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I didn’t get paid for my first freelance gig. At this point in my career, I’m not terribly embarrassed to admit it, but if you’d asked me about it a few years back, I probably never would have talked about it.
I’d scored a gig–not even for writing but for transcription–that was going to take a few hours and reward me with about $200 for my time. It was almost no money for the amount of work it demanded, but I was on cloud 9. I couldn’t help but think this was going to kickstart the career I’d been dreaming about, and everything after was going to snowball into major money after it.
Seven hours later, pages of transcription were completed, and a final project was turned in. I anxiously awaited my payment. But it never came. I sent an email to my contact and got no response. I chalked it up to a busy day and checked back in a day or two later.
Still nothing.
That first gig ended with me sobbing on the beach, thinking I’d made a huge mistake diving headfirst into the freelance writing world. How could I possibly make money or find success in this space? I couldn’t even get paid for my work.
The saddest part about my story is that it’s not unique to me.
Sure, I made some serious mistakes and ultimately didn’t set myself up for success, but not getting paid can happen to any freelancer, no matter how experienced they are. I’m willing to bet you can ask any professional freelancer in your life about a bad payment experience, and they can regale you with dozens of tales.
The fact of the matter is, not every client is going to pay you fairly–and sometimes they’ll think they don’t have to pay you at all.
Is that right? Absolutely not. Should the onus be on you to get paid for work you’ve done? Nope. But the reality of this industry is that if we don’t set up safeguards, payment processes, and foolproof workflows, we might end up getting the short end of the stick.
Over the years, I’ve scraped together some non-negotiables for my payment process–things that I allow to happen and things that I don’t allow to happen.
These principles have ensured that I get paid–every cent, every time. Your system for getting paid doesn’t need to look just like mine; it just needs to work for you (and get you paid). Here’s a quick little guide to what I do and what I don’t when it comes to payment.
How to Get Paid Seamlessly as a Freelance Copywriter
Know What You'll Charge (& When You'll Charge It) Ahead of Time
This might seem like silly advice, but I never (ever) wait until the end of a project to give a final quote. Understanding the scope of the project, the services you’ll provide, how edits will play out, and how and when payment is expected is entirely up to you.
You’re not doing anyone, including your client, any favors by not being upfront or transparent about what you’ll charge. Waiting until you finish a project to deliver a final quote isn’t professional, but it’s also not fair. In the same way, you need to set expectations about when you’ll be paid by your client.
You might assume that you’ll receive payment as soon as the project is over–your client might assume they’ll pay you two weeks after the project. Either can work, but you both have to be aware of and agree to those terms.
You and your client both need to know what you’re getting into, what it’s going to cost, and what they can expect before you dive in.
Contracts Are Your Best Friend
If there’s something I could tell my newbie freelancing self all those years ago, it’s to stop putting off creating contracts. I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my career and have only dealt with two non-payment issues (the second story is a doozy)–but that didn’t happen by accident.
Creating a clear line of communication and expectations through contracts hold both you and your client accountable. They don’t say, “I don’t trust you,” but rather, “I care about us both being professional and promising to hold each other accountable.”
There are a lot of hot takes on contracts out there, but to sum it up, here’s why they’re important to me:
- They set and manage expectations
- They help you smooth out any bumps in the road beforehand
- They detail payment schedules and outline deadlines
- They’re a solid reference point for your agreement and terms
- They assure the client and assure you—you’re both legally bound
- They’re a security blanket—you have proof of an agreement should something go wrong
- They tie into professionalism–you are a legitimate entity and shows your clients that you know what you’re doing. important for peace of mind for clients and for marketability and branding
Be Bold, Be Direct
I firmly believe that you shouldn’t have to be your only advocate all the time. On the flip side, though, I’m a big believer in advocating for yourself because, often, you’re the one who can do it best.
I don’t love that freelancers have to work so hard and advocate for themselves just to get paid–that’s not ideal. But I do think that to navigate the industry we’re in; sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.
My biggest advice to freelance writers and copywriters is to be bold and be direct about what you deserve. And guess what? You can do this in a professional, diplomatic way. No one’s asking you to come out guns blazing and demanding your late payments.
Be authentic, be professional, and don’t back down. If you’re owned money and haven’t received it, the most likely thing that’s happened is your client forgot. It’s rare (not unheard of, but rare) for a client to deliberately and maliciously not pay you for your time and effort.
When you come looking for that payment, be ready to give the benefit of the doubt without waffling on what you’re owed.
For a little context, this is something I deal with on a semi-regular basis. I have a client who I adore working with. They’re considerate, appreciative, and always kind when giving constructive feedback. In fact, I love working with them so much that I’ve kept them on as a client for six years–and they’ve navigated raising rates, new projects, economic turns, and more alongside me.
But you know what? To this day, I still send a second reminder about paying my invoice.
I set it up in my CRM, but every reminder email sounds pretty much the same.
“Hey Client,
I hope you’re having a great day! I’m reaching out to let you know about outstanding invoice #1234 sent on DATE for $123 that was due to be paid on DATE. Please let me know if you’d like me to resend the invoice for your convenience.
Wishing you the best!”
Prepare a Seamless Payment Process
Sometimes, just having a set structure in place can get rid of potential issues. The more obstacles you can eliminate from your payment workflow, the better. A general rule I like to abide by is to make any process–especially the payment process–as streamlined as possible. Presently, I use Quickbooks as my invoicing platform. This software makes payment seamless for me (it direct deposits into my business bank account) and even easier for the customer–they can pay with their business account or even a credit card.
And most importantly, it integrates seamlessly with my payment workflow.
For me, that workflow looks something like this:
- Come to terms with the size and scope of the project, including the cost of edits and revisions
- Send and sign a contract detailing that agreement
- In some cases (especially with new customers), invoice and receive half of the total payment before work begins
- Provide the work in the scope discussed
- Send the final project in an email thanking the customer, advising them to reach out for edits or discussions, and alert them to the payment they’ll be receiving shortly
- Send the final invoice (either the full amount or the second half of the invoice)
- If payment isn’t received in the time allotted (something you should have agreed on prior), send a polite follow-up email about outstanding invoices
Depending on your client and their process, though, sometimes the most seamless thing to do is to abide by their payment workflow. For example, one of my customers is on a regular retainer agreement with me. That means they pay me a set amount per month that is directly deposited into my account. They don’t need me to invoice via Quickbooks–as a larger company, they pay their vendors according to their workflow.
If I insisted on my system for this larger company, I imagine they’d oblige–but it would make the payment process so much more complicated for them. Because of that, I’d certainly expect obstacles and delays.
Set Boundaries & Be the Authority
Boundaries are your best friend when it comes to getting paid. That doesn’t mean they need to be insanely rigid, though. I used the example earlier of a client that usually needs a second reminder about payment. I’ve worked with this particular client for six years and they’ve never left me hanging on payment. In fact, I fully acknowledge that they’re a small business owner who has a lot on their plate and can’t always remember to pay me exactly on the day we agreed. Every single time, that second email does its job. So, for me, that second email is a great boundary.
If I had to chase down a client to pay me, send multiple emails, feel like I’m being ghosted, and never know for sure if I’m going to get paid, those are all clear violations of my boundaries.
And those violations are enough for me to never work with that client again.
You’re a freelance writer and you’re the authority behind your work– but you’re already doing your job. It’s not also your job to hound your clients to pay you the debt you’re owed. If you find this happening to you a lot, it’s time to evaluate your ideal client, figure out why you’re settling, and make some changes.
Educate Your Clients on Why
Being transparent and straightforward about why you charge what you do, how you’re planning to charge, and the why behind all the steps in your payment process may not be everyone’s cup of tea–but it’s mine.
I am big on educating clients because often, I think the real issue with not getting paid stems from a lack of information or knowledge about how the freelance world works.
In my experience, working with a company or business owner who has never used a freelancer before is more confusing for them than it was for me. They don’t always know what to expect, how to make payments, and how payment structures are set up.
My big question is this– if you could set expectations and educate your client on how the process works, why wouldn’t you?
Be Flexible–But Go With Your Gut
I believe in providing flexibility for my clients when it doesn’t break my boundaries. In most cases, a little leniency is no big deal and clients tend to abide by your payment rules if you occasionally offer them a little wiggle room.
But being flexible and ignoring gut feelings are two different things–and I certainly don’t advise being flexible with everyone. If you’re working with a client who’s repeatedly left you hanging on payments, offering them flexibility isn’t the best way to work with them. If you’re thinking about working with a new client but don’t 100% know that you can trust you’ll get your full payment, put a few more safeguards in place.
And if you ever get a bad feeling about a potential client–as in, they don’t respect your work and don’t think you’re worthy of getting paid–it’s best to not open that can of worms at all.
The best context I can provide is yet another example from my time as a freelancer. I was about four years into my business and had several of my payment principles lined up. I’d worked with a client relatively regularly, had a fine professional relationship with them, and was happy to take any work they threw my way.
But after working with them for a few months, I realized I was having to hound that client for payments. I’d send a second email, then a third, and then a fourth–until eventually, I’d get a notification that I’d been paid. This happened a few times, and each time it did, I felt a little less confident working with that client.
My gut was signaling to me, but I ignored it.
Finally, I hit a breaking point with that client. I was owed a small amount of money–maybe $300. But they’d put off paying me for months. I’d sent a few polite email reminders every other week. And so far, I’d received nothing back.
I reached out, still polite, explaining that as a freelancer, I needed to be paid for my work. The invoice was well past due–and I’d been patient.
I received back an onslaught of pretty terrible things. The client told me to be patient, that my work wasn’t very good, and that if I bothered him again, I wouldn’t get paid at all. They told me writers like me were “a dime a dozen,” and that if I wasn’t careful, that money would never release to me. I politely invited him to find another writer that aligned with his needs, offered a monthly payment plan, and mentioned the date I expected my payment.
That was in 2019 and I still haven’t received that payment.
But I keep that unpaid invoice on my Quickbooks platform as a reminder–trust your gut.
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