I try to practice what a preach, but every so often this escapes me. Most recently, I fell prey to a client who promised more work if I could complete his current project in a short period of time. Since I had a few extra hours and had spoken with the client on the phone, I figured that he was telling the truth. Was I right? Of course not. The project was completed on time, early in fact, and that was the last that I heard from the client. Luckily, I requested payment upfront so at least I didn’t lose out in that regard as well.
Time after time, clients will tell you that they have plenty more work if you can just do them one huge favor right now. In my case, the favor was a rush job. In many other circumstances the client will ask for a lower price since they are going to be sending you so much work. Of course, this is nothing more than a ploy to get what they want. This is not to say that every client is lying, because that is not the case. I have had clients tell me that they would send more work after the first job, and then follow through promptly. But in my experience, most people who want special treatment in return for future work have no intention of ever working with you again.
If you plan on doing business with a client that is promising future work and you are skeptical in the least bit, it is important to get paid upfront. Remember, if they are dishonest enough to attempt to trick you, they are dishonest enough to not send payment after the project is complete. If they refuse to pay you upfront for your services, you will then have to decide how to proceed. At the very least, you will not want to accept anything less than 50 percent of the agreed upon price.
If you are like most freelance writers you want to hear from clients that can offer ongoing work. But remember, promises of future work mean nothing. Protect yourself against this scam by only accepting projects that meet your terms, and of course, receiving payment before you begin.
Anytime I take on a new client, I wonder whether or not they will pay me when the time comes. While there are some measures that you can take in order to ensure payment, you never know what a client is going to do down the line.
Keep this in mind: persistence is the key to receiving payment from a freelance writing client that is attempting to dodge you. When it comes down to it, if you forget about the payment the client will probably do the same. But if you stay on top of them, you will more than likely get what is owed to you in the end.
What does it mean to stay persistent? How can I do this without being overbearing? First and foremost, you need to realize that this should be handled on a case by case basis. With some clients, I never have to remind them to pay me; even the first time. They know what they owe me, and send it upon completion. On the other side of things, some clients need a push from time to time. You need to consider when you submitted your invoice, as well as how you will be paid in order to determine when to follow up. For instance, if you are planning on receiving payment by check, you will want to wait a few weeks. Of course, with a PayPal payment you can receive funds instantly. In this case, you may want to check up with a client after five to seven days.
Make sure that you do not accuse the client of nonpayment before you give them a chance. Remember, not everybody pays invoices on a daily basis. I work with many large companies that only send payment once per month. If you are worried about payment, you may want to ask the client their policy. In most cases, this will ease your mind.
In rare cases when a couple months go by, you need to start checking in with the client on a more regular basis. If you are lucky this will never happen because waiting months for payment can be difficult. Again, if the client is being responsive make sure you ask them for a clear cut answer on when your payment will arrive. If they are ignoring you altogether, you will want to get creative. Try to send emails, call on the phone, and even rely on snail mail.
All in all, if you complete a freelance writing project you are entitled to the agreed upon payment. While most people are honest and prompt when it comes to sending payment, there will always be those who are a bit behind. When dealing with these clients, make sure you are persistent until you receive your funds.Â
As an aspiring freelance writer, you are probably interested in breaking into the “$1/word market†sooner rather than later. While it is difficult to find clients that pay in this range, they are out there. Believe it or not, some companies and publications pay in excess of $1/word. It would be nice if every client fell into this category, but that is wishful thinking.
If you are striving to break into this market, there are several things that you can do to help your cause. Here are four tips that should help you to earn $1/word or more soon enough.
1. Use a resource such as Writer’s Market in order to find publications that meet this pay scale. This is the best way to break into the $1/word market because you can see which publications offer this pay, and what exactly they are looking for. In my experience, this is the easiest way to break into higher paying markets. A simple query letter is all that stands between you and hitting it big!
2. You can always start at the bottom, and work your way up the ladder as time goes by. I have several clients that increase my pay-per-word as time goes by. While most of them started out by offering $.10 to $.15/word, many of them now pay more than $.50/word. By sticking with a client over the long haul, you may find that your pay will increase every so often.
3. To go along with number two, do not be afraid to ask for a pay increase when you think you deserve it. Many freelance writers increase their prices at the beginning of every year so that they have an “excuse†for doing so. This allows them to tell clients that their prices have gone up across the board, and hopefully talk them into doing the same.
4. New freelance writers are not going to find it easy to locate jobs that offer $1/word or more. You need to exercise patience when building your freelance writing career. It is common to start by writing for regional publications that pay $.05/word. But as your career and portfolio grow, it will be much easier for you to command higher rates.
Earning $1/word is possible. Many freelance writers balk at anything that pays less than this. Although I am not one of them, this is a mark that I strive to hit on a regular basis. When you begin to break into markets that pay $1/word, it is safe to say that you will be earning a solid freelance writing income.
