› ›
Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime

It's a dog's life being a freelancer sometimes

ClaudiaClaudia
edited April 2008 in - Writing Problems
Ooh I'm hopping mad!
I've been writing travel articles for an English language Spanish paper for the last six years. The arrangement has always been: I e-mail an article to the editor and photos to the proofer, then within a month or so I get an e-mail to tell me when it's being published. The proofing guy then sends me a copy of the published piece.
Last year they had a shake-up and I had to re-send an article that had been “lost” by the previous editor. All well and good, and I re-sent it. I also sent two more articles a couple of months later.
Well, yesterday I decided to politely ask what was going on because it's been months and months now which is unusual for them.
I get a reply telling me they've published my articles - in November, December and last week!
Clearly they weren't going to bother to tell me!!!!
(The proofing guy seems to have retired otherwise he'd have alerted me.)
I have now sent them my invoice and I'll never send them another article if this is how the new editor cheats his freelancers.
But I am so angry to be treated like this after writing for them for six bloody years.

Comments

  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    It's infuriating, but maybe the new editor didn't know the arrangement. If the invoice is paid promptly, then perhaps there's still hope.
  • Island GirlIsland Girl
    edited April 2008
    How frustrating. Are you able to get copies of the published articles, Claudia? Hopefully you'll get your money quickly and without any additional worries.
  • Celtic CCeltic C
    Can understand your frustration Claudia - hope you manage to get it sorted without too much difficulty.
  • KangarooKangaroo
    I hope it works out Claudia. Fingers crossed.
  • heatherheather
    On the bright side, well done for three more accepted articles!

    As Jay says, as they clearly like your work, don't do anything hasty until you see how they deal with the invoice.
  • BillBill
    well done, Claudia, and good luck with it.
  • dorothyddorothyd
    keep badgering for your money and copies, Claudia, that is out of line. No one should use something without paying, did they think you would let them gt away with it???
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    edited April 2008
    They've agreed to send me back copies - we'll see.
    I've e-mailed my invoice and asked them to send the cheque to me in England as I'll be there next month - we'll see.
    Jay,I clarified the arrangement I had had with the previous two editors when the staff changes were implemented, so failing to inform me three times was deliberate as far as I can tell. (Probably because they know I live in Fiji and wouldn't know when the articles were published.)
    The only good thing about this is at least they came clean when I chased them, but I won't ever trust them again. I'm not so desperate to be published by them that I'm prepared to put up with this sort of crap. (Scuse language - but still mad at them.)
  • FionaFiona
    Claudia, I wouldn't be too hasty in ditching them - if they're a regular paying gig. Now that you've whipped them into shape, hopefully they'll do better next time. I always send my invoice with the submission on the understanding that it will be paid on publication. With a lot of these magazines you need to build a relationship with them to make sure things run smoothly. You obviously did that with the old proof reader - hopefully you'll be able to do it with the next guy too. I know you shouldn't have to do that, but that's reality. Good luck with it.
  • ambolineamboline
    Claudia: wait and see if they pay up promptly for this invoice. If they don't, simply don't send them anything new until you've been paid for the last lot.
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    edited August 2008
    UPDATE:

    I managed to speak directly with the editor today instead of being fobbed off by sidekicks. He was extremely pleasant and said he knew nothing about my problems. I have e-mailed him a copy of my still unpaid invoice. He says he will arrange to have my money telegraphically transferred asap.

    I also discussed future work because I haven't sent them anything since this happened. He doesn't want too many 'international' travel features right now, but hopes things will pick up next year, so I've agreed to send him the odd article now and then for him to hold on file. (And made it very clear that I want to be informed when he uses them!)

    As for the three that have already been published - I believe they've sent copies to my friend's address in England - so hopefully they'll be waiting for me when I visit in a couple of months time.

    So - thanks for advising me not to be too hasty in ditching them completely!
  • CarolCarol
    Glad there have been some positives from this.
  • ChippyChippy
    If I had a pound for everytime I'd got p***ed off with my job and prepared to quit...well I'd only have about £3! But I know how you must have felt albeit under different circumstances.

    Good luck with any future articles =D
  • DaisyDaisy
    I'm glad you managed to find a competent person there to sort it out for you.
Sign In or Register to comment.