Freelance Writing Blog

Free Advice Friday: Finding Your Process

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What’s on the iPod: Fast Cars and Freedom by Rascal Flatts A slow, albeit nice week. I enjoyed having time to really concentrate a full day to poetry. The article I’m writing is roughly outlined and I’ve lined up some interviews already, so it’s just waiting until the contacts can talk. I worked on a…

Things I’ve Learned from a Freelance Writing Career

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What’s on the iPod: I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons I spent the week thus far deep in researching and outlining an article assignment. Normally, I know going in where the article is going, but when the editor suggested a two-part article, I had to retrace and rethink. I have a handle on it…

Monthly Assessment: February 2014

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What’s on the iPod: Breathless by The Corrs Last week was a good one for getting work. A favorite editor assigned an article with the caveat that if it gets complicated, I’m free to make it a series. She’s astute (and a terrific editor) — it probably will get complicated. Some of the insurance-related issues…

Free Advice Friday: The Writing Client Interview

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What’s on the iPod: Summer Girls by LFO For a week that had just a little work in it, this one was quite busy. When I have these lulls between projects, I like to have personal projects lined up. They move from just one segment of my day to the larger part of my work….

Writers & Social Media: Use Responsibly

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What’s on the iPod: Kinda Fuzzy by Eels Yesterday was a bit slower for me. I was still feeling the effects of what I now suspect was a virus. I was able to get a little marketing and a little writing done, but the majority of the day was devoted to taking it slow and…

Losing Bad Writing Habits

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What’s on the iPod: Twenty-One by Corey Smith What a great weekend! Friends of ours were married in a meditation ceremony, and it couldn’t have been nicer. Here were two people who had been through some rough situations separately, but who’d finally found each other (right under their noses, too), and had found a beautiful…

Free Advice Friday: This Job, Not That Job

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What’s on the iPod: Iceberg by We Invented Paris I love weeks like this. I had time to work on a project, get some personal projects done, market, and meet new clients via social media. I sense a bunch of projects about to come in, and I’m gearing up to get a much-anticipated personal project…

Dealing with Tough Writing Client Responses

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What’s on the iPod: Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift (feat. Ed Sheeran) Yesterday was a good day. Despite one minor upset to start the day, I got halfway through a project that’s turning out to be a lot of fun to put together. I have one interview today and hopefully I’ll be able to…

8 Ways to Pump Up Your Writing Career

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What’s on the iPod: Two Coins by Dispatch More snow. Friday we had about four inches. Today, close to three more, they say. I did say I love snow, so I should be thrilled. To some extent, I am. It’s coming down this morning, but then the rains arrive this afternoon and the temperatures go…

Free Advice Friday: Extracting Pay from Writing Clients

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What’s on the iPod: Call Girl Blues by Diamond Rug Snow. I love it. Good thing, because late Wednesday night after we’d gone to bed, it started coming down. By morning, we had over 6 inches in the driveway and it just kept coming down. I’m writing this ahead of time should the power decide…

10 responses to “Free Advice Friday: Extracting Pay from Writing Clients”

Anne Wayman

February 14, 2014

Like most, I've been stiffed… knock on wood it hasn't happened in a long time – for all the reasons you state – contracts! Deposits!

I've had book ghostwriting contracts blow up… but I've always gotten paid for the amount of work I've done… because I get it up front.

Learned to do this because of getting stiffed actually.
Jake Poinier

February 14, 2014

Like Anne, I've been stiffed more times than I care to remember over the years, though it's been a while. Defense is the best offense: Get a deposit from any new client, particularly if it's a sizable project.

In the interest of honest disclosure, the area I struggle is sending invoices promptly. I loathe bookkeeping. 🙂

Lori, thanks for your contribution to my "things I love about freelancing" post this morning–happy Valentine's Day!
Cathy Miller

February 14, 2014

Then outsource the invoicing, Jake, to a reliable, needy assistant. 😉

Like all of you, I'm sure, my contract changes are proportional to all the ways we've been burned. 😉

I spell out the number of rounds of revisions included in the fee (never more than two).

I put that no feedback within XX # of days assumes the copy is final.

I spell out that the work will not start until the deposit is received. I admit I tend to relax that for existing clients. I still require the deposit, but may get started on the research.

I've also started billing when the draft is sent. Accounting departments seem to have their own special kind of clock. 🙂
Paula

February 14, 2014

Despite my ex-client LatePayer's best efforts, I managed to collect every penny due. That took several late notices, almost daily phone calls and, finally, a reminder that the right to publish my work is contingent upon payment, and if they didn't pay immediately I would be forced to pursue other avenues to collect payment. Then I threatened litigation. Amazing how quickly they found their checkbook.

On two occasions I've written articles for publications that folded. Once you get the dreaded letter from an attorney outlining how the company's meager funds will be allocated to creditors – and see you're near the bottom of a very long list – you know you're out of luck. The worst part was discovering self-employed people who use the cash accounting method can't declare those unpaid invoices as lost income. Doesn't seem fair.
Lori Widmer

February 14, 2014

Anne, ditto. That's how I learned in a number of cases.

Jake, I used to waffle on sending out invoices, but now I'm in the habit of sending them with the final revision. Then I open Outlook and make a note 20 days out to tap the client on the shoulder if the payment hasn't arrived.

Cathy, I relax that too for existing clients who have already paid and proven they're intention to continue doing so. One former client used to like to tell me "the check was just sent" and then ask me to do something else. I'd usually hold off a day or two before answering, then tell him yes but extend the deadline another week just to make sure that check was really on the way. He would always dangle the carrot, though, as if he were talking to some starving artist type. Weird.

Paula, I've had that dreaded letter, too. I'm going to talk to my accountant — I wonder since there's ample proof that the money was owed thanks to reams of court documents, would that be allowed as a deduction?
Paula

February 15, 2014

I'm no tax expert, so when it happened to me I dug around online and at that time (8-10 years ago) I gleaned that those types of bad debts are only deductible if you use the accrual method of accounting. Like most freelancers, I use the cash method of accounting. (I know this thanks to Schedule C.) If you're incorporated, you might have better luck.
Jennifer Mattern

February 17, 2014

I had to have the late fee lecture w/ my hubs recently. One of his development clients kept stalling the project (waiting on another one of their contractors — completely out of my hubby's control that they weren't staying on top of the guy to get him what he needed).

Anyway, the client threatened to "hold his invoice" until the work was complete. He's on an ongoing contract where he invoices and gets paid by them every two weeks for hours put in. So they want to hold his contract (not pay on time) because they delayed the project by outsourcing another part of it without telling my hubs that up front or staying on top of the other guy.

I asked him how big of a late fee he'd be charging if they did hold the invoice. He turned bright red and looked like he wanted to kick himself. Then he got the spiel about how important they are. (Poor guy. I'm a nag like that.) You can be darned sure he'll never make that mistake again — or work with this client again.
Lori Widmer

February 17, 2014

I think you're right, Paula. I just wish there was a way to claim it when there's a proven instance of the invoice and its rejection, as it is now a court document. I'll give the IRS a call. They're usually very helpful.

Jenn, I hear you. Most of us have been there. 🙂 It's that a-ha moment that comes just a little too late, isn't it?
Devon Ellington

February 20, 2014

The deposit, especially for new clients, is essential.

When a potential client drags his feet on the contract and the deposit, I know there's going to be a problem further down the line, and I go ahead and give that slot to someone who's professional about contract and deposit instead.

Professionals dealing with professionals don't balk at either contracts or deposits. They want to get the work done, and get the details sorted.

The others aren't actual clients — they're grifters.
Lori Widmer

February 27, 2014

Great point, Devon. I agree — if they're not inclined to show good faith, there could be a problem later.