Help Desk 4.28.05
Q: I’m new to freelancing but recently had a humor piece accepted by a local magazine. I was told I would be paid X amount of dollars, but when the editor e-mailed me the contract, it had all the previous writer’s info, including his rate, which was $75 higher than what the editor had originally said. Should I stick with what what he originally told me or should I ask what to put?
A: It’s not uncommon for publications to pay new writers less than ones they’ve worked with before or more “big name” writers. So don’t feel bad about getting less money than your predecessor. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t attempt to make this error work in your favor. Ask, innocently, “I just want to be sure what to put down. You told me “X” dollars but on this contract it says “X+50″ dollars,” so I just wanted to double check. The editor made a mistake and he may be embarrassed by it and give you the benefit of his error. Just play dumb and polite. And enjoy the fact that everyone makes stupid mistakes sometimes, including editors.
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