Getting Paid

Mustang, if you didn't get that "guarantee" on paper, it never happened.

One of the problems with getting paid is having to go through overworked sports editors, who put communication with Accounts Payable far down on THEIR overflowing lists of work to do. No excuse, though, for the A/P person cutting checks "when she feels like it." That's crap. Keep hounding them.

 

Did they every give you any work after that?

 

Invoice. Records. No excuse to be paid less frequently than monthly. In fact, not sure how they can keep track of their own books if the don't have some sort of schedule for these kinds of payments.

 

I'd echo the thoughts about the record keeping...Things will go haywire with even the best of clients...so do be persistent, but do not napalm any bridges...I'd like it if shops operated the way plasma banks, do...cash on the barrel head. But the truth is that every place handles things in a different manner, and you have to allow for that. Thirty days from the date of invoice is reasonable...But this is important, always send an invoice. And make sure that you supply a purchase order no. (just make one up, I incorporate the date and client in mine). I hear from guys who are waiting for money from shops, and my first question to them is, "When did you send the invoice". Answer is usually, "I didn't send one"....

 

Always know this: as a freelancer in any project, you will ALWAYS be the last one paid, so expect it.

 

I invoice my assignment editor weekly with dates, names of the assignments and price all listed. He turns those over to the accounting person who "pays when she feels like it." When I ask him about checks, he gives me her email address and tells me to "be polite." I understand most papers don't pay weekly, but I've never worked for a paper that did not have a set schedule for sending out checks. If she sends them out once a month on the 15th that would be fine but when I first started working for them last year, I think I filed stories for 3 months before I got a check. Unfortunately, I really need the gig or I wouldn't put up with it. I had a different gig for 6 years where freelancers were paid always on the first Tuesday of the month via direct deposit which was wonderful. I miss those days . . .

 

"pays when she feels like it" is terrible.

If the SE tells you to be polite and won't help much, then you need to go to the EE or Publisher.

If I was that paper's publisher or comptroller, I'd be frightened if that's how she handles accounts.

 

Yeah, I know that's what sucked about it. The boss calls me and says he is going out of town and he needs all these assignments done that he can't do. It was a huge last minute deal, and of course I needed the money so I accepted the offer-which was at a higher rate because of the amount of work and tight deadline. When it comes to paycheck time, which is well down the road, nothing is deposited. By that time the boss is no longer employed there and it is me vs. the secretary (poor lady, it wasn't her fault) about how much I should get paid.

I couldn't prove the cell phone conversation from 2 months earlier, but eventually she took me at my word, and I got the full amount of money. It was two months late, which sucks because money was tight, but atleast I didn't have to fight them too much on it because I know it wouldn't have held up in court.

 

I wouldn't so much as give them a two-word sentence.

When they told me they were going to retroactively change the agreement, without any input from me, I told them I was done with them.

Six months later, I was hired at the paper I'm at now.

 

One thing that seems to be a recurring theme on these freelance threads, to me anyway, is the lack of understanding one very important thing.

If you are freelancing, you are in reality, running your own business. You should be recording your expenses, keeping receipts, recording mileage and keeping good books.

After my [expletive deleted] experience with the shop I referenced earlier, I would strongly urge anyone looking to freelance to have a WRITTEN agreement with payment terms, due by dates and any other important points which could lead to a disagreement further down the road; especially if it's a place you are going to do more than one story for. Even if it's one story, I would suggest e-mailing an agreement to them and let them know this is your standard operating procedure.

This does two things. You look professional, you look like you take this seriously and it covers your behind.

Edit: K, that's three things. My crappy day continues.

 

What I've found to be odd is some places don't want or expect an invoice.
The assigning editor does a little form and then the money rolls in.
Other places will want an invoice one day and then don't want one the next. Hey AP, I'm talking about you.
I invoiced four different places for work done in August. About a thousand bucks owed to me and only one has sent me a check.
That's why I started the thread about the SportsXchange. It was the first time I had done work for them, so I was curious as to what other people knew.
I normally wouldn't care, but I got a tax bill due this month and I hadn't set any money aside to pay it, since I would have spare freelance cash laying around. Oops.