Comments on: The Check Is In The Mail: How To Avoid This Tale of Woe http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/ Freelance Resources for Writers, Designers & Other Virtual Service Providers Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:50:10 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Barbara Walker http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-17975 Barbara Walker Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:20:29 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-17975 Hi Jennifer, Yes, Chris Callahan is our dean. What a small world! I think he is one of my reasons for being such a stickler for AP style. ASU's J-School is transitioning journalists to write for the web and ensuring they follow the same standards online as they would in print. Anyway, I found your blog and will add it to my list of blogs. Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one out there sourcing my AP style guide...lol! Hi Jennifer,

Yes, Chris Callahan is our dean. What a small world! I think he is one of my reasons for being such a stickler for AP style. ASU’s J-School is transitioning journalists to write for the web and ensuring they follow the same standards online as they would in print.

Anyway, I found your blog and will add it to my list of blogs.

Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one out there sourcing my AP style guide…lol!

]]> By: Simon http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-17635 Simon Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:08:58 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-17635 I am also like you, Christina. I just trust people when they give work to me. I focus only on the quality of work done till it is completed. Till now everything is going fine. Anyway I will try to follow some of the tips you suggested. Thanks. I am also like you, Christina. I just trust people when they give work to me. I focus only on the quality of work done till it is completed. Till now everything is going fine. Anyway I will try to follow some of the tips you suggested. Thanks.

]]> By: Marie Poulin http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16942 Marie Poulin Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:44:49 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16942 I had a prospective client say after a phone meeting: "Ok so, I have a homework assignment for you. Show me what you can do- See what you can come up with! Alright? Ok send me something, bye!" and hung up rather quickly. The red flags went up, and I realized that this prospective client did not understand that he would need to hire me first before i would produce any work. This is usually when I would have provided a quote for sign-off. I decided not to pursue the project, so I told the client that unfortunately, I did not have time for his request. I always invoice 25%-50% up front before work even begins, and make sure you get them to sign a contract! I had a prospective client say after a phone meeting:

“Ok so, I have a homework assignment for you. Show me what you can do- See what you can come up with! Alright? Ok send me something, bye!” and hung up rather quickly.

The red flags went up, and I realized that this prospective client did not understand that he would need to hire me first before i would produce any work. This is usually when I would have provided a quote for sign-off. I decided not to pursue the project, so I told the client that unfortunately, I did not have time for his request.

I always invoice 25%-50% up front before work even begins, and make sure you get them to sign a contract!

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16713 Jennifer Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:04:12 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16713 No matter how long I write for the web, I will never be able to shake off the AP rules! They're just permanently imprinted on my brain! But it's nice to know that if I slack off, people will cut me some slack...I hope. :) (Barbara, was Chris Callahan dean at your J-school? He was at Maryland when I was in J-school.) No matter how long I write for the web, I will never be able to shake off the AP rules! They’re just permanently imprinted on my brain! But it’s nice to know that if I slack off, people will cut me some slack…I hope. :)

(Barbara, was Chris Callahan dean at your J-school? He was at Maryland when I was in J-school.)

]]> By: Traci Feit Love http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16708 Traci Feit Love Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:10:12 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16708 Hi, Barbara. In general, blog writing is more informal than writing for print. Bloggers don't really worry too much about style manuals or "the rules" in general - it's more just about getting your point across. Of course, that doesn't mean that you should change how <em>you</em> write; just don't be too surprised when you see lots of non-AP style writing online :) Hi, Barbara. In general, blog writing is more informal than writing for print. Bloggers don’t really worry too much about style manuals or “the rules” in general – it’s more just about getting your point across. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should change how you write; just don’t be too surprised when you see lots of non-AP style writing online :)

]]> By: Barbara Walker http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16691 Barbara Walker Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:15:51 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16691 Hello, I am grateful to have found your blog. I am a freelance writer/journalist and also the mother of a wonderful toddler. Having just graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, my life has been a bit chaotic. Now I am trying to figure out ow to work from home and hope to learn tricks from you all. I do have one question though, and it's something I've noticed often in blogs: AP style says numbers below 10 should be spelled out (unless age, date etc.) and I see the number "5" is used instead on one of your posts. I'm just wondering if there is a different protocol for web-writing. Thanks, and again LOVE your site. -Barbara Hello,

I am grateful to have found your blog. I am a freelance writer/journalist and also the mother of a wonderful toddler.

Having just graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, my life has been a bit chaotic. Now I am trying to figure out ow to work from home and hope to learn tricks from you all.

I do have one question though, and it’s something I’ve noticed often in blogs: AP style says numbers below 10 should be spelled out (unless age, date etc.) and I see the number “5″ is used instead on one of your posts.

I’m just wondering if there is a different protocol for web-writing.

Thanks, and again LOVE your site.

-Barbara

]]> By: Catherine http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16557 Catherine Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:56:17 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16557 I offer discounts for pre-payment (retainer). The bigger the retainer, the deeper the discount. Not paid by invoice due date? Lose the discount. Then it's 10% of the balance per month. I send out a document explaining all thus to each new client! So far, only one "bad" client...and I used to work for them! I offer discounts for pre-payment (retainer). The bigger the retainer, the deeper the discount. Not paid by invoice due date? Lose the discount. Then it’s 10% of the balance per month. I send out a document explaining all thus to each new client! So far, only one “bad” client…and I used to work for them!

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16553 Jennifer Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:04:56 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16553 Bah! They can't afford to send you $100 within a year? Pretty sad, aren't they? I don't ask for payment upfront from regular clients. I send an invoice within a week for most projects, or within 30 days for others. I also don't use Paypal since I'm not doing a lot of really short, regular projects (i.e. SEO articles). But I've heard horror stories like this before, and it makes me think that I will think long and hard about perhaps asking for some type of payment upfront when dealing with new clients in the future... Bah! They can’t afford to send you $100 within a year? Pretty sad, aren’t they?

I don’t ask for payment upfront from regular clients. I send an invoice within a week for most projects, or within 30 days for others. I also don’t use Paypal since I’m not doing a lot of really short, regular projects (i.e. SEO articles). But I’ve heard horror stories like this before, and it makes me think that I will think long and hard about perhaps asking for some type of payment upfront when dealing with new clients in the future…

]]> By: Lisa http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16541 Lisa Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:22:26 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16541 I had a web design client do that to me once, so I disabled their website from the server. I guess you can't do that with writing though. I hope someone refers you to the writing newsletter lady who hunts down deadbeats, she usually gets results. I had a web design client do that to me once, so I disabled their website from the server. I guess you can’t do that with writing though.

I hope someone refers you to the writing newsletter lady who hunts down deadbeats, she usually gets results.

]]> By: Elizabeth King Humphrey http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16518 Elizabeth King Humphrey Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:38:37 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16518 Always a bummer not to receive payment! In addition to the 50% up-front payment, an alternative suggestion is to prepare a set of conditions for the work. For example, in this case, they were requesting five blog posts. The conditions for your agreement could have been to provide two blog posts and, once those were accepted and paid for, you would complete the final three. If you had provided a couple of posts, requested payment and had not received the money, you would have been out less money. Often, when dealing with longer assignments and several drafts, setting various stages allows the writer to receive payment during the process and keeps the contractor on the same page as those hiring the contractor. Thanks for sharing your story and warning! Elizabeth Always a bummer not to receive payment!
In addition to the 50% up-front payment, an alternative suggestion is to prepare a set of conditions for the work. For example, in this case, they were requesting five blog posts. The conditions for your agreement could have been to provide two blog posts and, once those were accepted and paid for, you would complete the final three. If you had provided a couple of posts, requested payment and had not received the money, you would have been out less money. Often, when dealing with longer assignments and several drafts, setting various stages allows the writer to receive payment during the process and keeps the contractor on the same page as those hiring the contractor.

Thanks for sharing your story and warning!

Elizabeth

]]> By: Kelly http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16516 Kelly Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:28:24 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16516 Christina, I've gone to bat for several work at home moms who have had trouble with clients stiffing them - if a threat of public disgrace would have any effect... LOL! I've been blessed. I've had to wait for a few payments in unusual circumstances, but for the most part I've had faithful people to work with and got paid on time. These days, I do very little without getting paid up front! Christina, I’ve gone to bat for several work at home moms who have had trouble with clients stiffing them – if a threat of public disgrace would have any effect… LOL!

I’ve been blessed. I’ve had to wait for a few payments in unusual circumstances, but for the most part I’ve had faithful people to work with and got paid on time.

These days, I do very little without getting paid up front!

]]> By: Lexi Rodrigo http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16515 Lexi Rodrigo Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:26:56 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16515 I hope you get your check soon Christina! I always ask for full payment upfront from new clients. Old clients pay me after tge work is completely. The problem is when an old client starts having issues, which has happened to me once. I did evebtually get paid, but fired the client afterwards. I hope you get your check soon Christina!

I always ask for full payment upfront from new clients. Old clients pay me after tge work is completely.

The problem is when an old client starts having issues, which has happened to me once. I did evebtually get paid, but fired the client afterwards.

]]> By: Cindy Bidar http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/the-check-is-in-the-mail-how-to-avoid-tale-of-woe/comment-page-1/#comment-16514 Cindy Bidar Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:06:08 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=977#comment-16514 What a mess for you! Thanks for the reminder to get all the details up front--and don't forget to agree on the currency! I made that mistake myself just recently. What a mess for you! Thanks for the reminder to get all the details up front–and don’t forget to agree on the currency! I made that mistake myself just recently.

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