The other day I received an email from “Kathy,” who was a full-time copywriter for 10 years, and, like a lot of folks lately, had been “let go.” Funny how that phrase conveys that you weren’t screwed–you were set free! Liberated! Go, you wild thing! Kathy wanted to discuss the pros/cons/pitfalls of life as a freelance copywriter, and one of her questions was: how do you make sure you get paid?
Oh Kathy, honey, I’m SO glad you asked.
I’ve dealt with the whole “getting paid” issue from two fronts: as a freelance copywriter and as a co-owner of a mid-sized fire alarm contracting business. I dealt with more collection issues in the construction industry; as a freelance writer, I only had one really bad situation in eight years. I was working with a small agency on a larger account, we had already completed several components of a large campaign, when suddenly a new account person took over and we were “let go” without payment for services rendered to date. Luckily, we had a contract and the agency owner sued the company. Luckily, she has two relatives who are attorneys. Luckily, we won and finally did get paid–18 months later.
Here are seven things you can do to make sure you get paid for your freelance work: Continue reading ’7 Ways to Make Sure You Get Paid as a Freelance Creative’
