Comments on: Avoiding the Dangling Carrot Effect

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 23:20:31 +0000

Smart woman. 🙂

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 20:45:20 +0000

Lori, I guess it depends on your perspective. I've had my share of late-payers. They just don't offer additional projects while I'm waiting for payment. 😀

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 13:24:34 +0000

You've had good clients, Cathy. I think you know the situation I've dealt with not too long ago where the client kept promising new projects that never materialized. In that case, there was no money owed, but there was something they wanted from me — a commitment of attention and effort (unpaid, of course).

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 12:50:43 +0000

There have been a few times I broke my rule for waiting to start a project until a deposit was received. It's rare that I do it and I only have done it with an existing client.

More than once, I've stopped the work and told the client that I would continue once the deposit was received.

But, I can't say I've had a client who dangled another project while being past due on another.

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 19:17:16 +0000

It's a never-ending cycle, isn't it Devon? I say they break the trust, they lose my skills. I like the upfront payment idea, though.

You know another method that works for me, Paula? If I've sent the piece in and the check isn't forthcoming, I remind them that I still own the copyright until the bill has been paid. Knowing that they could get in trouble for copyright violation can help with the stubborn ones.

By: Paula

Paula — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:33:36 +0000

At one point, the chronic LatePayer promised to pay me for one project when I started the next. He didn't. I knew he wouldn't. I also knew they were up against a tight deadline, so I refused to turn in the new assignment until I'd been paid for the first.

Yes. I held my own work hostage.

After that I wouldn't take any new assignments if they had any past due invoices. (That's when they tried assigning me two long articles at the time time. No thanks.)

Another writer didn't set those terms. I think she was afraid of losing her status as their most reliable writer. At one point she said they owed her over $5,000. I would have balked at $500. She'd worked with them long enough to trust that they would eventually pay her. After a while even she had enough of them and refused to take any new assignments - that was also about the time the publisher's two top editors quit. A couple weeks ago LatePayer asked if she'd be interested in writing for them. She refused.

The only way I'd ever agree to write for LatePayer is if they paid upfront. They'll never do that, so I'm safe.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:33:12 +0000

Yes, I've been there. And now, when it happens, I refuse further projects. I don't need the stress. This year has been a rash of late-payers, and they are all getting replaced.

If you've already demonstrated you can't cough up the dough on time, why would I think you change your ways if we work together again?

The exception is if I toss out that I'll do it if I'm paid 100% up front BEFORE I start. That usually gets them scuttling back under the rock from which they came.