I'd forgotten about the Writing Frump, wordvixen! I'll have to go check it out. 🙂 But I can hear how she'd be up and down this one! LOL

Devon, isn't that what we silly little women crave – male attention and bread crumbs for payment? I know you let him know what a dork he'd just proven himself to be. Does he not know Marian Zimmer Bradley? What an ass.

Uh, no, sorry, I don't work for you until there's a signed contract in place specifying payment and the deposit clears. Your emergency is not my problem until there's cash in my account.

The weirdest "negotiation" I had was someone who contacted me asking me to write a 90K sci-fi piece IN A WEEK as a for-hire, but not get paid until "the advance earns out". somehow, this bonehead landed a publishing contract, but "didn't get around" to writing the book and was now trying to get someone to ghost write it in a week for no money, because he'd spent the advance.

Oh, and I was supposed to be grateful to ghost for nothing because "women can never publish in sci-fi themselves anyway." In other words, not only was he sans outline or any chapters, he was sans knowledge of the genre or common sense.

Not my problem.

One potential client asked me to write articles that would be spun (I know, I know). I had to include three alternatives for each word I wrote. When she asked a price, I said I had no idea how long this would take me and quoted a price for one. Then, I explained, I would raise or lower the price according to the time spent. Her response — since I didn't know how long it would take, I should do the first 5 as a *free* trial. hahah

The second was a lawyer who wanted content for her site. She had about 20 sections she wanted written. I asked her how long she wanted the articles to be. Her response — make them really long. She could always cut out what she didn't need or want. The catch was she was only planning to pay me for the final word count. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way!!

I wonder how serious they are about it, though. I gave a specific price. They waited almost a week, then ignored ALL mention of price, instead asking for immediate help.

Oh Kimberly, he tried that? If it were any use negotiating with him (and it sounds as though it wasn't), I'd have said, "Ah yes, no problem. Let me send over the contract addendum for that rush fee."

I understand emergencies. But using them as a tool to get something for nothing is not fair.

I have on occasion offered to begin something in a hurry if 50% is wired to my account. I make sure the email states the terms because it can act sort of like a contract.

I may have had this work once… I remember some drama about wired money… but it may have been something else.

My theory is that if it's a true emergency, sending me 50% in an instant manner (paypal would also work) would get my attention.

What do you think?

Anne

Then I tried to pin down a deadline date for this "emergency project." He was even vague about that saying, "I need it as soon as you can get it back to me. Ha!"

I took it upon myself at that point to put a deadline date on the contract, he signed and returned it immediately (all the while complaining about the rate I was charging). Then he turned around and emailed me five minutes later asking if I could turn the project around in 24 hours instead. "Buh-bye." *Miss America wave*