Avoid Getting Duped by Freelance Writing Clients
There is nothing more disappointing than doing a lot of work for a freelance writing client, just to find that they do not want to pay. In fact, disappointing does not even cover a situation like this. This has happened to me in the past, and each time it felt just as bad as the time before. When it comes down to it, nobody likes to do a lot of work for promise of payment, just to get stiffed in the end.
This year I have vowed to make sure that I keep deadbeat clients at a distance. Through my experience there is not an overabundance of these types, but they are out there. In order to reach my goal, I plan on putting the following three tips into place.
1. If a client has given me a hard time in the past over payment, I am going to drop them from my books. It is not worth my time to complete a project, and then have to argue with the client for months on end for payment. Sure, I may get paid in the end, but the time put into collecting is time that could go towards other more important tasks.
2. Collect 50 percent up front for the majority of projects. While I do not plan on doing this across the board, especially not with current clients, it is a stipulation that I am going to attempt to enforce for all new clients; especially with large jobs. By getting 50 percent payment up front it does two things. One, it shows me that the client is serious. And two, it allows me to get paid at least half the money, even if the client decides to leave me hanging in the end.
3. Research each potential client before working with them. With the help of Google this is not a time consuming process. For instance, if a company contacts me I will first check out their website, and then look for third party information. If I find nothing, it is a good thing. But a negative review or feedback will definitely raise a red flag.
If freelance writing is of interest to you, avoiding bad clients is of utmost importance. Use the three tips above this year to make sure that you always get paid for the work that you do.
January 3rd, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I’m thankful that I’ve only had one client that bailed on me, but it was only for a single article so it wasn’t so bad. I do have one other current client who always takes forever to pay and considering the small amount of money I earn from him, I’ve thought about dropping that account for a while.
January 4th, 2008 at 8:16 am
[...] Avoid Getting Duped by Freelance Writing Clients - ChrisBlogging (hey… we all hate getting screwed) [...]
January 4th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Great post. I got stiffed last January for $1,300 and am still trying to pursue the money in court. What really makes me mad is that I turned away other work because I was committed to completing the offending client’s project. Then he ended up not paying me and two months later, offered to pay me $350 because “that’s all it was worth.”
January 4th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
[...] As a final point to paid writing be cautious of deadbeat publishers that don’t want to pay. Chris offers some good tips at ChrisBlogging. [...]
January 5th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Hi Chris,
I think this is why a lot of writers choose to play it safe and stick with a few clients they know they can rely on. Of course, this can be limiting from both a creative and financial standpoint, and it’s necessary to diversify and branch out.
I’m still waiting on about $1K from last year, and I hate, hate, HATE spending my time writing follow-up emails and new invoices rather than writing articles, but it could be much worse.
Susan
March 6th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Well, that is one problem with freelance, an eternal one. And with the advent of outsourcing, it has become more difficult than ever before. Come to think of it, if I do not take a project, I stand to lose money, if I do the work and do not pursue a deadbeat client, I stand to lose money! It’s between the devil and the deep sea…