whether you charge $50 or $5,000 per
article, if a client fails to fulfill his or her contractual obligations – and
in the case of the slow payer, meet his
own terms – in a timely manner, it’s up to us to demand payment.
Be cordial but firm.
Something that’s worked for me is offering to set up a payment plan. The
client may take offense, but if they’re not paying their bills on time, do they
really expect you to believe their business is doing well?
Something that’s worked for me is offering to set up a payment plan. The
client may take offense, but if they’re not paying their bills on time, do they
really expect you to believe their business is doing well?
If that fails, politely remind them of the terms they agreed
to and give them a week to pay up. If the week passes with no payment, send a
Past Due Notice clearly stating a late fee will be assessed if the invoice
isn’t paid immediately. In full.
to and give them a week to pay up. If the week passes with no payment, send a
Past Due Notice clearly stating a late fee will be assessed if the invoice
isn’t paid immediately. In full.
On rare occasions, they’ll still stall. No matter what
excuses they offer – illness in the family, their own clients haven’t paid
them, slow ad sales – make it clear that their cash flow issues are not your problem;
you’re not in business to subsidize their company. Set a deadline and make it
clear you will resort to alternate
means of collection if necessary. Let them wonder if that means you’re turning
things over to a collection agency, an attorney, or your burly uncle with his
very hungry Rottweiler.
excuses they offer – illness in the family, their own clients haven’t paid
them, slow ad sales – make it clear that their cash flow issues are not your problem;
you’re not in business to subsidize their company. Set a deadline and make it
clear you will resort to alternate
means of collection if necessary. Let them wonder if that means you’re turning
things over to a collection agency, an attorney, or your burly uncle with his
very hungry Rottweiler.
When clients realize you’re not a pushover, they should move
you up on their priority list.
you up on their priority list.
While some clients really are short of cash, the dirty
little secret is some of the slowest payers have the funds to pay you, but stashed
them in a 90-day CD or another account to
earn a little interest before paying their debts. If you make it clear it could
cost more for them to delay payment than they’ll make with a short-term
investment, you’ve increased your odds of being paid on time.
little secret is some of the slowest payers have the funds to pay you, but stashed
them in a 90-day CD or another account to
earn a little interest before paying their debts. If you make it clear it could
cost more for them to delay payment than they’ll make with a short-term
investment, you’ve increased your odds of being paid on time.
Writing is just a small part of our job. Setting rates and
negotiating terms help determine our worth, but holding clients responsible for
meeting their obligations is how we reinforce our true
value. If we all insist on being paid a fair amount in a timely manner, sooner
or later writers will be recognized as the valued professionals we are.
negotiating terms help determine our worth, but holding clients responsible for
meeting their obligations is how we reinforce our true
value. If we all insist on being paid a fair amount in a timely manner, sooner
or later writers will be recognized as the valued professionals we are.
What are some
successful methods you’ve used to collect outstanding invoices?
successful methods you’ve used to collect outstanding invoices?
Paula Hendrickson is a regular contributor to
several national consumer and trade publications, ranging from EMMY MAGAZINE
and VARIETY to AMERICAN BUNGALOW and PRODUCE BUSINESS, and blogs about her
creative endeavors at www.createfromscratch.wordpress.com
several national consumer and trade publications, ranging from EMMY MAGAZINE
and VARIETY to AMERICAN BUNGALOW and PRODUCE BUSINESS, and blogs about her
creative endeavors at www.createfromscratch.wordpress.com
I'm so sick of this attitude so many clients have that "anybody" can do the work and it doesn't deserve a fair wage. No, "anybody" cannot do it. You want it done well, hire someone skilled.
I use late fees, and then, if it happens a second time, I kick the client to the curb. If the plumber gets paid immediately, so should I.
Yes, the business end of the writing business is as important as the writing part, Paula. I always start to get twitchy if there's more than a week between issuing the invoice and getting paid, and I have one persistent late payer who could benefit from your approach.
I don't think all writers understand what you said — "Writing is just a small part of our job." We are running businesses. Sure, we're writing, but we're marketing, invoicing, collecting, problem solving, etc.
Super post. 🙂
Sadly, the slow-payer has not paid up. While he replied to an e-mail I sent last week, saying he'd been out of the office for two weeks. (Do any of you really believe someone can run a publishing company with no e-mail access outside of the actual office?) No where in his reply did he answer my question: When can I expect to be paid?
I made it clear that I was forced to cease all work the article that is technically due today. The editor is nice, so I hate putting her in the middle, but perhaps she can pressure him to pay up. Like I said, I'm done being polite. Or patient.
Sure, my nickname since birth has been Patient Paula, but even I have my limits. And after waiting more than two weeks past his terms of "30-days after publication," no one can say I haven't demonstrated extreme patience with this client.
Of course, if by some miracle the check arrives today, I'll have a LOT of work to complete the interviews and get the article done!
Oh – and I should have kicked that comment off with: Thanks, Devon, Sharon and Lori!
And Sharon, I fear the slow-payer has grown immune to my tactics. Perhaps they'll work better with your late payer.
On my first or second gig I ran into this same problem. I wrote a landing page for a new website and the client was really happy with the work. I sent an invoice and thought wow this writing job is great. Then I waited and waited. I sent a reminder and waited some more. Soon an email came with a lame excuse and then partial payment in the mail. Needless to say, this was eye opening expierence and I learned a great lesson about this business. Paula, you are correct, we deserve better and should be treated like a professional.
I sure wish we didn't have to go to such lengths to prove our worth to some clients.
On a much happier note: Just picked up a quick assignment from one of my favorite editors – a fast-payer that pays a decent rate. I'll probably be paid for that before the slow-payer pays up.
Hi Paula: Is there a full moon or what? I've heard more stories like this of late. Two long-time clients of mine suddenly in April became verrrryy slow in paying. I never had the problem before. They had to pick tax month and it's gone into May when a bunch of medical bills are rolling in. *sigh*
And why is it that I understand MY commitment to pay those medical bills and some clients don't understand the same commitment? Maybe we should send invoices under the handyman logo. 🙂
Unfortunately I've found if they pay late more than once it's going to be an ongoing issue. After 5+ years I feel pretty confident in my ability to get work and have just started dropping them. It's not worth the stress wondering if the money will arrive "this time around."
Amen, Cathy. Like you, I want to meet all of my financial obligations and can't understand how a publisher can keep assigning things knowing he can't pay for them. And likewise, Uncle Sam drained my checking accounts in April, so I really could use the money the late payer owes me.
Krista, you're right. The one reason I took this assignment from the chronic late-payer was because he'd mentioned they were reworking their payment system. Unfortunately I didn't realize the plan was to make it even slower.
That's awful, Paula. I've had several chronic late payers (and given them a gazillion chances!).
Krista – maybe we need to set a limit on how many chances we give the late payers. Two? Three? What's a fair number?