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Topic: Unresponsive Editor - Custom Publisher
| Author | Message |
| upper west sider | Posted – 12/3/2008 6:58:51 PM | show profile I completed an assignment for a custom publisher last month. Our "agreement," if you want to call it that, was via e-mail. Editor stated what I would be paid, number of words, deadline, etc. But no mention of when I will be paid, because I did not ask. Thirty days since submission of my invoice is almost here. I sent her two e-mails, asking when the articles will be published and when I will be paid. No response. Naturally, I'm concerned because of the current economic climate and because it seems as if she has taken a powder, despite having been quite available while I was working on the assignment. |
| stinking prague | Posted – 12/4/2008 11:01:36 AM | show profile This has probably a lot less to do with the economic environment than it has to do with the reality that they don't pay freelancers if they can help it. Be a pest. |
| RockinRonD | Posted – 12/4/2008 12:01:16 PM | show profile | email poster Get Serious First, start calling the Accounts Payable office and get a name. Speak to that person and if you can't get through, try to get that person's email address. Send your invoice to his/her email with a note outlining the work, assignment and editor's name. Be persistent and continue to call until you get a response from the AP person. Be sure to CC the rude and unresponsive editor on all your communiques. Don't let up until you have an answer about payment--try to get them to FedEx the check to you if it's past 30 days as per your agreement, or wire it directly into your bank account. |
| upper west sider | Posted – 12/4/2008 2:04:47 PM | show profile She finally responded after a week, said my check will be sent out in a week or two; if check does not arrive by then, to contact her. |
| upper west sider | Posted – 12/14/2008 3:21:38 PM | show profile Still no moolah I contacted editor again after 30 days. She now advises that I should receive check within five business days, to call her if not received. I'm becoming very uncomfortable about this, since there has been commentary via a writers' organization I belong to that they are slow payers. On the other hand, I know a writer who has been getting paid within three weeks! |
| RockinRonD | Posted – 12/14/2008 8:16:03 PM | show profile You're getting the run around, plain and simple. Be sure to call her directly after the five days are up and every day after until the check comes. Don't let her stall you any longer. You should also start considering the fact that you may never see this money. Their site looks awfully dodgy to me. Good luck! |
| upper west sider | Posted – 12/15/2008 1:34:50 PM | show profile I appreciate your advice, RockinRon, although I never mentioned the name of the company or a specific site. I agree, however, that this may be a runaround and I'm very upset about it. |
| RockinRonD | Posted – 12/15/2008 1:48:20 PM | show profile Sorry...I got your situation confused with another deadbeat publisher, whose site I surfed onto. Still, be vigilant and be a pest if they don't follow through on payment in five days. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 12/16/2008 10:28:16 AM | show profile Thou shalt not work without a contract stipulating terms thusly. Okay, now that we have that out of the way, just for future reference, I don't start calling until they are officially late. Calling before then is bad form because they may have your check on the desk ready to be mailed, and you come off looking like you don't trust people who might be trustworthy. Obviously, that's not the case here, but just something to keep in mind next time--along with getting everything in writing before you so much as make one phone call or writing one word, especially with new clients. |
| upper west sider | Posted – 12/17/2008 12:05:55 PM | show profile WordyBird, You are absolutely correct. Normally, I do get full details before proceeding with a job, often with a letter of agreement. However, in this case, I contacted a colleague who told me she gets paid within three weeks to four by this particular custom publisher; also, this publisher actively recruits writers via a journalism organization I belong to by appearing on panels, pitch sessions,etc. What concerns me now is that there have been comments via internal organization reports that they are slow paying -- sometimes very slow paying. So now that it has been 5 weeks, I'm getting nervous. |
