Your Questions: Getting Paid!

Thanks to everyone that has emailed a question to me since my last post. Rest assured, I will get to them all so stay tuned for the information you want and need. The question that I'm going to answer today concerns payment. Two people asked roughly the same question:

How can I guarantee that I will get paid for work that I do?

The reason why I'm dealing with this first is because it is very important for you if you want to make a living out of writing. It is also a legitimate concern. After all, if you don't get paid then you have no career.

The first and most important thing to know is that there is no guarantee that you will be paid for the work that you do if you do not protect yourself. Agreeing to do work before putting measures in place will leave you open to con artists and those that will take your work and run. I have only ever not been paid for my work once. I made good use of the work I had done and ultimately benefitted from it, but it doesn't always turn out that way. You can try the following to protect yourself and ensure you get paid:

1 - Get A Deposit - Some writers only work on a deposit basis so they get a percentage of the total fee before anything is written. This is great for you because you have something for your work no matter what. However, most buyers are rightly sceptical and will not pay you in advance. They are as mistrustful of writers as writers are of them. They have no guarantee that you will not run off with the money. Also, very few buyers will trust unknown writers with an upfront fee because they have no idea what you are capable of. Try negotiating and remember that there is no harm in asking, but you are not likely to be taken up on your request!

2 - Draw Up A Contract - This is an excellent idea because it gives both writer and client peace of mind. However, it is only suitable for larger jobs in reality because every client knows that a writer doing a job for $50, for example, is not going to take them to court if they are not paid. It is not financially viable. However, for any jobs you do that are over $200 or $300, a contract is a must.

3 - Use A Protected Site - Finally, the best idea and way of protecting yourself! Certain sites, like Rentacoder, require the buyer to deposit the full amount agreed upon for work before you start on the project. The funds are in a neutral escrow and are released to you as soon as the buyer approves you work. There are actually writers that will only work through Rentacoder and ask all potential clients to set up a project for them rather than doing it privately. As long as you complete the work, you are guaranteed to get paid.

So there you have it, a quick guide on how to make sure you get paid! I hope that was useful for you. If you have any questions on this or any other questions that you may want to ask, just give me a shout!