Work Now, We’ll Pay what we want later
Have you ever seen a freelance writing ad asking for writers to submit work without any idea of how much they will be paid? These “clients†ask you to submit content to their specifications and at that point they will decide what to pay you based on how much they like your work. Over the past few months, I have noticed that more and more of these jobs are popping up on freelance writing sites. The question is: are some freelance writers really falling into this trap?
Personally, I see no possible benefit of working with a client who sets forth this guideline. The problems with this setup are simple. First off, you have no idea what type of budget the client has in mind. You may be thinking that you can make $100 for a 500 word article just to find out that the client only wants to send $2. To go along with this, most of these clients are not going to pay more than they have to. In other words, even if you submit a great piece that you researched for hours on end, you are probably going to receive the low end of the pay scale.
My advice for accepting these kinds of jobs is simple: do not do it. If a client is worried about the quality they will receive, the easiest way around this is to ask for past work samples; not to pay what they want once the work is sent. There is nothing wrong with responding to these types of ads, but you should definitely negotiate for better terms such as a set fee per article, as well as at least half payment upfront.
I have no idea why “work now, we’ll pay what we want later†is becoming so popular. My only guess is that some people have had success posting these ads, and now it is beginning to catch on among others. While it is possible that a job like this could work out in the end, it is a risk that I am not willing to take. There are plenty of clients who are willing to tell you how much you will be earning, while also paying some of the money upfront. You do not need the headache and stress of waiting to see how much money a client thinks your work is worth.
