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Topic: Even with a contract is it worth the risk?
| Author | Message |
| joyeuxnoelle | Posted – 4/4/2008 6:51:15 PM | show profile I have the opportunity to write for a European publication, a fairly small one. He's asked me to do two pieces for an upcoming issue. The pay is reasonable. When I asked for a contract, he just said that he normally doesn't use contracts and that an email stating the per word rate normally suffices. I'm a bit concerned about the fact that contracts aren't standard practice. Even if I insist on a contract and he acquiesces is it worth the risk? If things go south would I could I do considering we're on different continents? |
| bones | Posted – 4/5/2008 9:00:35 AM | show profile Is it a good, well respected publication that's been around for a while and you've seen copies of? If so, it might be worth the risk to do one piece based on an email. After all, if you had a contract and he reneged, would you really sue him anyway--and in what country's courts? If the publication is brand new or seems sketchy, though, I wouldn't... |
| RockinRonD | Posted – 4/5/2008 1:09:26 PM | show profile | email poster Ask for 1/2 your fee in advance. That way you're not completely exposed should the magazine practice the nasty habit of not paying their writers. And remember, if you finish the piece and you get stiffed, you can always send it out elsewhere, but at least you have some money for your initial effort. |
| snappiness | Posted – 4/6/2008 11:24:44 AM | show profile I rarely use contracts If it is an established pub then an assignment email can serve as a contract. In fact, I don't think I've signed a contract in the past two years. I did sign one overall contract with one publisher recently, just to get them my SSN and all that jazz, but all subsequent assignments have been made via assignment letter. The letters I work from are brief emails from the editors that spell out length, deadline, scope and sometimes sources, and rate. |
| joyeuxnoelle | Posted – 4/6/2008 12:52:38 PM | show profile Thanks for the advice everyone. I can't tell how well established it is. I don't think they just got started yesterday, but they are hardly the NYT. I'm not really sure how to check them out. |
| snappiness | Posted – 4/7/2008 10:13:51 AM | show profile Check with trade associations and see if grievances have been filed against them. Do a general online search. Look at bylines to see if you know anyone who has written for them (or post here) to ask if there have been issues with payment. Ask the editor outright -- say that working without a contract is new for you, and that you'd like to check to see if they have ever had issues with not paying writers on time. Good luck. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. Usually it works out fine, but sometimes not, so just try to mitigate the risk by not taking a huge assignment with them as your first. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 4/7/2008 12:15:05 PM | show profile You might try calling the press officer or cultural affairs officer at the consulate or embassy for the country in which it's published; they are often nationals of that country and may know of the publication or the publisher of the magazine. They might not know the company's financial situation, certainly, but any information is better than none. |
| westsidestory | Posted – 4/7/2008 5:36:12 PM | show profile Ask for a third in advance, not half, that is more reasonable. Also find out how they intend to pay you- electronic fund transfer or a check? I have freelanced for British pubs and used to get checks in pounds. They were well respected in their field and had many american freelancers. You might try this: look at their masthead to find freelance "contributors" in your country, or bylines in recent issues, and google the authors and contact them for some input on whether they are fine to work with. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 4/8/2008 5:08:40 AM | show profile google their name and the word fraud. this usually pulls disgruntled, ripped-off writers out of the woodwork. Almost all of my best freelance customers I had no contract with, just a letter of assignment in the form of an email stating basics -- due date, topic, word count, pay. The exceptions were a big national magazine, and a big local daily. I also had one really sucky client who ripped me off for more than $2k -- even though I had "contracts", half because the magazine was run by goofballs and half because the editor they put in charge was utterly disorganized. She'd freely reassign, rescind, etc. assignments, forget who had who, send a new contract with a different price. Their website looks like they're in business still - no idea how. The content looks suspiciously unchanged -- could be a facade. My experience with paper contracts is they're sometimes for the iron-clad benefit of the publications issuing them instead of the writer. I've signed them and sent them and never had someone return them with THEIR signature. (on several occasions.) |
