By Michael Rosenthal

For those of you who are struggling to make your mark in the Freelance Writing Industry, whether just starting out or experienced, no doubt you are well aware of the fact that rates of compensation have literally gone in the toilet over the past year since the US economy took the nose dive it did in the 4th quarter of 2008.

The harsh reality is that good quality freelancers are now getting raped by a huge variety of cheapskates and deadbeats out there – pure and simple.  For the sake of the situation at hand, I decided to speak my piece and divulge a few things that I have learned over the past several months.

Dredging through the Deadbeats

I recently came across a brilliant piece of prose composed by Angela Hoy of Writer’s Weekly (http://www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/003628_09132006.html) entitled ‘Do You Owe Writers Money? Advice For Deadbeats!’ and I highly recommend that any freelance writer novice or experienced  read this.  In this article, she defines the three different types of deadbeats and I am quoting her exact words:

‘Deadbeat #1‘- someone who is actually not a real deadbeat. This is someone who started a business, got in over his or her head, and is desperately trying to earn the money to pay off the mounting bills.

‘Deadbeat #2‘ – someone who had good intentions initially, but who now thinks he doesn’t have to pay his bills because he’s not making any money.

‘Deadbeat #3‘ – a true criminal who may have started out like deadbeats number 1 or 2, but who now intentionally hires freelancers with no intention of paying them at all.

It is obviously Deadbeats #2 and #3 that I am the most concerned with where my fellow freelancers are concerned.  My website partner and I have a client who is currently walking that fine line between #2 and #3 because he is no longer responding to our requests for payment with much more than lame excuses that even a 5th grader can see through.  His excuses fall somewhere between blatant lies and just a big pile of manure.

My advice here is exactly what Angela Hoy wrote in her article, regarding Deadbeats #2 and #3, and I quote:

If you are deadbeat #2, you should know that what you’re doing is wrong and, depending on your actions, maybe even illegal. You can’t hire someone and then simply decide not to pay them because your income has dried up. You can learn a few things from #1. Be respectable, have integrity, and don’t ruin your reputation or get dragged into court because you made a mistake. Clean up your mess respectably by apologizing and paying your bills and then move on.

If you are Deadbeat #3, know that we and our fellow writing websites, discussion lists, and forums are all over you. If you think you can hire one of our own and not pay them, and get away Scott free, think again. We’re going to alert everyone we can of your deadbeat status. We’re going to publicize your website, your publication name, and your name as well. Once that happens, you can bet your name will forever be synonymous with the word DEADBEAT because that’s exactly what you are.

The point I’m trying to make is a simple one  BE CAREFUL in your business dealings.  My advice is to try and get a 50% on any new business that comes your way.  At least you get some kind of compensation if they turn out to be Deadbeat #2 or #3 above.

Compensation is in the Crapper

Those of you who have gone to online freelance bid boards to find consistent work have probably witnessed how badly freelance writing rates have declined.  Not only are the rates of pay at an all time low, they are just demeaning.  The sad part about all of this is that writers are stooping to new lows and prostituting their talents for worse than slavery wages in the process.  This hasn’t helped the issue either.

In fact, it only makes things worse when people are willing to work all day for only $5 or $10 and sadly, that is exactly what has been going on.  If you’re in that boat, I highly recommend you bail and swim for shore because you are not helping the industry better itself.  In fact, you are only hurting your fellow writers so let your conscience mull that one over for a while.

The Bottom Line

Remember first and foremost the #1 rule in the freelance writing industry PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS!  The following is a list of 6 steps to always perform anytime you are working for a client, especially if this is a first-time project and new client:

• Never let that potential client know that you are inexperienced or just starting out – I cannot stress the importance of this enough.  Conduct yourself in a manner that says you have the experience and the talent to produce top quality content for that client.  Letting that client know that you are an amateur empowers them and enables them to walk all over you throughout your project.

• Never allow any major changes in the midst of a project – as ruthless as this may sound, if the client decides to change the content or scope of the project, charge them a fee.  The amount of the fee will depend on deep you have gotten into the project.  I always employ the 50% rule from the very beginning.

• A Revision does not mean Re-writing the entire content – I’ve known freelancers who just let clients lead them around by the nose on this one.  Revising an article or revisions to the content should be anticipated.  It’s just the nature of the beast with freelance writing.  However, depending on the number of words involved, you never want to rewrite more than 20% of the content without charging an additional fee.  The average article is typically 400-500 words in length.  So that means revising would entail rewriting 80-100 words.

• I want to bring up a critical point about this.  You may need to be very forceful about this with some clients, but you definitely need to make this known right up front before that client ever sends you that first assignment or project.  Remember that it is the client’s responsibility to give you concise directions and critical need-to-know information in the initial instructions.  Clients are notorious for not being specific about what they want and then you wind up rewriting an entire piece because you didn’t do the job correctly.

• Never begin a new project for a client if they haven’t paid you for the prior one – I have experienced this so I can tell you first hand that you need to be firm when it comes to getting paid on all prior work.  I had a client when I was first starting out that would have me do 3 to 5 short articles at a time and paid religiously.  The first time I took on a bigger project of about 20 longer articles, I never saw my money despite providing him with all that content.  So you need to protect yourself on this, also.

• Never be afraid to ask for 50% up front.  If the client flakes on you, at least you will have gotten some compensation.  Additionally, if they are slow paying clients, you may want to think about asking for 100% payment up front.  In the meantime, if you feel that you will be risking losing a client, then you should also be scouting around for a replacement client so you don’t lose out altogether.

• Start firm in the beginning and remain firm throughout the project – this relates to all of the above suggestions.  If you don’t that client will find every opportunity they can to just walk all over you, so state your terms from the beginning and make the client adhere to them all the way through the project.  Most importantly – NEVER, NEVER, NEVER let the client talk you down on your fees.

• Whenever possible, prepare a contract that is legal and binding – I cannot emphasize this enough.  Without this tool, you have no chance of ever getting paid.  Granted, the legal process involved with this can oftentimes be lengthy and tedious, but at least you will have some leverage for getting compensated.  There are no guarantees that you will get paid, but having a contract is good insurance and just makes sense.

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