Oo I haven’t blogged in so long! I read this article recently called Tips for Freelancers, Artists, and other creative types and it totally speaks to my life right now! They really are great tips (I think I’m signing up for Yoga at East Side Yoga while I still can), but there’s one thing:
IT DOESN’T TALK ABOUT THE CRAP YOU ENDURE WHEN YOU DON’T GET PAID
Seriously, who does that?! I can’t believe this lady. I’ve called her, I’ve e-mailed her. No response. She’s not even negotiating or returning my calls so I don’t even know what is going on. This is the first time this has ever happened to me so it was a real shock and has caused a lot of anxiety. It’s disappointing and to me, somewhat of a setback to what I’m trying to do. It makes me hesitant to take any jobs and do the work if this can be the outcome.
I keep going back and forth about doing what I love vs. security. Both are really important to me. My timing would have been perfect…4 months ago, but as I approach the 6th month in my home buying search and still waiting for word from the bank on whether my short sale goes through, (and my financials dwindle) it gets harder and harder. This non-payment issue is a low blow to my self-esteem too. I totally just need to do yoga to help zen me out. I feel the most secure and safe when I’m on the road and no road in sight is unnerving to me. Thought there was going to be a summer tour, which was then a fall tour, and now it doesn’t look like I have a tour until 2011. AHHH. I need to get into gear but when your mind is frazzled everything seems impossible.
In other news, yesterday I went to the craft fair and spent about 2 hrs there, I need to go back but I’ve been super lazy today! Maybe that’s better because it keeps me from buying to many cute things!?!? I also had Sandy’s custard AND sno beach. Incredible!
May 16th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
What a pain in the butt! I’m sorry you have to deal with a client like that. Is there any way to collect half up front or anything like that? I don’t know how freelancing works, but that is what I do for photography. Have you threatened her with legal action? Sometimes that’s all it takes.
May 16th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
You should draft up a contract that basically says when work is delivered you will get paid. I’m sure there’s got to be one-page forms out there that you can copy from the internet or at least use as a basis for your own contract that you have people sign so that you have a formal contract. I’m sure that emails where you are both agreeing on you providing a service for a specific payment would hold up in court if it came to that, but if you have people sign a contract it makes it more official and less likely that you’d get skirted again.
I’m sorry this has happened to you, that’s really unprofessional and just plain shitty of the person to not pay you.
May 19th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Freelance work IS hard. I have been in this situation too, when a (very large) company paid me nearly 2 months late! It was seriously disillusioning (<–word?), like this situation with the crazy lady clearly is for you.
Hang in there, Mai. Is it freelance PR you're referring to? I've found the best freelance strategy to be this: ONE steady, big dawg client who pays the bills; 1-2 smaller, labor-of-love type folks. In fact, there are about a zillion freelance publicists here in Austin who do this same thing, I've even thought about setting up a little Facebook group (slash support group
where we can all trade ideas with each other…